Enterprise Clinical Research Director: Strategy & Growth

United-Digestive; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

United Digestive seeks an experienced leader to guide its enterprise clinical research program, driving growth, partnerships, and financial performance while ensuring quality, compliance, and scalable infrastructure.

The role requires managing multi-site operations, negotiating with sponsors and CROs, and building capabilities across data governance and research technology. Travel will be required as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, business, life sciences, nursing, public health, or related field.
• At least seven years of progressive clinical research operations experience with multi-site leadership and staff management.
• Experience with sponsor/CRO partnerships, portfolio strategy, budgets, contracts, and departmental financial management.
• Knowledge of FDA regulations, ICH-GCP, HIPAA, and quality systems; strong strategic, communication, negotiation, and people-leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and provide leadership to Clinical Research Manager and centralized research operations staff.
• Develop and execute United Digestive's enterprise clinical research strategy, goals, growth plan, and scalable infrastructure.
• Build sponsor, CRO, academic, and healthcare partnerships to expand study opportunities and program reach.
• Evaluate and prioritize the study portfolio based on strategic fit, feasibility, capacity, patient population, and financial viability.
• Own departmental financial performance, including budgets, forecasts, sponsor budgets, contracts, and key business terms.
• Oversee standardized multi-site research operations, resource allocation, systems, and performance improvement.
• Remove barriers and communicate operational, financial, enrollment, startup, and quality trends to executive leadership.
• Maintain oversight of the Quality Management System, SOPs, CAPA plans, audits, and FDA inspection readiness.
• Set the roadmap for research technology, data governance, and standardized tools supporting efficient operations.
• Recruit and develop investigators, leaders, and research staff while fostering accountability and continuous improvement.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Budget management

Stakeholder management

Regulatory knowledge

People leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration or related field

Master’s or doctoral degree preferred

Job description

United Digestive seeks an experienced leader to guide its enterprise clinical research program, driving growth, partnerships, and financial performance while ensuring quality, compliance, and scalable infrastructure.

The role requires managing multi-site operations, negotiating with sponsors and CROs, and building capabilities across data governance and research technology. Travel will be required as needed.