Sr. Director, Clinical Operations

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Portfolio Planning
• Define and execute the Clinical Operations strategy aligned with the overall clinical development plan.
• Ensure optimal program design, feasibility, and execution across all phases of development.
• Lead portfolio-level planning, including resource allocation, capacity forecasting, and budget oversight.
• Support evolving program priorities and corporate objectives.
• Evaluate therapeutic program/early-stage opportunities to proactively identify operational needs, risks, and opportunities.
• Ensure appropriate resourcing and scalability across the development lifecycle.
• Drive financial and operational efficiency through disciplined planning, performance management, and optimization of cost models and delivery strategies.
• Champion innovation by identifying and implementing advanced tools, technologies, and trial methodologies (e.g., decentralized/hybrid trials, analytics-driven execution).
• Proactive portfolio planning, resource allocation, and budget management across programs, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives and development timelines.
• Vendor and CRO strategy, including selection, contracting, governance, and performance oversight.
• High-quality, cost-effective partnerships.

Requirements

• Minimum 10 years of experience in pharmaceutical industry with at least 5 years of hands-on managerial experience running clinical trials and managing teams.
• Experience in the conduct of hospital or clinic-based clinical research trials; rare disease experience preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading Clinical Operations to deliver on-time, on-budget high quality outcomes supporting the Clinical Development portfolio.
• Excellent written and oral English communication and presentation skills with excellent professional demeanor and presence.
• Demonstrated, solid working knowledge of GCP, ICH and other relevant clinical development regulations and processes to include appropriate FDA regulations and global Regulatory Authority Submissions etc.
• Knowledge of rare disease research guidelines is preferred.
• Strong MS Office Skills.
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills; able to set priorities and meet deadlines.
• Able to work effectively on a team in an entrepreneurial environment with proven ability to forge cross-functional working relationships with internal teams.
• Strong project planning, leadership and negotiation skills and the ability to contribute creative yet practical solutions/resolutions to problems.
• Self-motivated, flexible, and creative leader, able to prioritize, multi-task, and work in a fast-paced and demanding environment.
• Attention to detail and good documentation practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Health Science, Pharmacy or Life Sciences from accredited college or university, or equivalent experience.
• M.B.A. or advanced degree preferred.

Benefits

The base salary for this position will range from $290,000 to $318,000. Candidate experience, professional licensing, and geographic location will be taken into consideration.

Catalyst is committed to providing competitive wages and comprehensive benefits including health, dental, and vision insurance, generous paid time off, a retirement savings plan with Company Match, and more. Further details about our benefits package can be found here: here.