Senior Level Clinical Research Assistant Jobs
Senior level clinical research assistant jobs place experienced professionals in charge of study execution, protocol oversight, and the junior staff or coordinators who carry the work forward. Most openings are 44% remote or hybrid, concentrated in Education, Healthcare & Medical Services, and Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals, with employers like Jobot, Colgate-Palmolive, and Cambridge Pharma Consulting hiring at this level now.
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ECRO serves as Emory University's centralized clinical research administration organization, supporting clinical research conducted across the Woodruff Health Sciences Center (WHSC), including the School of Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health, Winship Cancer Institute, and affiliated clinical and research programs. ECRO provides integrated clinical research administration services, in partnership with other Emory University offices, schools, and units, across a broad and diverse portfolio of industry-sponsored, federally funded and other non-industry-sponsored clinical research, encompassing more than 1,000 active clinical studies. As a core enterprise unit, ECRO enables the efficient, compliant, and service-oriented administration of clinical research and is central to growing Emory's portfolio in support of its mission to advance human health through discovery and innovation.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Sets and executes a multi-year strategic and operating plan that positions ECRO as a service-oriented organization aligned with Emory's clinical research growth and priorities.
- Shapes and sustains a high-performing culture that emphasizes accountability, collaboration, service excellence, and employee engagement.
- Represents ECRO across the Emory research enterprise, strengthening awareness of services, building trusted relationships with investigators and stakeholders, and leveraging feedback to inform continuous improvement efforts.
- Anticipates shifts in the clinical research landscape, including sponsor expectations, regulatory changes, and emerging trial modalities, and proactively adapts ECRO's services, processes, and capabilities to meet evolving needs.
- Leads sustainability planning for ECRO, including workforce planning, organizational design, talent development and succession planning across its functions.
- Represents Emory externally with sponsors, Clinical Research Organizations (CROs), peer institutions, regulatory agencies, and professional organizations as appropriate, advancing Emory's visibility, reputation, and leadership within the clinical research community.
- Builds and maintains strategic relationships with current and prospective sponsors, industry partners, funding agencies, and other external stakeholders to expand Emory's clinical research portfolio and position Emory as a partner of choice for clinical research.
- Serves as a senior member of the Chief Scientific Officer's team, representing ECRO on relevant WHSC and university and health system-wide research governance bodies.
- Manages day-to-day operations of ECRO, including human resources, organizational design, space planning, budget, and coordination with technology partners to ensure systems effectively support operational needs.
- Provides strategic oversight of the clinical research infrastructure, people, processes, and policies that support industry-sponsored, federally funded, and other non-industry-sponsored studies.
- Oversees pre-award and post-award administration for grant-funded clinical research, including proposal support, award management, compliance activities, financial stewardship, and close-out, in partnership with institutional research administration offices.
- Partners with technology, informatics, and operational leaders to ensure key systems (e.g., Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS), Electronic Health Record (EHR), Financial systems, and other tools) support ECRO workflows, reporting, and performance management needs.
- Develops and maintains a sustainable financial model for ECRO, including fee structures, indirect cost recovery approaches, and recharges mechanisms informed by peer benchmarking and organizational needs.
- Monitors and reports on ECRO's financial performance to the Associate Chief Scientific Officer and institutional leadership, including revenues, expenses, cost recovery, and emerging risks, and implements corrective actions as needed to support long-term financial sustainability.
- Ensures fee structures, indirect cost recovery approaches, and other components of ECRO's financial model are supported by appropriate methodologies and documented justification and oversees communication to relevant stakeholders as needed.
- Maintains ECRO's clinical research compliance and transparency oversight program to ensure ECRO-supported activities align with federal, state, sponsor and institutional requirements, including policies, internal audit requirements and expectations (e.g., FDA, OHRP, NIH, GCP/ICH, CMS, ClinicalTrials.gov, Uniform Guidance and other federal grant administration requirements).
- Oversees clinical research contracting processes to promote timely study activation, appropriate risk management, and alignment with institutional and sponsor requirements,in partnership with the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), Office of Technology Transfer (OTT), and the Office of General Counsel (OGC).
- Champions a service-oriented culture across ECRO, treating faculty investigators and study teams as partners and designing ECRO's services to anticipate and respond to their needs.
- Leads the evolution of investigator-facing support services, ensuring investigators have access to the resources, expertise, and guidance needed to successfully execute investigator-initiated studies.
- Leads organizational change management efforts across ECRO, ensuring effective communication, stakeholder engagement, and adoption of new processes, technologies and ways of working.
- Performs related responsibilities as required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- Master's degree in a relevant field such as business administration, healthcare administration, health sciences, public health, clinical research administration, or related discipline and 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in clinical research administration at an academic medical center, health system, or comparably complex research environment. Doctorate or terminal professional degree such as Ph.D., M.D., D.O., PharmD, J.D., or DrPH strongly preferred.
- Comprehensive understanding of the end-to-end clinical research lifecycle across industry-sponsored, federally funded, and other non-industry sponsored studies, with the breadth and perspective to provide strategic leadership across all ECRO functions.
- Direct accountability for the following functions strongly preferred: clinical research pre-award administration, grants management, feasibility and study activation, budgeting and coverage analysis, contracting, post-award financial management, invoicing, clinical research compliance, and investigator and study team support services.
- Experience supporting and overseeing sponsored research administration and grants management, including pre-award administration, award management, compliance activities, financial stewardship, and close-out. Demonstrated strategic acumen, with the ability to translate institutional priorities into a clear multi-year roadmap and execute against it.
- Proven success leading large, multi-disciplinary teams at the executive level, with demonstrated ability to direct and develop functional leaders and drive performance across a complex organization. Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to translate complex operational and regulatory matters for executive, faculty, and lay audiences.
- Additional preferred qualifications include demonstrated experience leading complex organizations and multi-disciplinary teams through strategic, operational, and organizational evolution in an academic research environment and experience building, scaling, or overseeing centralized research administrative services in a complex academic environment.
NOTE: This role will be granted the opportunity to work from home regularly but must be able to commute to Emory University on a flexible weekly schedule based upon business needs. Schedule is based on agreed upon guidelines of department. This role requires residency in the state of GA. Emory reserves the right to change remote work status with notice to employee.
Additional Details: Emory is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by state or federal law. Emory University does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotions, transfers, discipline, terminations, wage and salary administration, benefits, and training. Students, faculty, and staff are assured of participation in university programs and in the use of facilities without such discrimination. Emory University complies with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veteran's Readjustment Assistance Act, and applicable executive orders, federal and state regulations regarding nondiscrimination, equal opportunity, and affirmative action (for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities). Inquiries regarding this policy should be directed to the Emory University Department of Equity and Civil Rights Compliance, 201 Dowman Drive, Administration Building, Atlanta, GA 30322. Telephone: 404-727-9867 (V) | 404-712-2049 (TDD).Emory University is committed to ensuring equal access and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to seek a reasonable accommodation, please contact the Department of Accessibility Services at accessibility@emory.edu or call 404-727-9877 (Voice) | 404-712-2049 (TDD). We kindly ask that requests be made at least seven business days in advance to allow adequate time for coordination.
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Senior Level Clinical Research Assistant Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a senior level clinical research assistant job?
Employers at this level look for demonstrated ownership of study lifecycle management, from protocol development through regulatory submissions and closeout. Strong candidates show experience leading site coordination, mentoring junior staff, and navigating IRB or FDA compliance independently. Highlighting cross-functional project leadership, therapeutic area depth, and a history of managing complex multi-site or phase II/III trials will distinguish your application from mid-level candidates.
Which companies hire senior level clinical research assistants?
Companies hiring senior level clinical research assistants right now include Jobot, Colgate-Palmolive, and Cambridge Pharma Consulting, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Hiring at this level tends to concentrate among contract research organizations, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, academic medical centers, and large health systems with active clinical trial portfolios.
Are there remote senior level clinical research assistant jobs?
Yes, though availability varies by therapeutic area and sponsor requirements. About 44% of senior level clinical research assistant openings are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, with fully remote roles most common in data management, regulatory affairs support, and decentralized trial coordination. Site-based and hybrid arrangements remain standard for roles involving direct patient contact or investigational product oversight.
What makes a clinical research assistant role senior level?
Senior level roles are defined by independent ownership rather than task execution. At this stage, you are expected to lead study startup activities, interpret protocol deviations, make regulatory judgment calls, and mentor coordinators or assistants on your team. The scope typically includes serving as a primary point of contact for sponsors or CROs, contributing to SOPs, and driving site performance metrics without close supervision.
Which industries hire the most senior level clinical research assistants?
Senior Level clinical research assistant roles concentrate in Education, Healthcare & Medical Services, and Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. These sectors drive demand at the senior level because they run the highest volumes of regulated clinical trials and require experienced professionals who can manage compliance, sponsor relationships, and protocol complexity with minimal oversight.