Associate Director, Clinical Operations

Dispatch Bio; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 270,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity ownership

Medical vision dental

401(k) retirement

Life insurance

Flexible PTO

Other benefits

Job summary

Dispatch Bio is seeking an Associate Director, Clinical Operations to lead the planning, execution, and oversight of early‑phase oncology trials. Reporting to the VP of Clinical Operations, you will partner with Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Biostatistics, Drug Supply, and QA to ensure trials meet quality, timelines, and regulatory standards.

You will manage study start‑up, site activation, vendor oversight, and cross‑functional collaboration with CROs, central labs, and trial

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (e.g., MS, RN, PharmD) in a life sciences or related field preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive clinical operations experience in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry.
• Experience managing early‑phase (Phase I/II) oncology clinical trials, including study start‑up, site management, and vendor oversight.
• Strong working knowledge of ICH‑GCP guidelines, FDA regulations, and clinical trial operational best practices.
• Experience managing CROs and other third‑party vendors, including budget and contract oversight.
• Proficiency with clinical trial management systems (CTMS), electronic data capture (EDC) platforms, and other clinical trial software.
• Collaborative nature, geared toward cross‑functional teamwork.
• Excellent organizational, problem‑solving, and time management skills.
• Positive attitude, dedicated work ethic, and flexible orientation for operating in a fast‑paced, entrepreneurial environment.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to translate complex clinical information for diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, including the ability to manage a clinical operations team, communicate, coach, mentor, and develop employees.
• Ability to be onsite 4 days per week
• Ability to travel up to 20%, if needed

Responsibilities

• Lead the operational execution of one or more early‑phase (Phase I/II) oncology clinical trials, from study start‑up through close‑out
• Serve as the primary operational point of contact for CROs, vendors, and investigative sites, ensuring deliverables are met on time, within budget, and to quality standards
• Develop and manage study timelines, budgets, and risk mitigation plans; proactively identify and resolve issues that could impact trial timelines or data integrity
• Oversee site selection, activation, and ongoing site management activities in partnership with CROs and the broader Clinical Operations team
• Collaborate with Clinical Development and Biostatistics to develop and review protocols, informed consent forms, case report forms, and other essential study documents
• Manage vendor oversight activities, including central labs, IRT, imaging, and other specialty vendors supporting early‑phase oncology trials
• Partner with Drug Supply/CMC teams to ensure adequate investigational product supply and accurate demand forecasting
• Monitor trial enrollment, data quality, and safety reporting in collaboration with Pharmacovigilance and Medical Monitoring
• Contribute to the development of departmental SOPs, working practices, and process improvements as Dispatch’s clinical operations function scales
• Support inspection readiness activities and ensure trials are conducted in accordance with ICH‑GCP, FDA regulations, and Dispatch quality standards
• Prepare and present study status updates to internal stakeholders and senior leadership

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Problem solving

Attention to detail

Onsite presence

Time management

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor’s degree; advanced degree in life sciences

Tools

CTMS

EDC platforms

Clinical trial software

Job description

About us:

Our purpose at Dispatch is to help create a world where all cancer patients can be cured. We’re humbled by the opportunity to work together as a team on some of the most pressing medical challenges of our time.

To achieve our purpose, we are dedicated to engineering a universal treatment across solid tumors. We’re committed to the development of novel therapies, leveraging first‑in‑class technologies in viral vectors, universal targets, and novel cytokine biology. Our therapeutic approach has the potential to enable us to treat significant numbers of cancer patients and make a real and lasting impact on the world.

Our company was founded on pioneering work carried out in the laboratories of Dr. Carl June (University of Pennsylvania), Dr. Kole Roybal (University of California, San Francisco), Dr. Christopher Garcia (Stanford University) and Dr. Andy Minn (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center).

At our company, you would become one of our early team members— not only playing a role in meeting our ambitious mission but also building our thriving culture. We are determined to deliver with urgency to discover new solutions and we always stay dedicated to scientific rigor; we have an ownership mindset because each and every one of us is integral to our success. Collaboration is core for us because we believe that by bringing people together with diverse perspectives, we make a stronger whole. And, we show we care about our work and each other by sharing feedback - ultimately in service of our vision to empower people to continue forward with their lives – cancer free.

The role:

The Associate Director, Clinical Operations will play a critical role in the planning, execution, and oversight of Dispatch’s early‑phase (Phase I/II) oncology clinical trials. Reporting to the Vice President of Clinical Operations, this person will partner closely with Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Biostatistics, Drug Supply, and Quality Assurance internally, as well as with CROs, central labs, and other clinical trial vendors externally, to ensure our studies are executed with the highest standards of quality, timeliness, and regulatory compliance.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the operational execution of one or more early‑phase (Phase I/II) oncology clinical trials, from study start‑up through close‑out
• Serve as the primary operational point of contact for CROs, vendors, and investigative sites, ensuring deliverables are met on time, within budget, and to quality standards
• Develop and manage study timelines, budgets, and risk mitigation plans; proactively identify and resolve issues that could impact trial timelines or data integrity
• Oversee site selection, activation, and ongoing site management activities in partnership with CROs and the broader Clinical Operations team
• Collaborate with Clinical Development and Biostatistics to develop and review protocols, informed consent forms, case report forms, and other essential study documents
• Manage vendor oversight activities, including central labs, IRT, imaging, and other specialty vendors supporting early‑phase oncology trials
• Partner with Drug Supply/CMC teams to ensure adequate investigational product supply and accurate demand forecasting
• Monitor trial enrollment, data quality, and safety reporting in collaboration with Pharmacovigilance and Medical Monitoring
• Contribute to the development of departmental SOPs, working practices, and process improvements as Dispatch’s clinical operations function scales
• Support inspection readiness activities and ensure trials are conducted in accordance with ICH‑GCP, FDA regulations, and Dispatch quality standards
• Prepare and present study status updates to internal stakeholders and senior leadership

Required experience & skills:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (e.g., MS, RN, PharmD) in a life sciences or related field preferred
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive clinical operations experience in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry
• Demonstrated experience managing early‑phase (Phase I/II) oncology clinical trials, including study start‑up, site management, and vendor oversight
• Strong working knowledge of ICH‑GCP guidelines, FDA regulations, and clinical trial operational best practices
• Experience managing CROs and other third‑party vendors, including budget and contract oversight
• Proficiency with clinical trial management systems (CTMS), electronic data capture (EDC) platforms, and other clinical trial software
• Collaborative nature, geared toward cross‑functional teamwork
• Excellent organizational, problem‑solving, and time management skills
• Positive attitude, dedicated work ethic, and flexible orientation for operating in a fast‑paced, entrepreneurial environment
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to translate complex clinical information for diverse audiences
• Demonstrated leadership skills, including the ability to manage a clinical operations team, communicate, coach, mentor, and develop employees
• Ability to be onsite 4 days per week
• Ability to travel up to 20%, if needed

Preferred experience & skills:

• Experience with cell and gene therapy, personalized medicine, or other biologics clinical trials
• Prior experience working in a small or growth‑stage biotech environment
• Experience supporting regulatory submissions (e.g., IND filings, IB updates) or inspection readiness activities
• Established relationships with CROs and vendors specializing in oncology and/or cell therapy trials
• People management experience, with a track record of developing and mentoring clinical operations staff

Our values:

Our values guide everything we do. While capabilities and skills are vital, understanding how a potential new colleague would embody our values is central to our hiring decisions.

Determined to deliver:

By working with focus and passion, we can provide patients with the solutions they need.

Own every outcome:

We can reach new heights when we stay centered on our shared success.

Collaboration at the core:

When we band together, our work is better.

Feedback is fundamental:

Constructive and authentic positive feedback may be difficult to master but it is vital to our success.

Working here:

• We offer a highly competitive compensation package with meaningful ownership through equity
• Excellent coverage for medical, vision, and dental
• 401(k) with generous contribution
• Life insurance
• Flexible PTO policy
• Additional substantial benefits

We are an equal opportunity employer.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, national origin, or any characteristic protected under applicable law.