Senior Director, Clinical Trials Operations

Nkarta, Inc.; South San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 220,000 - 270,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Equity grant(s)

Medical, dental, vision and life

401K & ESPP

Paid vacation & holidays

Job summary

Nkarta, Inc. is seeking a Director of Clinical Trial Operations in South San Francisco to lead strategic planning, execution, and delivery of one or more clinical trials.

You will coordinate cross-functional teams, manage timelines and budgets, and oversee CROs and vendors to ensure quality and regulatory compliance in pursuit of Nkarta's NK cell therapies. The role requires extensive experience in cell therapy or complex biologics, strong leadership, and ability to travel up to 20%.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years of experience in the management and execution of clinical trials at a sponsor or CRO
• Experience mentoring, developing, or managing clinical operations staff preferred
• Thorough knowledge of GCP, ICH, FDA, and global regulatory requirements

Responsibilities

• Lead overall study or program deliverables with strategic oversight
• Coordinate activities across study phases (planning, site qualification, monitoring, data review, closeout)
• Maintain study timelines and communicate issues impacting budget/resources
• Lead risk management and mitigation to ensure delivery quality, budget, and timelines
• Oversee CROs and external vendors for outsourced studies and programs
• Lead development of essential study documents (protocols, ICFs, CRFs, CSRs)
• Identify and recruit investigators; build relationships with KOLs and PIs
• Manage study budgets and provide variance analysis in partnership with Finance
• Represent Clinical Operations in cross-functional leadership meetings

Skills

Clinical operations leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic planning

Risk management

Regulatory knowledge

Budget management

Mentoring/people management

Travel willingness

Communication skills

Education

BS/BA in related discipline

MS/MA in related discipline

PhD in related discipline

Equivalent education/experience

Job description

Nkarta, Inc. is seeking a Director of Clinical Trial Operations in South San Francisco to lead strategic planning, execution, and delivery of one or more clinical trials.

You will coordinate cross-functional teams, manage timelines and budgets, and oversee CROs and vendors to ensure quality and regulatory compliance in pursuit of Nkarta's NK cell therapies. The role requires extensive experience in cell therapy or complex biologics, strong leadership, and ability to travel up to 20%.