Manager Sponsor Regulatory Affairs & Institutional Trial Compliance

30 Shea Medical Center; Scottsdale (AZ); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

HonorHealth is seeking an experienced leader to oversee the Office of Regulatory Affairs and Research Oversight within the Division of Institutional Research. This role directs regulatory strategy, trial startup, safety oversight, and multi-site sponsor operations to ensure FDA compliance and inspection readiness.

The candidate will mentor a team, develop SOPs, manage regulatory documentation, and collaborate across IRB, legal, finance, and operations to enable efficient sponsorship of

Qualifications

• 6 years of progressive clinical research experience required.
• 3 years of leadership experience in regulatory affairs, sponsor operations, quality systems, or clinical trial administration required.
• 3 years of experience with IND, IDE, FDA submissions, or sponsor held trials required.
• 3 years of experience building teams, systems, and operational infrastructure preferred.
• Regulatory certifications (CCRP/CCRC/RAC/PMP) preferred

Responsibilities

• Lead regulatory strategy for institutionally sponsored trials across drug, device, biologic, behavioral, and observational studies.
• Oversee IND/IDE submissions, amendments, annual reports, safety reports, and protocol changes.
• Ensure regulatory readiness and sponsor oversight across multiple sites and networks.
• Develop governance, SOPs, and training to ensure compliance and inspection readiness.
• Collaborate with IRB, legal, contracting, finance, and operations to align study operations

Skills

Regulatory affairs

Clinical trials

FDA submissions

Quality systems

Leadership

Education

Bachelors

Masters in health administration, public health, regulatory science, business, nursing, pharmacy, law, or related field

Job description

Primary City/State: Shea Medical Office Building - 10197 N 92nd St Scottsdale, AZ 85258 Category: Research Operations Shift: Day Department: HRI-Division of Institutional Research Monday-Friday Great care starts with great people. (Like you.) At HonorHealth, you’ll find something special. From humble beginnings in 1927 to one of Arizona’s largest nonprofit healthcare systems, our culture is built on warmth and neighborly kindness. Behind every smile is a highly skilled professional with deep expertise and an unwavering dedication to what matters most — caring for the health and well-being of people and communities across the greater Phoenix area.

Responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY Provides strategic and operational leadership for the Office of Regulatory Affairs and Research Oversight in the Division of Institutional Research, responsible for sponsor regulatory oversight of institutionally sponsored clinical trials conducted throughout the health system. Ensures full compliance with FDA regulations, ICH Good Clinical Practice, federal requirements, state requirements, and institutional policies governing sponsor responsibilities. Leads regulatory infrastructure that supports trial startup, conduct, safety oversight, multi-site expansion, reporting obligations, quality systems, and inspection readiness. Partners across the enterprise to create an efficient, scalable, and high performing sponsored trials program.

Essential Functions

Sponsor Regulatory Strategy and Agency Compliance

• Lead implementation of regulatory strategy for institutionally sponsored clinical trials, including drug, device, biologic, behavioral, and observational studies
• Determine regulatory pathway for each study, including IND, IDE, exempt, abbreviated, or non-FDA regulated status
• Oversee preparation and submission of INDs, IDEs, amendments, annual reports, safety reports, protocol changes, and closeout filings as required
• Serve as primary institutional contact with FDA and other regulatory agencies regarding sponsor matters
• Monitor changes in regulations, guidance, and enforcement trends, then implement required operational changes
• Ensure fulfillment of sponsor commitments, reporting deadlines, and regulatory obligations
• Provides guidance to leadership on regulatory risk, escalation items, and remediation strategy.

Trial Startup, Lifecycle Management, and Sponsor Oversight

• Lead sponsor regulatory and compliance startup processes from concept approval through study activation
• Oversee regulatory readiness for protocol finalization, informed consent documents, investigator qualifications, site documents, and essential regulatory records
• Approve activation of internal and external participating sites once sponsor requirements are met
• Direct amendment implementation processes across all participating sites
• Oversee study closeout, final reporting, archival readiness, and record retention requirements
• Support expansion of institutional trials into multi-site networks and affiliated partners
• Ensure delegation of sponsor responsibilities to CROs, monitors, vendors, or external partners is documented and controlled
• Ensure trial institutional reporting requirements such as to CT.Gov, registration and reporting are completed within the institutional regulatory guidelines.

Safety Oversight, Quality Systems, and Inspection Readiness

• Establish sponsor systems for adverse event review, serious adverse event reporting, unanticipated problem management, and safety signal escalation
• Coordinate oversight bodies such as DSMBs, independent medical monitors, adjudication committees, and safety review committees when required
• Maintain sponsor Trial Master File standards, completeness, version control, and inspection readiness
• Ensure regulatory data fields are complete in electronic research support system
• Partner with Data Manager to conduct IND/IDE tracking and create reporting dashboards
• Partner with Quality Assurance, Compliance, IRB, and operational leaders on audits, monitoring findings, CAPAs, and corrective actions
• Lead internal audit readiness program and conduct mock FDA inspections
• Lead preparation for FDA inspections, sponsor audits, and external regulatory reviews
• Identify systemic compliance risks and implement preventive controls

Governance, Policy, Training, and Enterprise Collaboration

• Develop and maintain sponsor SOPs, work instructions, templates, governance charters, and operational standards
• Create standardized pathways for investigator initiated and institutionally sponsored trials
• Educate investigators, research staff, executives, and operational departments on sponsor obligations and regulatory expectations
• Partner with IRB, legal, contracting, finance, pharmacy, laboratory, privacy, data governance, and revenue cycle teams to align study operations
• Advise investigators on regulatory and institutional compliance documentation needs during protocol development to improve feasibility and regulatory success
• Promote a culture of accountability, service, compliance, and operational excellence across the research enterprise

Leadership, Talent Management, and Financial Stewardship

• Build, lead, mentor, and evaluate a high performing sponsor regulatory affairs team
• Establish staffing models aligned with institutional trial volume and complexity
• Work with project coordinators to set performance metrics for study startup timelines, as it pertains to regulatory and compliance documentation
• Develop and manage departmental operating and capital budgets
• Identify efficiencies, automation opportunities, and scalable systems that improve productivity and reduce cycle times
• Provide regular dashboards and strategic updates to executive leadership
• Support long term growth of the institutional sponsored trial portfolio

Education

• Bachelors Required
• Masters in health administration, public health, regulatory science, business, nursing, pharmacy, law, or related field Preferred

Experience

• 6 years, of progressive clinical research experience Required
• 3 years, of leadership experience in regulatory affairs, sponsor operations, quality systems, or clinical trial administration Required
• 3 years, of experience with IND, IDE, FDA submissions, or sponsor held trials Required
• 3 years, of experience building teams, systems, and operational infrastructure Preferred

License and Certifications

• Society of Clinical Research Associates CCRP Preferred
• Association of Clinical Research Professionals CCRC Preferred
• Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society RAC Preferred
• PMP Preferred

We're all in for your career. Expert care from experts who care. At HonorHealth, you’ll find something special. Our culture is built on warmth and neighborly kindness, but behind every smile is a highly skilled professional with deep expertise and unwavering dedication. We’re delivering a healthcare experience that simply feels better through:

• Nine acute-care hospitals
• Over 200 primary, specialty and urgent care centers
• More than 17,000 team members and 4,000 medical staff

Since 1927, we’ve been focused on doing what matters most — caring for people and communities across the greater Phoenix area. From humble beginnings to one of Arizona’s largest nonprofit healthcare systems, we’re just as driven as we were a century ago. Come join us and go all in for your career.