Director of Research Operations and Education

Children's Hospital Colorado; Aurora (CO); On-site; USD 138,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Bonuses

Paid time off

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Life and disability insurance

Paid parental leave

403b match

Wellness program

Education benefit

Job summary

Children's Hospital Colorado is seeking a Director of Research Operations and Education to lead a large, multidisciplinary research organization. You will oversee clinical research study operations, education programs, and a workforce of over 110 professionals supporting more than 450 active studies.

You will shape strategy, drive growth, ensure regulatory compliance, and build a high-performance, inclusive culture through mentoring and development of the clinical research staff.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in a relevant field.
• 8+ years of clinical research operations experience in healthcare.
• 5+ years of management or leadership experience; research/scientific background preferred.

Responsibilities

• Leads a multidisciplinary clinical research organization and partners with internal and external leaders.
• Oversees regulatory affairs, financial operations, project management, contracts, and admin services.
• Supports investigator teams across sponsor types and study types.
• Guides compliance with federal regulations and maintains high-quality, patient-focused operations.
• Implements strategy, budgeting, and workforce development across the department.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

People management

Regulatory knowledge

Financial oversight

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Lean Six Sigma certification

Tools

Clinical research management system

Contracts management software

Regulatory databases

Job description

Job Overview

The Director of Research Operations and Education is responsible for overseeing the operations, workforce development, and strategic growth of a large, multidisciplinary research organization, including clinical research study operations and clinical research education programs. The Director provides leadership and oversight for more than 110 clinical research professionals supporting over 450 active clinical research studies and is responsible for the growth and maintenance of the organization's clinical research infrastructure. The Director develops and oversees organizational strategy and goals, provides strategic leadership for research operations and education initiatives, and builds and models a high-performance culture through effective people management and career development of the clinical research workforce at Children's Colorado.

Responsibilities

• Leads a multidisciplinary clinical research organization, partnering closely with both internal and external physicians and institutional leaders.
• Oversees sub-departments including but not limited to: clinical research coordination and services, regulatory affairs, financial operations, project management, contracting, general administrative services, clinical research management system, internal awards programs, research nurses, and laboratory testing.
• Supports investigator teams conducting research projects across the spectrum of sponsor types (e.g., governmental, non-profit, industry) and study types (both sponsor, and investigator initiated [including investigational drugs and devices]).
• Utilizes knowledge of federal regulations and the legal and regulatory environment governing academic and/or clinical research administration to guide the execution of high-quality, safe, efficient and effective clinical research, with a strong focus on customer service, regulatory compliance, transparency and commitment to programmatic excellence and ongoing evaluation.
• Facilitates support for intellectual property issues, e.g. technology transfer, licensing and commercialization issues in a non-profit, academic setting.
• Participates in organizational strategic planning, and provides leadership in defining and implementing mission, vision, values, goals and priorities and measuring and reporting on progress.
• Develops a high-performing management team and oversee recruitment, training, management and evaluation of all personnel, with a focus on building a high-performing, transparent and inclusive culture with strong employee engagement.
• Develops and oversees a department and organizational budgets and financial performance.
• Engages and collaborates with leaders across the organization, campus and partnering organizations to advance and improve clinical research operations.
• Works in partnership with other departments and divisions to oversee hospital-wide research feasibility and start-up process, ensuring that research conducted at the institution meets regulatory, financial and legal requirements.

Minimum Qualifications

EDUCATION - Bachelor's degree required

EXPERIENCE - Significant clinical research operations experience in hospital setting - 8 or more years of experience in a healthcare setting with 5 or more years of management experience; research/scientific experience highly preferred

Preferences

• Previous Director level experience supporting research operations within a system of care.
• Previous leadership experience over a large, complex team of individuals.
• Strong knowledge of clinical research operations including: regulatory, pre/post award financial management, proposal submissions, contracts, Phase 1 trials.

CERTIFICATION(S) - Clinical research and Lean/Six Sigma certifications preferred

Salary Information

Pay is dependent on applicant's relevant experience.

Annual Salary Range (Based on 40 hours worked per week): $137,944.29 to $229,907.13

Scope and Level

GUIDELINES: Guidelines are in the form of stated vision and objectives for the division. A second level manager directs and manages an operational and/or a functional area by developing objectives and strategies.

COMPLEXITY: Work assignment is unstructured and employee is responsible for implementing and managing a variety of objectives, resources, and strategies to achieve the goals of the division. Duties performed include operational and organizational planning, developing standards, schedules, priorities, guidelines, processes, measurement (evaluation) systems, implementation of production and performance management standards, and allocating resources.

DECISION MAKING: Employee is responsible for determining strategic structure, goals, objectives, and resources and for providing leadership for the division/department and the community it serves. Determines strategy priority shifts for the division/department.

CONTACTS/COMMUNICATIONS: Contacts are of a non-prescribed nature involving the negotiation and resolution of problems and where exceptional degrees of discretion, judgment, and knowledge are required. Contacts where the exchange of information, support, influence, and cooperation may have a very significant impact on the division, programs, and/or policies of the organization.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY: Responsible for developing and overseeing organizational budgets in collaboration with other division leaders; manages cost center(s) appropriately to meet or exceed budget targets for productivity, salary and non-salary expenses.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED: Under executive direction, the employee is delegated personal responsibilities and authorities over a department. Work is reviewed for soundness of judgment and conclusion.

Benefits Information

Here, you matter. As a Children's Hospital Colorado team member, you will receive a competitive pay and benefits package designed to take care of your needs that includes base pay, incentives, paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, company provided life and disability insurance, paid parental leave, 403b employer match (retirement savings), a robust wellness program, and access to professional development tools, including an education benefit to help you advance your career.

As part of our Total Rewards package, Children's Colorado offers an annual employee bonus program that rewards eligible team members based on organizational performance. If organizational goals are met for the year, the bonus is paid out the following April.

Children's Colorado delivers annual base pay increases to eligible team members based on their performance over the previous year.

EEO Statement

It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factors. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or any other status protected by law or regulation. Be aware that none of the questions are intended to imply illegal preferences or discrimination based on non-job-related information. The position is expected to stay open until the posted close date. Please submit your application as soon as possible as the posting is subject to close at any time once a sufficient pool of qualified applicants is obtained.

Colorado Residents: In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

Estimated Close Date: 11/04/2026