Start Up Lead

Jobgether; United States; Remote; USD 92,000 - 137,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Discretionary annual bonus

Health insurance

Retirement benefits

Life and disability insurance

Parental leave

Paid time off

Remote work within the United States

Global project exposure

Leadership development

Job summary

Jobgether in partnership with a client seeks a Start Up Lead based in the United States to drive global clinical trial site start-up activities. You will develop activation strategies, manage milestones, and ensure regulatory and operational requirements are met across countries.

You will lead cross-functional teams, mitigate risks, and provide guidance on country-specific start-up processes, timelines, and budget negotiations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences or RN qualification, or equivalent.
• 5+ years in clinical trial start-up, ideally in Start Up Lead or PM within CRO/pharma/biotech.
• Minimum 2 years managing milestones, resources, budgets, and cross-functional teams.
• Strong knowledge of GCP, ICH guidelines, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Excellent organizational, planning, time management, and prioritization skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end site start-up, developing activation readiness strategies.
• Coordinate submissions (IRB/EC, CA/MoH) and ICF customization; manage risks.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to set milestones and ensure timely start-up activities.
• Attend client meetings to define expectations, plans, and performance metrics.
• Mentor colleagues on country-specific start-up processes and timelines.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Regulatory knowledge

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Strategic thinking

Travel readiness

English fluency

Education

Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences

RN qualification

Advanced degree in Life Sciences or related field

Tools

Milestone tracking tools

Excel

Word processing

Email applications

Job description

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Start Up Lead based in the United States.

As a Start Up Lead, you will oversee and drive global clinical trial site start-up activities, ensuring efficient planning, coordination, and timely site activation. You will play a key role in developing activation strategies, managing critical milestones, and ensuring regulatory and operational requirements are met. Working closely with cross-functional teams and external stakeholders, you will proactively identify risks and implement solutions to keep projects on track. You will also serve as a subject matter expert, providing guidance, training, and mentorship to colleagues on country-specific start-up processes. This role offers the opportunity to influence clinical research delivery, strengthen operational excellence, and contribute to successful clinical trial execution in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.

Accountabilities

• Lead the end-to-end site start-up process by developing and implementing activation readiness strategies that support timely site initiation.
• Develop, coordinate, and communicate critical path plans covering IRB/EC and CA/MoH submissions, informed consent form (ICF) customization, risk mitigation, contract execution, and investigational medicinal product (IMP) release requirements.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to establish milestones, align operational objectives, and ensure the timely delivery of site start-up activities.
• Participate in client meetings to define delivery expectations, communication plans, risk mitigation strategies, reporting requirements, and performance metrics.
• Work closely with functional leaders and site start-up specialists to identify potential delivery risks, implement mitigation plans, and protect project timelines.
• Oversee the accuracy and real-time maintenance of tracking systems and documentation to monitor progress against study, country, and site-level milestones.
• Coordinate document translations required for regulatory and ethics committee submissions.
• Maintain close communication with Feasibility, Clinical Operations, Project Management, Regulatory Affairs, and Site Contracts teams to ensure alignment on country-specific deliverables and project status.
• Act as the subject matter expert for country-level start-up requirements, including regulatory and ethics committee timelines, site contracts, budget negotiations, and IMP release milestones.
• Provide direct support for country- or site-level start-up activities when necessary.
• Contribute to the development of country-specific start-up summaries, process flows, timelines, risk assessments, and success factors.
• Support and deliver training initiatives, share best practices, and mentor colleagues on local regulations, submission procedures, internal processes, and site start-up requirements.
• Contribute to business development and proposal activities, including preparing presentation materials and participating in client presentations.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required by management.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences or a related discipline, Registered Nurse (RN) qualification, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and relevant experience.
• At least 5 years of experience in clinical trial start-up activities, ideally in a Start Up Lead or Project Management capacity within a Contract Research Organization (CRO), pharmaceutical, or biotechnology environment.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience managing project milestones, resources, budgets, and cross-functional team activities.
• Demonstrated leadership experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams and driving complex operational activities.
• Strong knowledge of Good Clinical Practice (GCP), ICH guidelines, and applicable clinical research regulatory requirements.
• Proven experience with milestone tracking tools, computerized information systems, electronic spreadsheets, word processing, and email applications.
• Excellent organizational, planning, time management, and prioritization skills, with a strong focus on accuracy, attention to detail, and meeting deadlines.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders, manage expectations, and communicate effectively across teams.
• Ability to work independently and proactively in a fast-paced environment, demonstrating flexibility, urgency, and sound problem-solving skills.
• Fluency in English is required, along with proficiency in the local language for candidates supporting non-English-speaking countries.
• An advanced degree in Life Sciences or a related field is preferred.
• Ability to travel occasionally, depending on project and business requirements.

Benefits

• Competitive annual base salary ranging from $91,500 to $137,300 USD, depending on qualifications, experience, skills, and geographic location.
• Eligibility for a discretionary annual performance bonus.
• Comprehensive health insurance coverage.
• Retirement savings benefits.
• Life insurance and disability coverage.
• Paid parental leave.
• Paid time off, including vacation and sick leave.
• Opportunity to work remotely within the United States.
• Exposure to international clinical research projects and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams.
• Opportunities to develop leadership expertise, expand regulatory knowledge, and contribute to professional growth.