VP / Director, Clinical Operations

CONFIDENTIAL RETAINED SEARCH | SAN DIEGO LIFE SCIENCES

Search Reference: TNF-LS-CO-2026 | Trial Execution Leadership Mandate, Life Sciences

ABOUT THIS SEARCH

Top Notch Finders has been retained on an exclusive and strictly confidential basis to identify a VP/Director of Clinical Operations for a client in the San Diego / CaliBaja life sciences corridor. To protect the interests of our client and of every candidate who engages with us, the identity of the company is disclosed only to qualified candidates under a confidentiality agreement. All inquiries and applications are received and managed solely by Top Notch Finders.

POSITION SNAPSHOT

• Company profile: Clinical-stage biotech running pivotal trials (oncology, rare disease, cell/gene therapy).
• Reports to: CMO or Chief Development Officer.
• Location: San Diego / CaliBaja region; specifics disclosed to qualified candidates.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The VP/Director of Clinical Operations leads trial execution, CRO oversight, and site management across the clinical portfolio, with particular emphasis on pivotal (Phase 2/3) trial delivery.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead end-to-end clinical trial execution from protocol development through database lock.
• Select, contract, and manage CRO and vendor relationships.
• Oversee site selection, activation, and patient enrollment strategy.
• Ensure GCP compliance and audit readiness across all active trials.
• Manage the clinical operations budget and timeline forecasting.
• Partner with Regulatory Affairs, Biostatistics, and Data Management on submission-ready trial data.
• Build and mentor the clinical operations team as the trial portfolio scales.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MS, PharmD, or related) preferred.
• 10-15+ years of clinical operations leadership experience in biotech or CRO settings.
• Direct, hands-on experience running a pivotal (Phase 2/3) trial strongly preferred.
• Deep understanding of GCP, ICH guidelines, and global trial regulatory requirements.
• Strong vendor and CRO negotiation and budget management skills.
• Experience in oncology, rare disease, or advanced-therapy trial designs a plus.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND HOW TO APPLY

This is a discreet, retained engagement. Your candidacy will never be presented to any organization without your explicit prior authorization, and no application will be visible to the hiring company at this stage. Accomplished clinical operations leaders are invited to submit a resume in confidence through the Top Notch Finders website. Please reference search code TNF-LS-CO-2026 in your submission. Do not include patient-identifiable, trial-blinded, or other confidential clinical information of any kind in your application materials. Only candidates whose backgrounds align closely with the mandate will be contacted.