Strategic Director, Clinical Trials & Partnerships

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 157,000 - 261,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sign-on bonus

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle seeks a Director of Clinical Trial Business Development to grow the institution's trials portfolio and build a scalable BD function. You will secure sponsor partnerships, lead cross-functional teams, and shorten startup timelines.

The role requires 8–10+ years in clinical research business development, strong contracting knowledge, and a proven ability to cultivate sponsor relationships at major pharma/biotech organizations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's preferred.
• 8-10+ years in clinical research BD or related roles.
• Deep understanding of the clinical trial lifecycle, sponsor/CRO relationships, contracting, and regulatory processes.
• Proven track record cultivating and closing relationships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology sponsors.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategy to grow clinical trial volume and quality across disease areas.
• Partner with principal investigators and clinical operations leaders to assess capacity, feasibility, and strategic fit for incoming trial opportunities.
• Build and promote the institution's reputation as a top-tier trial site by reducing start-up timelines and creating sponsor-ready materials.
• Represent the institution at conferences, sponsor meetings, and networking events to strengthen visibility.
• Cultivate and manage strategic relationships with sponsors, serving as primary contact from engagement to contract execution.
• Negotiate study budgets and agreements with contracts, legal, and finance teams.
• Design outreach strategies and analyze market intelligence to scout aligned trials.
• Collaborate with scientific leadership to align priorities with business criteria for trial selection.
• Develop a phased 2-3 year plan for expanding the BD function and hiring needs.
• Build internal processes, CRM, and reporting to support growth.
• Mentor and manage BD and Program/Operations teams.

Skills

Clinical research

Sponsor relations

Contracting

Regulatory knowledge

CRM / pipeline management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

CRM systems

Contract management software

Job description

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle seeks a Director of Clinical Trial Business Development to grow the institution's trials portfolio and build a scalable BD function. You will secure sponsor partnerships, lead cross-functional teams, and shorten startup timelines.

The role requires 8–10+ years in clinical research business development, strong contracting knowledge, and a proven ability to cultivate sponsor relationships at major pharma/biotech organizations.