Area Director of Clinical Operations

Area Director of Clinical Operations - Oklahoma & Kansas (Full-Time | Exempt | Onsite in Yukon, OK)

Tekton Research is seeking an experienced clinical research leader to serve as Area Director of Clinical Operations, based onsite in Yukon, Oklahoma, with travel to Kansas as needed.

The Area Director of Clinical Operations provides strategic leadership, project management, and operational oversight across an assigned area of clinical research sites. The Area Director is accountable for the successful execution of assigned studies across the area, including study start-up, enrollment, operational readiness, resource coordination, timeline management, and achievement of financial and performance objectives.

This role provides broader oversight across multiple sites and therapeutic areas, ensuring consistency in operational execution while identifying opportunities to leverage resources, standardize processes, mitigate risk, and improve performance across the area. The Area Director serves as a key liaison between site leadership, Investigators, Sponsors/CROs, Recruitment, Quality & Compliance, and Executive Leadership.

Reports to: VP of Operations

Job Description:

Project & Portfolio Management -

• Serve as the operational project management lead for assigned studies across the area from study award/start-up through enrollment and operational execution.
• Develop and maintain study-level project timelines, milestones, deliverables, risks, and action items.
• Coordinate cross-functional activities required for successful study activation and execution, including site operations, recruitment, regulatory, quality, investigators, and sponsor/CRO.
• Monitor study performance across participating sites and proactively identify barriers that may impact timelines, enrollment, and revenue.
• Lead operational planning for high-priority and multi-site studies, ensuring appropriate allocation of resources across the area.
• Facilitate study launch, performance, and escalation meeting as needed.
• Maintain accountability for project deliverables and escalate risks requiring executive leadership intervention.

Area Performance & Revenue Management - 

• Drive accountability for performance across the assigned area, ensuring enrollment milestones, study deliverables, and revenue projections are consistently met or exceeded.
• Evaluate site and study performance using KPIs and operational dashboards to identify trends, faps, and opportunities.
• Monitor study start-up timelines and operational readiness to accelerate activation and revenue generation.
• Evaluate the area’s study pipeline and resource requirements to support current and future opportunities.
• Partner with site leadership to develop corrective action plans for underperforming studies.
• Identify opportunities to pivot or leverage resources across sites to maximize performance.

Operational Oversight & Resource Management - 

• Provide operational leadership across multiple sites within the assigned area while maintaining accountability through local site management.
• Ensure sites have appropriate staffing, Investigator coverage, training, equipment, and other operational resources to successfully execute the study.
• Partner with Site Managers and Principal Investigators to align site-level priorities.
• Provide oversight of study execution, including visit completion, EDC entry, query resolution, enrollment performance via engagement.
• Provide valuable feedback to the executive leadership team. This includes frequent updates to site level enrollment, projections, and global enrollment percent to goal.

Risk, Quality & Compliance - 

• Identify operational and project-level risks and implement mitigation plans to protect timelines, enrollment, revenue, quality, and business continuity.
• Ensure appropriate site-level quality controls are maintained by reviewing monitor follow-up letters in partnership with QA.
• Promote consistent operational standards and regulatory compliance throughout the assigned area.
• Ensure issues are escalated appropriately, and corrective actions are implemented and sustained.

Strategic Leadership & Executive Reporting - 

• Provide executive leadership with regular reporting on area performance, study milestones, enrollment, revenue, operational risks, resource needs, and mitigation strategies.
• Serve as the strategic liaison between sites, sponsors/CROs, Investigators, and executive leadership.
• Identify performance trends and growth opportunities across the area and provide recommendations to executive leadership.
• Participate in corporate initiatives related to operational strategy, scalability, process improvement, and organizational growth.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Perform additional responsibilities as assigned to support organizational objectives

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Deep knowledge of regulatory requirements, project management methodologies, and clinical research operations.
• Strong expertise in sponsor engagement, site management, and operational risk mitigation.
• Demonstrated leadership in human resource management, including staff development and organizational alignment.
• Exceptional communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills with the ability to influence and drive results across diverse teams.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or specialized degree in a relevant field required; advanced degree preferred.
• 7–10 years of experience in the clinical research industry.
• Minimum of 5 years in a supervisory or management role with proven success in leading multi-site operations.

Physical Requirements:

• Must already live or be willing to relocate to the OKC, Oklahoma area
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times
• Willingness to travel to sites as needed, including air travel.

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