Director of Clinical Operations

Director Of Clinical Operations

Pennington Biomedical Research Center, a world-renowned academic research institute of Louisiana State University, is seeking a Director of Clinical Operations in the Clinical Trials Unit.

The Director of Clinical Operations serves as the senior operational leader for the Clinical Trials Unit (CTU), providing strategic, operational, financial, and administrative oversight for a comprehensive clinical research enterprise. This role is responsible for ensuring the efficient, compliant, and high-quality execution of clinical research activities across the study lifecycle while aligning operations with institutional priorities and growth objectives.

The Director leads a multidisciplinary team and oversees workforce planning, resource management, financial performance, operational excellence, quality improvement, and clinical research infrastructure. Working closely with investigators, research teams, clinical partners, sponsors, and institutional leadership, the Director ensures research programs are effectively supported and positioned for success.

As a key strategic partner, the Director advances the clinical research mission through process optimization, capacity planning, stakeholder collaboration, and organizational development. The ideal candidate is an experienced clinical research or healthcare operations leader with a demonstrated ability to build high-performing teams, manage complex operations, and foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Major Responsibilities

• Direct and oversee the operations of the Clinical Trials Unit (CTU), ensuring the safe, efficient, compliant, and high-quality execution of clinical research activities across the study lifecycle.
• Provide strategic leadership for clinical research operations, including study feasibility, implementation, resource planning, operational infrastructure, and organizational growth.
• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary workforce, including organizational design, staffing, employee development, succession planning, performance management, and engagement initiatives.
• Establish and optimize operational processes, systems, and performance metrics to support consistent study execution, operational excellence, service quality, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee departmental budgets and ensure responsible stewardship of financial, personnel, technology, facility, and operational resources.
• Monitor operational, quality, and compliance performance; identify risks and opportunities; and implement corrective actions to ensure adherence to regulatory requirements, institutional policies, and Good Clinical Practice standards.
• Collaborate with investigators, institutional leadership, sponsors, and research partners to support study operations, strategic initiatives, capacity planning, and sustainable program growth.
• Provide leadership in the development and implementation of new research programs, services, and infrastructure that enhance organizational capabilities and research support.
• Represent the CTU in institutional, academic, industry, and community partnerships, fostering relationships that advance the clinical research mission and expand organizational opportunities.
• Prepare and present operational, financial, workforce, and performance reports and recommendations to executive leadership to support strategic decision-making.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in clinical research, healthcare administration, nursing, public health, business administration, life sciences, or a related field.
• Seven or more years of progressively responsible experience in clinical research, clinical operations, research administration, or a closely related field, including experience leading clinical research operations.
• Demonstrated experience leading clinical research programs, clinical trials operations, or complex healthcare operations in a clinical or research environment.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and manage multiple priorities, resources, and projects in a complex, fast-paced setting.
• Strong knowledge of clinical research operations, regulatory requirements, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), and applicable research quality standards.
• Experience developing and implementing operational processes, performance metrics, resource management strategies, and continuous quality improvement initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze operational and performance data, identify risks and opportunities, and implement data-driven solutions to improve outcomes.
• Excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in clinical research, healthcare administration, public health, business administration, nursing, life sciences, or related discipline.
• Experience leading a Clinical Trials Unit, Clinical Research Unit, academic research center, hospital-based research program, or similar research operation.
• Experience overseeing both inpatient and outpatient clinical research operations.
• Experience supporting investigator-initiated, federally funded, and/or industry-sponsored clinical trials.
• Experience with study start-up, feasibility assessment, contract and budget coordination, recruitment operations, monitoring visits, audits, and study closeout.
• Experience developing clinical research infrastructure, standard operating procedures, performance metrics, and quality management programs.
• Professional certification such as CCRP, CCRC, or equivalent clinical research certification.
• Experience working in an academic medical center, biomedical research institution, university, hospital, or other research-intensive environment.

Pennington Biomedical Research Center seeks to recruit a highly productive workforce with a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives and will provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and prospective employees. Employment decisions shall be based strictly on merit and without regard to religious or political beliefs, sex, race, or any other non-merit factor.