Associate Director, Clinical Operations

Work at ROCKET PHARMA and help cure rare diseases!

Rocket Pharma is a fully integrated, clinical-stage company advancing gene therapies with curative potential for multiple rare childhood diseases. Rocket places enormous value on people and considers team member progress and well-being to be as important as the progress of its pipeline. We are looking for hands-on team players who enjoy collaborating with colleagues. We share a passion for seeking gene therapy cures for devastating diseases and making a difference for patients. This is an opportunity to become an integral part of a small, highly productive team and to help grow an entrepreneurial, scientifically driven organization that is increasingly recognized as a leading biotechnology innovator. In addition to a competitive compensation package featuring a generous 401K match and stock options, the position includes excellent health benefits.

Position Summary

This role is responsible for the strategic oversight & operational execution of the Clinical Operations function within the Lentiviral vector (LV) portfolio, specifically the aspects of planning, initiating, ongoing supervision, and completion of clinical research studies (including post-marketing registries) in multiple rare hematologic genetic disorders . Responsibilities include the oversight of managing timelines, budgets, clinical sites, vendors, and deliverables while maintaining quality and regulatory compliance, aligned with corporate priorities. This role will also be responsible for being the liaison between clinical vendors, clinical sites and a wide range of internal &external stakeholders. The candidate will drive collaboration with the internal and external stakeholders on deliverables to ensure expected timelines, quality standards, Good Clinical Practices (GCP) and applicable regulations are being met throughout the Clinical Development Process. The candidate should be able to prioritize tasks, utilize strategic & critical thinking skills, and drive cross-functional teams with an emphasis on high quality outcomes. The candidate will also act as a mentor to members of the Clinical Operations & wider Clinical Development organization to utilize expertise and promote collaboration cross functionally to ensure successful outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Serves as Clinical Operations single point of accountability in LV Global Program Teams (GPTs); accountable for Clinical Operations strategy, execution of deliverables within designated study budgets/timelines/quality standards aligned with corporate objectives, sharing risks & opportunities, collaborating & communicating with Team Members and the Global Program Head (GPH) and Global Project Manager (GPM).
• Provides overall operational and strategic input during the planning and execution of clinical trials that include, but are not limited to clinical planning tools, protocol review, case report form (CRF) development and review, clinical trial-related operational manuals, oversight of study-specific eTMF plans, training materials, and various clinical trial plans (e.g., monitoring, risk mitigation, communication, etc.) and budget planning.
• Oversees and directs other team members on clinical monitoring and site activities to ensure compliance with Good Clinical Practices (GCP) and applicable regulations.
• Oversees clinical monitoring (site qualification, site initiation, interim monitoring, clinical trial closeout visits) to ensure the integrity, accuracy, and accountability of clinical data. May participate in on-site visits as needed or accompany junior team members for training purposes.
• Informs the LV leadership teams and Head of Clinical Operations, on the overall clinical trial status and of potential issues/mitigation.
• Oversees the monitoring trip reports process and ensures the resolution of all action items related to CROs.
• Provides management and oversight of Clinical Vendors associated with assigned studies (i.e., CROs, Central & Specialty Labs, Imaging vendors, etc.) Ensures that vendors comply with all required standards and proactively raises any issues and/or risks.  Oversees RFP process, contract and budget preparation, negotiations, and management throughout the trial life cycle. 
• Develops communication pathways and study-specific processes to allow team members to communicate with clinical trial sites regarding all logistics including contract agreements, support materials and training, and IRB/EC application process.
• Direct oversight of cross-functional Study Operations teams Ensures that study information is disseminated to the appropriate stakeholders. Oversees and manages other meetings to include internal team meetings, investigator meetings, and other trial-specific meetings.  
• Oversees ongoing quality review, and final reconciliation of study documents including review of site regulatory documents/packages. Develops and oversees clinical site budgets, investigator and vendor payment processes and invoices related to projects assigned.
• As a member of the Clinical Operations Leadership Team, supports the Head of Clinical Operations in initiatives to streamline and improve processes, SOP development, mentoring and developing Clinical Trial Managers & Clinical Research Associates
• Leads cross-functional team efforts on review of clinical data listings (protocol deviations, study data review, etc.) for completeness and accuracy and escalate issues as needed.
• Ensures that internal study teams and clinical sites have the appropriate study management tools to execute the study.
• Collaborates with Clinical Quality Assurance (CQA) in ensuring GCP/GPV inspection readiness of the organization, its vendors, and its clinical investigators/sites, and subsequently managing follow-up within the Clinical Development organization on all audits, inspection responses, commitments, post-inspection activities, and implementation of corrective and preventive actions (CAPA)
• Provides representation for the Clinical Operations organization in Regulatory Agency inspections.
  
  

Qualifications

Education/Experience and Skills Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree preferably in health care or life sciences or other related field of study
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant clinical trial experience in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, clinical research organizations and/or clinical research experience in a healthcare setting
• At least 6 years of direct experience in managing clinical trial programs (start-up through close-out) including vendor management, in a global environment.
• Experience in managing Clinical Trial Manager(s) and Clinical Research Associates/Assistant(s)
• Experience in gene therapy, rare/orphan disease highly desired.
• Experience in regulatory filings (e.g., NDA, BLA, MAA) & health authority inspections highly desired.
  
  

Required Skills

• Thorough, integrated knowledge and understanding of overall Clinical Development process & global regulatory and compliance requirements for clinical research, including but not limited to ICH/GCP Guidelines, 21 CFR, and other applicable federal, local & international regulations.
• In-depth knowledge regarding all clinical operations and site management/monitoring activities across all phases of clinical trials.
• Demonstrated experience in developing SOPs, procedures, policies & Work Instructions across various Clinical Development functional areas.
• Experience in developing training and/or informational material and presenting to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Prior experience working on cross-functional teams in a lead capacity.
• History of successfully developing effective relationships with internal & external key stakeholders
• Ability to identify & troubleshoot issues, providing potential solutions and mitigation strategies.
• Experience working in a global environment.
  
  

Desired Competencies

• Ability to adapt and prioritize competing demands within a dynamic environment.
• Outstanding organizational, time management, planning and record keeping skills.
• Advanced skills in Project Management, particularly regarding management of schedule, budget, communication, resources, and quality
• Advanced communication, presentation, interpersonal and negotiating skills.
• Ability to analyze, evaluate and prioritize key issues and problems, and subsequently seek-out and recommend possible solutions and mitigation strategies before escalation.
• Ability to effectively lead cross-functional teams in a matrix environment with a professional demeanor.
• Strong leadership skills including the ability to prioritize responsibilities.
• Demonstrated strengths in conflict management & timely issue escalation.
• Ensure an enthusiastic and open attitude towards continuous professional development.
• Previous experience with Medidata RAVE & Veeva CTMS, eTMF & QMS highly desired.
• Proficient in MS Office tools (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook & Teams), SharePoint.
  
  

Travel Requirements: Ability to travel approximately 10-20%

EEO Statement

A diverse workforce fosters innovation and strengthens Rocket’s business. We ensure equal opportunity without discrimination or harassment in the workplace on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, citizenship, status as a protected veteran, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state, and federal laws.