Executive Director, US Clinical Operations

Job Description

Translational Medicine (TMed) leverages multidisciplinary expertise to guide decision-making throughout the drug development process, driving the most promising therapeutic candidates forward. We partner with stakeholders to strategically shape our pipeline and advance breakthrough medicines from discovery to late-stage development and beyond. Through cross-functional collaboration, we integrate data to derive insights across functional and therapeutic areas, fostering connectivity and fueling innovation.

The clinical organization within Translational Medicine (TMed) is responsible for early clinical development of novel therapeutics, working in close collaboration with Discovery Sciences and Late-Stage Clinical Research, and is accountable for all scientific, operational, and technical aspects of TMed HQ-sponsored clinical trials. The Head of TMed US Clinical Operations will provide strategic leadership and managerial oversight, leading the group to deliver on the TMed clinical portfolio (>100 trials and program level deliverables annually across multiple therapeutic areas, including multi-country/center patient trials).

The Executive Director will develop/ support an empowered organization that can navigate in a matrixed environment and adjust quickly to business needs including new/evolving processes and technology. The incumbent will be responsible for ensuring the organization drives successful execution of all operational components of clinical programs using strong project management, leadership, organizational and communication skills while ensuring GCP and quality standards are met and within agreed timelines and budgets. The incumbent will assure alignment of the operations activities with the overall priorities of the department, division, and company. They will be responsible for ensuring staff are provided with appropriate vision, direction, training, and sponsorship of projects and initiatives. The incumbent will ensure performance management and career development plans are implemented by direct supervisors and that the entire organization is compliant with all policies and procedures.

The ideal candidate demonstrates a growth mindset and uses sound judgement to balance risks and trade-offs. They bring a proactive solutions-oriented approach and a strong commitment to ensure continual optimization of our organization to meet Research and Development's (R&D) mission. They foster constructive debate, respectfully challenge assumptions, and communicate with courage and candor when representing TMed in higher level cross-functional interactions.

The Executive Director reports to the Senior Vice President/ Head of Translational Medicine and sits on the TMed Leadership team. This role is a highly cross-functional and influential role within TMed and with cross functional partners.

Primary Responsibilities:

Leadership & Culture:

• Provide strategic and motivational leadership to TMed US Clinical Operations, fostering an inclusive, engaging, and high-performance culture.
• Lead organizational change initiatives, ensuring adaptability to evolving internal and external environments.
• Promote diversity of thought through empowering staff to speak up, challenge the status quo, and contribute to continuous improvement.
   

Portfolio & Operational Oversight:

• Oversee execution of all TMed clinical trials, ensuring alignment with portfolio priorities and R&D objectives.
• Drive operational excellence through process optimization, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Maintain compliance with departmental SOPs and quality standards.

Resource & Talent Management:

• Define functional capability needs and allocate resources to meet business objectives.
• Manage hiring, succession planning, and professional development to build a skilled, high-performing team.
• Support a learning environment through coaching, mentoring, and feedback.
   

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Serve as the escalation point for issues across programs and operations.
• Build strong relationships with cross-functional partners.
• Respectfully challenge partners and draw appropriate boundaries, when necessary.
• Represent TMed on strategic initiatives, committees, and task forces.
   

Strategic Planning & Industry Awareness:

• Lead strategic planning and execution for clinical operations to meet increasing complexity/demands of the business with innovative thinking and experimentation.
• Stay current on industry trends and best practices in early-phase clinical development.

Education Requirement:

• Bachelor’s Degree with a concentration