STEM OPT Research Director Jobs
Research Director roles sit at the intersection of advanced STEM expertise and institutional leadership, making them strong fits for the STEM OPT 24-month extension. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify, and your degree's CIP code must align with the research field you'll be directing.
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Get Access To All JobsJob title: Clinical Research Director - Immunology and Inflammation
Location: Cambridge, MA / Morristown, NJ
About the job
Join the engine of Sanofi’s mission — where deep immunoscience meets bold, AI-powered research. In R&D, you’ll drive breakthroughs that could turn the impossible into possible for millions.
The Clinical Research Director (CRD), Immunology and Inflammation Therapeutic Area, Solid Organ Transplant focus, is responsible for the development, execution and reporting of clinical trials in support of the registration of a product, directly reporting to the Clinical Lead in charge of the clinical strategy. In addition, the CRD is responsible for the development of abbreviated protocol and clinical protocol, participates to the review process for protocols, study reports, labeling, and contributes/supports interactions with regulatory agencies and ethics committees.
The role requires a self-starting, creative, well-organized, strategic focused, resourceful individual with excellent emotional intelligence, self-motivation, solid analytical skills and the ability to deliver on multiple operational tasks. They must be able to comfortably operate independently and within a matrix team, both face to face and remotely.
About Sanofi
We’re an R&D-driven, AI-powered biopharma company committed to improving people’s lives and delivering compelling growth. Our deep understanding of the immune system – and innovative pipeline – enables us to invent medicines and vaccines that treat and protect millions of people around the world. Together, we chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives.
Main Responsibilities:
Some of the CRD’s core job responsibilities include those listed below, as well as all other duties assigned.
Scientific and technical expertise
- Has and maintains deep scientific, technical and clinical expertise in transplant, nephrology, hepatology and/or immunology/inflammation field
- Has a demonstrated track record in clinical development, with Phase 3 experience being an advantage
- Understands and keeps updated with the pre-clinical, clinical pharmacology and data relevant to the molecule of interest – Knowledge on antibody is a plus
- Critically reads and evaluates relevant medical literature with deep understanding of the data and status from competitive products
- Maintains visibility within the dermatology field to maintain credibility with internal and external stakeholders
Clinical research planning and execution
- Contributes to the development of the clinical strategy and plan
- Leads the development of the Abbreviated Protocol and Protocol development
- Represents the clinical function on Clinical Study Teams and other teams as appropriate
- Provides input into the Translational Medicine Plan that defines the biomarker strategy and other aspects to increase the knowledge about the pathway and effects of the drug
- Ensure that all development activities are targeted towards timely achievement (e.g. Abbreviated Protocol and protocol before study start, committees management and centralized monitoring during study, and KRM & CSR preparation at study end)
- Interacts with opinion leaders and external consultants
- Serve as medical monitor for the studies assigned
Regulatory responsibilities
- Represents the Division at key regulatory agency meetings as the medical spokesperson for the studies and project
- Ensures clinical data meets all necessary regulatory standards
- Supports registrations, label submissions and modifications (contributes to IB, DSUR, Briefing Package for Health Authorities)
- Participates in Advisory Committee preparation
Scientific data dissemination
- Ensures timely submission and dissemination of clinical data
- Supports the planning of advisory board meetings
- Establishes and maintains appropriate collaborations with knowledge experts
In addition to the above activities the CRD must ensure that all activities of the Global Project Team (GPT) are conducted in compliance with current regulations, laws and guidance from FDA, EMEA, and CHMP, as well as with Sanofi’s policies and procedures.
About You
Basic Qualifications:
- Medical Doctor with transplant, nephrology, hepatology or immunology clinical expertise preferred
- Minimum 2 years experience in pharmaceutical drug development and/or clinical research
- Proven record of scientific achievement as evidenced by presentations and publications in peer-reviewed journals and/or successful completion of major clinical studies or submissions is a plus
- Strong scientific and academic background with deep understanding of the disease
- Clinical research or pharmaceutical experience medicine experience in transplant/immunology field
- Knowledge of drug development and in immunology
- Good networking ability in cross-cultural environment
- Strong interpersonal, communication, presentation, and negotiation skills across all levels of the organization
- Performance oriented with ability to work along agreed timelines and a focus on strategy and execution
- Fluent in English (verbal and written communication)
Why Choose Us?
- Bring the miracles of science to life alongside a supportive, future-focused team.
- Discover endless opportunities to grow your talent and drive your career, whether it’s through a promotion or lateral move, at home or internationally.
- Enjoy a thoughtful, well-crafted rewards package that recognizes your contribution and amplifies your impact.
- Take good care of yourself and your family, with a wide range of health and wellbeing benefits including high-quality healthcare, prevention and wellness programs and at least 14 weeks’ gender-neutral parental leave.
Sanofi US Services and its U.S. affiliates are Equal Opportunity employers committed to a culturally inclusive workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; creed; religion; national origin; age; ancestry; nationality; marital, domestic partnership or civil union status; sex, gender, gender identity or expression; affectional or sexual orientation; disability; veteran or military status or liability for military status; domestic violence victim status; atypical cellular or blood trait; genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing) or any other characteristic protected by law.
All compensation will be determined commensurate with demonstrated experience. Employees may be eligible to participate in Company employee benefit programs, and additional benefits information can be found here.
Job title: Clinical Research Director - Immunology and Inflammation
Location: Cambridge, MA / Morristown, NJ
About the job
Join the engine of Sanofi’s mission — where deep immunoscience meets bold, AI-powered research. In R&D, you’ll drive breakthroughs that could turn the impossible into possible for millions.
The Clinical Research Director (CRD), Immunology and Inflammation Therapeutic Area, Solid Organ Transplant focus, is responsible for the development, execution and reporting of clinical trials in support of the registration of a product, directly reporting to the Clinical Lead in charge of the clinical strategy. In addition, the CRD is responsible for the development of abbreviated protocol and clinical protocol, participates to the review process for protocols, study reports, labeling, and contributes/supports interactions with regulatory agencies and ethics committees.
The role requires a self-starting, creative, well-organized, strategic focused, resourceful individual with excellent emotional intelligence, self-motivation, solid analytical skills and the ability to deliver on multiple operational tasks. They must be able to comfortably operate independently and within a matrix team, both face to face and remotely.
About Sanofi
We’re an R&D-driven, AI-powered biopharma company committed to improving people’s lives and delivering compelling growth. Our deep understanding of the immune system – and innovative pipeline – enables us to invent medicines and vaccines that treat and protect millions of people around the world. Together, we chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives.
Main Responsibilities:
Some of the CRD’s core job responsibilities include those listed below, as well as all other duties assigned.
Scientific and technical expertise
- Has and maintains deep scientific, technical and clinical expertise in transplant, nephrology, hepatology and/or immunology/inflammation field
- Has a demonstrated track record in clinical development, with Phase 3 experience being an advantage
- Understands and keeps updated with the pre-clinical, clinical pharmacology and data relevant to the molecule of interest – Knowledge on antibody is a plus
- Critically reads and evaluates relevant medical literature with deep understanding of the data and status from competitive products
- Maintains visibility within the dermatology field to maintain credibility with internal and external stakeholders
Clinical research planning and execution
- Contributes to the development of the clinical strategy and plan
- Leads the development of the Abbreviated Protocol and Protocol development
- Represents the clinical function on Clinical Study Teams and other teams as appropriate
- Provides input into the Translational Medicine Plan that defines the biomarker strategy and other aspects to increase the knowledge about the pathway and effects of the drug
- Ensure that all development activities are targeted towards timely achievement (e.g. Abbreviated Protocol and protocol before study start, committees management and centralized monitoring during study, and KRM & CSR preparation at study end)
- Interacts with opinion leaders and external consultants
- Serve as medical monitor for the studies assigned
Regulatory responsibilities
- Represents the Division at key regulatory agency meetings as the medical spokesperson for the studies and project
- Ensures clinical data meets all necessary regulatory standards
- Supports registrations, label submissions and modifications (contributes to IB, DSUR, Briefing Package for Health Authorities)
- Participates in Advisory Committee preparation
Scientific data dissemination
- Ensures timely submission and dissemination of clinical data
- Supports the planning of advisory board meetings
- Establishes and maintains appropriate collaborations with knowledge experts
In addition to the above activities the CRD must ensure that all activities of the Global Project Team (GPT) are conducted in compliance with current regulations, laws and guidance from FDA, EMEA, and CHMP, as well as with Sanofi’s policies and procedures.
About You
Basic Qualifications:
- Medical Doctor with transplant, nephrology, hepatology or immunology clinical expertise preferred
- Minimum 2 years experience in pharmaceutical drug development and/or clinical research
- Proven record of scientific achievement as evidenced by presentations and publications in peer-reviewed journals and/or successful completion of major clinical studies or submissions is a plus
- Strong scientific and academic background with deep understanding of the disease
- Clinical research or pharmaceutical experience medicine experience in transplant/immunology field
- Knowledge of drug development and in immunology
- Good networking ability in cross-cultural environment
- Strong interpersonal, communication, presentation, and negotiation skills across all levels of the organization
- Performance oriented with ability to work along agreed timelines and a focus on strategy and execution
- Fluent in English (verbal and written communication)
Why Choose Us?
- Bring the miracles of science to life alongside a supportive, future-focused team.
- Discover endless opportunities to grow your talent and drive your career, whether it’s through a promotion or lateral move, at home or internationally.
- Enjoy a thoughtful, well-crafted rewards package that recognizes your contribution and amplifies your impact.
- Take good care of yourself and your family, with a wide range of health and wellbeing benefits including high-quality healthcare, prevention and wellness programs and at least 14 weeks’ gender-neutral parental leave.
Sanofi US Services and its U.S. affiliates are Equal Opportunity employers committed to a culturally inclusive workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; creed; religion; national origin; age; ancestry; nationality; marital, domestic partnership or civil union status; sex, gender, gender identity or expression; affectional or sexual orientation; disability; veteran or military status or liability for military status; domestic violence victim status; atypical cellular or blood trait; genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing) or any other characteristic protected by law.
All compensation will be determined commensurate with demonstrated experience. Employees may be eligible to participate in Company employee benefit programs, and additional benefits information can be found here.
See all STEM OPT Research Director Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization in Research Director
Verify your CIP code matches the role
Pull your degree's CIP code from your I-20 and cross-reference it against the research domain you'll be directing. A mismatch between your listed STEM field and your job duties is the most common reason DSOs reject STEM OPT extension requests before they reach USCIS.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment before accepting offers
Ask the hiring institution to provide their E-Verify Company ID or show you their E-Verify participation page. Research universities and federal contractors typically enroll, but private research institutes and foundations vary, confirm before signing, not after.
Build a training plan around research leadership duties
Your I-983 must map specific learning objectives to Research Director responsibilities like principal investigator oversight, grant portfolio management, and lab staff supervision. Generic descriptions get flagged; tie each objective to a concrete research outcome your employer can evaluate.
Target institutions with active federal research contracts
Federal contractors are required to use E-Verify, so research-intensive organizations holding NIH, NSF, or DOD grants are structurally more likely to be enrolled and practiced at onboarding international researchers. Use Migrate Mate to filter for employers with verified E-Verify status in research and life sciences.
Check prevailing wage for your research discipline
Research Director wages vary sharply by field and institution type. Run the OFLC Wage Search using the SOC code for your specific research discipline to understand what wage level your employer must certify before your extension can proceed.
Align your start date with your OPT end date precisely
USCIS requires your STEM OPT extension application to be filed while your initial OPT EAD is still valid. Research Director searches can run long given committee-based hiring cycles, so file no later than 90 days before your initial OPT expires to avoid a gap in authorization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Research Director role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
It depends on whether your STEM degree's CIP code aligns with the research field you'll be directing. Research Director is not a blanket STEM-qualifying title. Your DSO will evaluate whether your degree's listed field on your I-20 corresponds to the scientific or technical domain of the position. O*NET can help you confirm how the role is classified occupationally before you apply.
What must the I-983 training plan include for a Research Director position?
Your I-983 must detail specific goals, objectives, and methods of evaluation tied to the Research Director role. For this title, that means documenting how the position advances your STEM skills in areas like research design, data analysis, grant oversight, or laboratory management. Vague descriptions like 'will conduct research' are insufficient. USCIS expects a concrete plan your employer signs off on and updates every 12 months.
How do I confirm my prospective employer is enrolled in E-Verify?
Ask your hiring contact directly for the company's E-Verify Company ID or request confirmation of their participation status before you reach the offer stage. Research universities, hospitals, and federal contractors are frequently enrolled, but smaller private research organizations may not be. An employer that isn't enrolled in E-Verify cannot sponsor your STEM OPT extension regardless of how well the role fits your degree.
What happens to my STEM OPT authorization if my Research Director contract ends before my extension period is up?
You have a 60-day grace period after your employment ends to find a new qualifying employer, transfer to a different visa status, or prepare to depart. You can work for a new E-Verify-enrolled employer on the same STEM OPT EAD, but your DSO must update your SEVIS record with the new employer information. USCIS does not require a new EAD for employer changes during an active STEM OPT period.
Where can I find Research Director jobs that explicitly support STEM OPT students?
Migrate Mate filters Research Director listings by E-Verify enrollment status, so you can focus on employers already set up to support your extension. Standard job searches don't surface E-Verify data, which means you'd otherwise need to verify each employer manually. Searching on Migrate Mate removes that step and surfaces roles in research-intensive fields where STEM OPT candidates are routinely hired.