Clinical Research Associate Jobs for OPT Students
Clinical Research Associate jobs are a strong fit for F-1 OPT students with life sciences degrees, and many sponsors actively recruit international candidates for CRA roles. STEM OPT extension eligibility depends on your specific degree field, so confirm your classification with your DSO before applying.
See All Clinical Research Associate JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 1,416+ Clinical Research Associate jobs
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
See all 1,416+ Clinical Research Associate jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Clinical Research Associate roles.
Get Access To All JobsCompany Description
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio.
Job Description
Advance AbbVie's pipeline by striving for excellence in clinical research, turning science into medicine for our patients and leveraging new advanced capabilities to drive industry leading performance. Partners with the investigator and site staff for meaningful and effective engagements positioning AbbVie as the choice in clinical trials. Focus on site clinical research that ensures appropriate conduct of the trial while driving improvement in data integrity, compliance, overall study performance and customer experience.
Responsibilities
- Considered as the primary point of contact for the investigative site. High level of competency or experience in providing contextual information on the clinical trials, connects stakeholder to the investigative sites and strengthens AbbVie’s positioning.
- Aligns, trains and motivates the site staff and principal investigator on the goals of the clinical trial program, protocol and patient treatment principles for the trial ensuring a trusted partnership.
- Conducts site evaluation, site training, routine, and site closure monitoring activities with compliance to the protocol and monitoring plans, in accordance with applicable regulations, Good Clinical Practices (GCPs), ICH Guidelines, AbbVie Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and quality standards, ensuring safety and protection of study subjects.
- Advanced understanding of site engagement and ability to customize site engagement strategy for assigned study (ies). Gather local/site insights and utilize site engagement tools such as the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool, to report/track progress and measure impact of that strategy.
- Advanced level of competency connecting the study protocol, scientific principles and clinical trial requirements to the day-to-day clinical trial execution activities. Evaluate and ensure effective recruitment and retention techniques/plans based on the patient disease journey. Develop solid knowledge of therapeutic area, asset and clinical landscape / patient journey to enable successful patient recruitment and overall protocol compliance.
- Possesses experienced level of competency to mentor and train less experienced CRAs on various aspects of work and provides input into their development. May participate in global/local task forces and initiatives. Responsible for activities as assigned by manager.
- Responsible for continuous risk-assessment proactively, and in collaboration with Central Monitoring team, monitor activities conducted by clinical sites to detect early overall study performance or patient safety issues.
- Advanced ability to think critically to resolve site risk signals while having robust understanding of site processes to drive study execution. Ensures preventative and corrective action plans are put into place, as needed, to mitigate risk and promote compliance using a customer centric approach.
- Identifies, evaluates and recommends new/potential investigators/sites on an ongoing basis. Potential sites may be identified through networking or internal AbbVie requests to assist in the placement of planned clinical studies with qualified investigators.
- Ensures quality of data submitted from study sites and assures timely submission of data, including appropriate reporting and follow-up for all safety events by site personnel. Ensures audit and regulatory inspection readiness at assigned clinical site at all times. Manages investigator payments as per executed contract obligations, as applicable.
Qualifications
- Appropriate tertiary qualification in health related disciplines (Medical, Scientific, Nursing) preferred.
- Minimum of 1 year of clinically related experience, of which a period of 6 months is required in clinical research monitoring of investigational drug or device trials. Familiar with risk‐based monitoring approach, onsite and offsite monitoring.
- Knowledge of appropriate therapeutic area indications is preferred with the ability to understand and apply scientific concepts as they relate to the conduct of clinical trials.
- Advanced knowledge on existing and emerging local regulatory and legal requirements, ICH/GCP Guidelines and applicable policies.
- Demonstrate strong cross-functional collaboration skills among internal and external stakeholders.
- Demonstrate strong planning and organizational skills and the ability to work effectively and efficiently in a dynamic environment with competing projects and deadlines.
- Advanced ability to leverage technology, tools and resources to provide customer centric support based on the health of the site.
- Strong interpersonal skills with excellent written, verbal, active listening and presentation skills, with ability to establish and leverage site relationships and trusted partnerships through engagement, motivation, and training.
- Ability to use functional expertise with appropriate guidance, leverage critical thinking skills and apply good judgement to address clinical site issues.
- Acts with integrity in accordance with AbbVie code of business conduct and leadership values. Self-motivated individual focused on delivering timely and quality outcomes in a fast-paced environment.
Additional Information
Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law:
- The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.
- We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.
- This job is eligible to participate in our short-term incentive programs.
Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law.
AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.
US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit
US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more:
Company Description
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio.
Job Description
Advance AbbVie's pipeline by striving for excellence in clinical research, turning science into medicine for our patients and leveraging new advanced capabilities to drive industry leading performance. Partners with the investigator and site staff for meaningful and effective engagements positioning AbbVie as the choice in clinical trials. Focus on site clinical research that ensures appropriate conduct of the trial while driving improvement in data integrity, compliance, overall study performance and customer experience.
Responsibilities
- Considered as the primary point of contact for the investigative site. High level of competency or experience in providing contextual information on the clinical trials, connects stakeholder to the investigative sites and strengthens AbbVie’s positioning.
- Aligns, trains and motivates the site staff and principal investigator on the goals of the clinical trial program, protocol and patient treatment principles for the trial ensuring a trusted partnership.
- Conducts site evaluation, site training, routine, and site closure monitoring activities with compliance to the protocol and monitoring plans, in accordance with applicable regulations, Good Clinical Practices (GCPs), ICH Guidelines, AbbVie Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and quality standards, ensuring safety and protection of study subjects.
- Advanced understanding of site engagement and ability to customize site engagement strategy for assigned study (ies). Gather local/site insights and utilize site engagement tools such as the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool, to report/track progress and measure impact of that strategy.
- Advanced level of competency connecting the study protocol, scientific principles and clinical trial requirements to the day-to-day clinical trial execution activities. Evaluate and ensure effective recruitment and retention techniques/plans based on the patient disease journey. Develop solid knowledge of therapeutic area, asset and clinical landscape / patient journey to enable successful patient recruitment and overall protocol compliance.
- Possesses experienced level of competency to mentor and train less experienced CRAs on various aspects of work and provides input into their development. May participate in global/local task forces and initiatives. Responsible for activities as assigned by manager.
- Responsible for continuous risk-assessment proactively, and in collaboration with Central Monitoring team, monitor activities conducted by clinical sites to detect early overall study performance or patient safety issues.
- Advanced ability to think critically to resolve site risk signals while having robust understanding of site processes to drive study execution. Ensures preventative and corrective action plans are put into place, as needed, to mitigate risk and promote compliance using a customer centric approach.
- Identifies, evaluates and recommends new/potential investigators/sites on an ongoing basis. Potential sites may be identified through networking or internal AbbVie requests to assist in the placement of planned clinical studies with qualified investigators.
- Ensures quality of data submitted from study sites and assures timely submission of data, including appropriate reporting and follow-up for all safety events by site personnel. Ensures audit and regulatory inspection readiness at assigned clinical site at all times. Manages investigator payments as per executed contract obligations, as applicable.
Qualifications
- Appropriate tertiary qualification in health related disciplines (Medical, Scientific, Nursing) preferred.
- Minimum of 1 year of clinically related experience, of which a period of 6 months is required in clinical research monitoring of investigational drug or device trials. Familiar with risk‐based monitoring approach, onsite and offsite monitoring.
- Knowledge of appropriate therapeutic area indications is preferred with the ability to understand and apply scientific concepts as they relate to the conduct of clinical trials.
- Advanced knowledge on existing and emerging local regulatory and legal requirements, ICH/GCP Guidelines and applicable policies.
- Demonstrate strong cross-functional collaboration skills among internal and external stakeholders.
- Demonstrate strong planning and organizational skills and the ability to work effectively and efficiently in a dynamic environment with competing projects and deadlines.
- Advanced ability to leverage technology, tools and resources to provide customer centric support based on the health of the site.
- Strong interpersonal skills with excellent written, verbal, active listening and presentation skills, with ability to establish and leverage site relationships and trusted partnerships through engagement, motivation, and training.
- Ability to use functional expertise with appropriate guidance, leverage critical thinking skills and apply good judgement to address clinical site issues.
- Acts with integrity in accordance with AbbVie code of business conduct and leadership values. Self-motivated individual focused on delivering timely and quality outcomes in a fast-paced environment.
Additional Information
Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law:
- The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.
- We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.
- This job is eligible to participate in our short-term incentive programs.
Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law.
AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.
US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit
US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more:
How to Get Visa Sponsorship as a Clinical Research Associate
Target CROs before pharmaceutical companies
Contract research organizations like IQVIA, Covance, and Syneos Health hire CRAs at scale and have established international sponsorship processes. They often have more openings and faster hiring timelines than in-house pharma teams.
Confirm your STEM OPT eligibility early
CRA roles typically require degrees in life sciences, public health, or biomedical fields. Verify with your DSO whether your specific program qualifies for the 24-month STEM extension before you apply, not after you receive an offer.
Highlight GCP certification on your resume
Good Clinical Practice certification signals readiness to employers and reduces onboarding costs. Candidates who are already GCP-certified are easier to sponsor because employers see a lower training investment relative to the visa overhead.
Be upfront about your OPT end date
CRA hiring cycles can run three to six months. Disclosing your authorization timeline early lets employers assess whether sponsorship is feasible before both parties invest heavily in the interview process. Surprises late in the process hurt everyone.
Prioritize roles with travel requirements
Site-monitoring CRA positions require frequent domestic travel, which limits the local candidate pool and makes employers more willing to sponsor. Remote or hybrid-only CRA postings tend to attract more applicants and face less pressure to sponsor.
Ask specifically about H-1B sponsorship history
During interviews, ask whether the company has sponsored CRAs on H-1B visas before, not just whether they sponsor generally. A company with a track record of CRA sponsorship will have legal infrastructure already in place to move quickly.
Clinical Research Associate jobs are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Clinical Research Associate JobsSee all 1,416+ Clinical Research Associate jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Clinical Research Associate roles.
Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Do Clinical Research Associate jobs qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your degree, not the job title. CRA roles themselves are not automatically STEM-designated. If your degree is in a STEM-classified field such as biology, biochemistry, public health, or biomedical engineering, you may qualify for the 24-month extension. Confirm your program's CIP code with your DSO before factoring the extension into your job search timeline.
How much time on OPT is enough to realistically get sponsored as a CRA?
Most CRA hiring processes take two to four months, and H-1B petitions must be filed by April 1 for an October 1 start. If you have less than eight months of OPT remaining when you begin applying, your window is tight. Candidates with STEM OPT extensions are in a much stronger position since they have enough runway for sponsorship without cap-gap risk.
Which types of employers are most likely to sponsor CRAs on OPT?
Large contract research organizations are the most consistent sponsors because they hire CRAs in volume and have existing legal processes for H-1B filings. Mid-to-large pharmaceutical companies also sponsor regularly. Small biotech startups and independent site management organizations are less likely to have the legal infrastructure or budget to support sponsorship. You can filter for sponsoring employers on Migrate Mate.
Can I work as a CRA while on OPT if the role requires frequent travel?
Yes. Domestic travel does not affect your OPT authorization as long as you remain employed with your authorized employer and your work is directly related to your degree field. International travel is more complex: re-entering the U.S. requires a valid visa stamp, a current EAD, and a valid I-20 with a recent travel signature from your DSO.
What should I include in my application to improve my chances of OPT sponsorship as a CRA?
Lead with your degree field and graduation date so employers can immediately assess your authorization timeline. Include any GCP certification, clinical research experience, and therapeutic area exposure prominently. A concise note clarifying that you are authorized to work on OPT and are seeking H-1B sponsorship removes ambiguity and signals professionalism rather than avoidance.
See which Clinical Research Associate employers are hiring and sponsoring visas right now.
Search Clinical Research Associate Jobs