Clinical Research Director

Southwest Women's Oncology; New Mexico; On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Southwest Women’s Oncology, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, seeks a Clinical Research Director to design and lead our newly formed clinical research vertical. You will establish strategy, systems, and teams, coordinating with investigators, sponsors, CROs, and regulatory bodies to set standards for oncology research.

You will own the program’s growth, ensure rigorous scientific methods, and deliver patient-centered clinical trials that advance care in gynecologic oncology.

Qualifications

• Leadership experience in clinical research programs and teams.
• Strong knowledge of ICH-GCP, FDA, NIH, IRB regulations.
• Strategic mindset; align research with clinical priorities.
• Excellent collaboration with sponsors, CROs, and investigators.

Responsibilities

• Lead full lifecycle of clinical trials—from feasibility to close-out.
• Oversee study budgets, billing, and forecasting.
• Ensure compliance with SOPs and regulatory standards.
• Build, mentor, and manage the research team.
• Manage sponsor and regulator relationships.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Regulatory knowledge

Stakeholder management

Job description

Job Description

Clinical Research Director

Southwest Women’s Oncology | Albuquerque, New Mexico

Why This Role Matters

Clinical trials are not a side program. They are how medicine moves forward.

For patients facing gynecologic cancer, access to a clinical trial can mean access to a treatment that doesn’t yet exist anywhere else. It can mean hope. It can mean more time.

Southwest Women’s Oncology is building a clinical research program commensurate with our clinical reputation - rigorous, patient-centered, and built to last. The Clinical Research Director will front that effort: building the infrastructure, developing the team, establishing the partnerships, and setting the standard for how great oncology research gets done.

This is a rare opportunity to build something from the ground up within an organization that already has clinical excellence, physician leadership, and institutional commitment. We hire for attitude and aptitude above all else. Credentials matter, but who you are and how you grow matter more.

Who We Are

Southwest Women’s Oncology (SWWO) is New Mexico’s leading gynecologic oncology practice, delivering advanced cancer care with skill, courage, and compassion.

Optimum Human and Optimum Infusion extend that mission into performance medicine, infusion services, longevity, recovery, hormone optimization, medical weight loss, peptide therapies, hyperbaric medicine, aesthetics, and human performance.

Together, we operate as a single integrated platform committed to one mission:

We exist to deliver new possibilities in medical care, human performance, and health by uniting passion, knowledge, and skill.

The Opportunity

This is not a maintenance role. You are building something.

As Clinical Research Director, you will design and lead the clinical research vertical at SWWO—establishing the strategy, systems, team, and relationships that will define what this program becomes. You will work at the intersection of scientific rigor, operational excellence, and patient impact, partnering with:

• Gynecologic oncology physicians serving as Principal Investigators
• Pharmaceutical sponsors, CROs, and cooperative group partners
• Clinical Research Coordinators, data specialists, and research support staff
• Executive leadership and the broader Optimum platform
• Regulatory bodies including FDA, NIH, and IRB

You will have the authority, the resources, and the leadership support to build a program that changes what’s possible for patients in New Mexico and beyond.

What You’ll Own

Strategy & Program Leadership

• Build, scale, and manage the clinical research vertical within SWWO, developing long-term strategy, infrastructure, and resourcing plans.
• Partner with the Executive Team to align research strategy with organizational goals and clinical priorities.
• Evaluate new research opportunities and develop business cases for study selection, site expansion, and external partnerships.

Trial Operations

• Lead the full lifecycle of clinical trials—feasibility, start-up, recruitment, execution, monitoring, and close-out.
• Oversee study budgets, billing compliance, and financial performance; ensure accurate reporting and forecasting.
• Maintain compliance with ICH-GCP, FDA, NIH, IRB, and all institutional requirements.
• Develop, implement, and continuously refine Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for research operations.

Team Development

• Hire, onboard, mentor, and manage a team of Clinical Research Coordinators, data specialists, and research support staff.
• Build a culture of excellence, accountability, scientific integrity, and continuous improvement within the research team.
• Oversee performance management and professional development for all direct reports.

Sponsor & Stakeholder Relations

• Serve as primary liaison for pharmaceutical sponsors, CROs, investigators, and regulatory agencies.
• Support Principal Investigators in protocol execution and ensure appropriate documentation and data integrity.
• Represent SWWO in research networks, professional associations, and at industry conferences.

Compliance & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure all research is conducted ethically and adheres to institutional, state, and federal regulations.
• Over