Senior Clinical Research Associate RN - Department of Infectious Diseases

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Clinical Research Associate-RN to support a growing portfolio of clinical research studies in the Department of Infectious Diseases. This role is critical to ensuring the successful start-up, execution, and ongoing management of multiple investigator-initiated and collaborative trials.

About the role

This position offers the opportunity to play a key leadership role in advancing innovative research initiatives that impact patient care and outcomes. The Senior Clinical Research Associate-RN will work primarily on campus, leading and managing study activities, ensuring compliance, and supporting multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage study start-up activities for multiple clinical trials, including regulatory coordination, site activation, and operational planning.
• Oversee and support enrollment-based studies across multiple principal investigators, including studies conducted at partner institutions.
• Coordinate day-to-day study operations to ensure timelines, milestones, and compliance requirements are met.
• Serve as a central point of contact for study teams, sponsors, and collaborators.
• Provide hands-on clinical research support as needed, including serving as a research nurse and assisting with study visits.
• Ensure appropriate staffing and coverage for study visits, including those requiring multiple research nurses.
• Mentor and provide oversight to research nursing staff, supporting their development in both clinical and project management competencies.
• Collaborate with data management, quality assurance, and regulatory teams to ensure high-quality study execution.
• Support both pre-activation and post-activation phases of clinical trials, including studies recruiting from community-based settings.
• Support project management (lead/monitor planning and delivery) for institutional as well as St. Jude sponsored, multi-center trials, including regulatory, financial, and administrative aspects of the study.
• Act as site study coordinator for complex, large multi-site and/or multidisciplinary clinical trials.
• Maintain and share essential study documents (e.g., investigator files, case report forms) as required.
• Assist with protocol submissions (internally sponsored and/or externally sponsored) for review by federal or institutional committees (e.g., CPSRMC and IRB) as applicable.
• Assist in the development of ongoing review of departmental/divisional standard operating procedures and ensure compliance in execution of assigned tasks.
• Oversee quality of data abstraction, collection, and entry to support clinical research of study team members.
• Provide patient care, education, and management (e.g., routine test conduct; assistance in clinical procedures; medication instruction, monitoring, and documentation; patient care coordination; education on protocol activities) as applicable.
• Perform other duties as assigned to meet the goals and objectives of the department and institution.
• Maintain regular and predictable attendance.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Nursing required; Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of 4+ years of experience in carrying out research preferably in healthcare settings. Experience exception: Master's degree and 2+ years of experience.
• Experience managing cross-functional communication, including liaison between site and study teams.
• Experience with documentation and tracking systems/processes.
• Proven performance in earlier role.

Qualifications

• Several years of clinical research experience, with demonstrated involvement in study start-up and trial management.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple studies simultaneously.
• Experience working with investigator-initiated trials and multi-site studies preferred.
• Phlebotomy skills strongly preferred.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving abilities.

Licensure

• Must possess a current Tennessee State Board of Nursing license if primary residence is Tennessee or a Nurse Licensure Non-Compact state.
• Must possess a current State Board of Nursing license in the state of primary residence if the state is a Nurse Licensure Compact state (e.g., Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky).

Pay

A reasonable estimate of the current salary range is $78,000 - $139,360 per year for this role.

Benefits

Explore our exceptional benefits.