Administrative Director, Clinical Research Operations

Overview: Wilmot Cancer Institute is seeking an experienced and dynamic Administrative Director, Clinical Research Operations. This pivotal enterprise leadership role is responsible for the strategic direction, operational execution, and continuous advancement of clinical research across our Clinical Research Enterprise. In collaboration with senior leadership, you will ensure our infrastructure aligns with NCI-designated Cancer Center expectations, delivering a high-performing, standardized, and patient-centered clinical trials environment that provides equitable access to innovative therapies across all sites of care.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic & Operational Leadership: Define and execute a comprehensive, systemwide strategy for clinical trial operations, aligning with Wilmot's strategic priorities and NCI designation requirements. Lead the design, standardization, and scaling of workflows, infrastructure, and technologies to support efficient and high-quality trial delivery.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration: Build and sustain strong partnerships with disease program leadership, principal investigators, clinical and operational leaders, and industry sponsors. Serve as a key liaison to ensure alignment and shared accountability across research, clinical operations, finance, and administration.
• Clinical Research Execution & Quality Oversight: Establish and enforce systemwide standards for study start-up, conduct, monitoring, and closeout, ensuring compliance with all regulatory and accreditation requirements (FDA, ICH-GCP, NCI, OHRP). Oversee the development and implementation of SOPs, quality assurance programs, and audit readiness processes.
• People & Talent Leadership: Provide executive oversight of clinical research personnel across the system, including workforce planning, recruitment, retention, and succession planning. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning among research staff and leadership.
• Financial Stewardship & Performance Optimization: Oversee the financial performance of clinical trial operations, including budgeting, forecasting, and resource allocation. Define key performance indicators (KPIs) and leverage data analytics to monitor performance, identify trends, and lead systemwide quality and performance improvement initiatives.

Qualifications:

• Proven leadership experience in clinical research operations, preferably within an NCI-designated Cancer Center.
• Strong understanding of regulatory compliance (FDA, ICH-GCP, NCI, OHRP) and clinical trial best practices.
• Exceptional strategic planning, operational execution, and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to foster a collaborative and high-performing team environment.

Reporting: This position reports to senior executive leadership.