H-1B Visa Clinical Research Director Jobs
Clinical Research Director roles qualify as H-1B visa specialty occupations under USCIS guidelines, requiring at least a bachelor's degree in a directly related field. Pharma, biotech, and CRO employers file H-1B visa petitions for this title regularly. The 85,000-slot annual cap and lottery apply, so timing your job search around the April registration window matters.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
A postdoctoral training position is available in the laboratory of Xinxin Song, M.D., Ph.D., in the Department of Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center. The Song Lab studies mechanisms of regulated cell death, cancer drug resistance, and tumor-microenvironment interactions, with an emphasis on KRAS-mutant cancers. Current projects include ferroptosis and cell-death crosstalk, mechanisms of resistance to KRAS-targeted therapies, and strategies to improve tumor immunogenicity and therapeutic response. The laboratory uses multidisciplinary approaches including biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, genetics, next-generation sequencing, drug screening, and animal models.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Candidates must hold a recent Ph.D. and/or M.D. degree in cancer biology, molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, or a related field.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Strong experience in molecular and cellular biology techniques is required, including mammalian cell culture, Western blotting, gene knockdown or knockout, microscopy, and functional cellular assays.
- Experience with mouse tumor models, organoids, bioinformatics, RNA sequencing, proteomics, or spatial biology is desirable but not required.
- Candidates should have a strong publication record or clear evidence of research productivity, good communication, organizational, and scientific writing skills, the ability to work both independently and collaboratively, and strong motivation, reliability, and a genuine interest in cancer research.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Interested individuals should send a CV, statement of interests, and a list of three references to:
Xinxin Song, M.D., Ph.D.
Xinxin.Song@UTSouthwestern.edu
LOCATION
This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.
Appointment rank will be commensurate with academic accomplishment and experience. Consideration may be given to applicants seeking less than a full-time schedule.
BENEFITS
UT Southwestern is proud to offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our benefits are designed to support your overall wellbeing, and include:
- PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
- 100% coverage for preventive healthcare – no copay
- Paid Time Off, available day one
- Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
- Paid Parental Leave Benefit
- Wellness programs
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer
UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.
INTRODUCTION
A postdoctoral training position is available in the laboratory of Xinxin Song, M.D., Ph.D., in the Department of Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center. The Song Lab studies mechanisms of regulated cell death, cancer drug resistance, and tumor-microenvironment interactions, with an emphasis on KRAS-mutant cancers. Current projects include ferroptosis and cell-death crosstalk, mechanisms of resistance to KRAS-targeted therapies, and strategies to improve tumor immunogenicity and therapeutic response. The laboratory uses multidisciplinary approaches including biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, genetics, next-generation sequencing, drug screening, and animal models.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Candidates must hold a recent Ph.D. and/or M.D. degree in cancer biology, molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, or a related field.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Strong experience in molecular and cellular biology techniques is required, including mammalian cell culture, Western blotting, gene knockdown or knockout, microscopy, and functional cellular assays.
- Experience with mouse tumor models, organoids, bioinformatics, RNA sequencing, proteomics, or spatial biology is desirable but not required.
- Candidates should have a strong publication record or clear evidence of research productivity, good communication, organizational, and scientific writing skills, the ability to work both independently and collaboratively, and strong motivation, reliability, and a genuine interest in cancer research.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Interested individuals should send a CV, statement of interests, and a list of three references to:
Xinxin Song, M.D., Ph.D.
Xinxin.Song@UTSouthwestern.edu
LOCATION
This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.
Appointment rank will be commensurate with academic accomplishment and experience. Consideration may be given to applicants seeking less than a full-time schedule.
BENEFITS
UT Southwestern is proud to offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our benefits are designed to support your overall wellbeing, and include:
- PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
- 100% coverage for preventive healthcare – no copay
- Paid Time Off, available day one
- Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
- Paid Parental Leave Benefit
- Wellness programs
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer
UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.
See all 1,437+ H-1B Visa Clinical Research Director Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship in Clinical Research Director
Verify your degree meets specialty occupation standards
USCIS requires your degree field to directly relate to clinical research oversight. A general business or unrelated science degree without supplemental coursework or advanced credentials can trigger an RFE. Document how your academic training connects specifically to trial management and regulatory oversight.
Target employers with active IND portfolios
Companies managing Investigational New Drug applications with the FDA run ongoing Phase II and III trials, making H-1B sponsorship a recurring business need rather than a one-off request. Pharma and mid-size CROs with active pipelines file more consistently than academic medical centers.
Search H-1B sponsoring employers on Migrate Mate
Use Migrate Mate to filter Clinical Research Director roles by employers with verified H-1B LCA filing history. This surfaces companies that have already cleared DOL prevailing wage certification for this occupation code, not just those who claim they sponsor.
Confirm the prevailing wage tier before negotiating
Run the OFLC Wage Search for SOC code 11-9121 in your target metro before accepting an offer. Your employer's LCA must certify wages at the DOL prevailing wage level for that location. A mismatch between offered salary and certified wage level can stall or invalidate the petition.
Account for the H-1B cap-subject lottery timeline
Cap-subject petitions must be filed by April 1 for an October 1 start date. If you're transitioning from OPT or another status, align your job search to secure an offer by February so your employer has time to prepare the LCA and I-129 before the registration window opens.
Ask whether the employer uses premium processing
USCIS premium processing upgrades I-129 adjudication to a 15-business-day window. For senior director roles with delayed start dates or pending credentialing requirements, confirm upfront whether your prospective employer will elect premium processing, since standard processing can run several months.
H-1B Visa Clinical Research Director: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Clinical Research Director role qualify as an H-1B specialty occupation?
Yes. USCIS classifies Clinical Research Director as a specialty occupation because the role typically requires at least a bachelor's degree in a specific field such as life sciences, clinical pharmacology, or biomedical research. Employers document this requirement in the H-1B petition. Roles where any unrelated bachelor's degree satisfies the position do not qualify, so your offer letter and job description should specify the required degree field.
Which types of employers sponsor H-1B visas for Clinical Research Director positions?
Pharmaceutical companies, contract research organizations, biotechs with active IND pipelines, and large academic medical centers with industry-funded trials are the most consistent sponsors. Smaller sponsors occasionally include medical device firms and specialty CROs. Migrate Mate filters these employers by verified LCA filing history for this occupation, so you can focus on companies that have completed DOL wage certification for this role before you apply.
How does the DOL prevailing wage requirement affect Clinical Research Director offers?
Before filing the H-1B petition, your employer must obtain a certified Labor Condition Application from the DOL confirming the offered wage meets the prevailing wage for your job location. You can check the applicable wage level using the OFLC Wage Search with SOC code 11-9121 and your target metro. If the initial offer falls below the certified level, the employer must adjust it before the LCA is approved.
Can I transfer my H-1B to a new Clinical Research Director role during employment?
Yes. Under H-1B portability rules, you can start working for a new employer once they file a cap-exempt transfer petition with USCIS, without waiting for approval, as long as you've been in valid H-1B status. The new employer files a fresh I-129 and LCA for the new position. The specialty occupation and prevailing wage requirements apply to each new petition independently.
What credentials strengthen an H-1B petition for a Clinical Research Director?
A graduate degree in a clinical or life sciences field, board certification in clinical research such as ACRP or SOCRA credentials, and documented leadership over multi-site trials all support the specialty occupation argument in an H-1B petition. USCIS adjudicators look for evidence that the role genuinely requires a specific body of specialized knowledge. Directors with a mix of relevant education and regulatory experience tend to face fewer Requests for Evidence than those whose degree field is only tangentially related to the position.