Clinical Operations Director Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Clinical Operations Directors oversee trial execution, site management, and regulatory compliance across drug development programs. Employers sponsor H-1B visa and O-1 visas for this role regularly. A graduate degree in a life sciences or clinical field strengthens both your candidacy and your visa petition substantially. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
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As a CBRE D&T Operations Consultant, you will provide technical expertise and guidance to support the daily operations of complex technology systems. This role is part of the D&T Support job function, responsible for providing technical support and solutions to internal users.
What You’ll Do:
- Collaborate with IT teams to identify and resolve technical issues affecting business operations
- Develop and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency and productivity
- Analyze and optimize system configurations to ensure optimal performance and availability
- Conduct technical assessments and provide recommendations for system upgrades and migrations
- Collaborate with stakeholders to develop and implement technology strategies and roadmaps
- Provide training and guidance to end-users on new technologies and system updates
- Develop and maintain technical documentation, including user guides and technical notes
- Identify and mitigate technical risks to ensure business continuity and disaster recovery efforts
- Collaborate with vendors to negotiate and manage service level agreements and contracts
- Conduct technical audits to ensure compliance with security and regulatory requirements
- Develop and implement technical solutions to improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency
- Stay up-to-date with emerging technologies and trends, and apply knowledge to drive business value
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive process automation and improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency
- Identify and solve technical and operational problems of complexity
- Develop and maintain professional and technical knowledge through continued education and training
What You’ll Need:
- Bachelor's Degree preferred with 5 - 8 years of relevant experience. In lieu of a degree, a combination of experience and education will be considered.
- Experience in the areas of staffing, selection, training, development, coaching, mentoring, measuring, appraising, and rewarding performance and retention is preferred.
- Ability to lead the exchange of sensitive, complicated, and difficult information, convey performance expectations and handle problems.
- Leadership skills to motivate the team to achieve broad operational targets with impacts on own job discipline, multiple job disciplines, and department.
- In-depth knowledge of Microsoft Office products and technical skills in areas such as cloud computing, data analytics, and cybersecurity.
- Extensive organizational skills and an advanced inquisitive mindset.
CBRE carefully considers multiple factors to determine compensation, including a candidate’s education, training, and experience. The minimum salary for the position is $130K per year and the maximum salary for the position is or $150K per year. The compensation that is offered to a successful candidate will depend on the candidate’s skills, qualifications, and experience. Successful candidates will also be eligible for a discretionary bonus based on CBRE’s applicable benefit program.
Equal Employment Opportunity: CBRE is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity. We have a long-standing commitment to providing equal employment opportunity to all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, veteran status, political belief, or any other basis protected by applicable law.
Candidate Accommodations: CBRE values the differences of all current and prospective employees and recognizes how every employee contributes to our company’s success. CBRE provides reasonable accommodations in job application procedures for individuals with disabilities. If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request via email at recruitingaccommodations@cbre.com or via telephone at +1 866 225 3099 (U.S.) and +1 866 388 4346 (Canada).
About the Role:
As a CBRE D&T Operations Consultant, you will provide technical expertise and guidance to support the daily operations of complex technology systems. This role is part of the D&T Support job function, responsible for providing technical support and solutions to internal users.
What You’ll Do:
- Collaborate with IT teams to identify and resolve technical issues affecting business operations
- Develop and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency and productivity
- Analyze and optimize system configurations to ensure optimal performance and availability
- Conduct technical assessments and provide recommendations for system upgrades and migrations
- Collaborate with stakeholders to develop and implement technology strategies and roadmaps
- Provide training and guidance to end-users on new technologies and system updates
- Develop and maintain technical documentation, including user guides and technical notes
- Identify and mitigate technical risks to ensure business continuity and disaster recovery efforts
- Collaborate with vendors to negotiate and manage service level agreements and contracts
- Conduct technical audits to ensure compliance with security and regulatory requirements
- Develop and implement technical solutions to improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency
- Stay up-to-date with emerging technologies and trends, and apply knowledge to drive business value
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive process automation and improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency
- Identify and solve technical and operational problems of complexity
- Develop and maintain professional and technical knowledge through continued education and training
What You’ll Need:
- Bachelor's Degree preferred with 5 - 8 years of relevant experience. In lieu of a degree, a combination of experience and education will be considered.
- Experience in the areas of staffing, selection, training, development, coaching, mentoring, measuring, appraising, and rewarding performance and retention is preferred.
- Ability to lead the exchange of sensitive, complicated, and difficult information, convey performance expectations and handle problems.
- Leadership skills to motivate the team to achieve broad operational targets with impacts on own job discipline, multiple job disciplines, and department.
- In-depth knowledge of Microsoft Office products and technical skills in areas such as cloud computing, data analytics, and cybersecurity.
- Extensive organizational skills and an advanced inquisitive mindset.
CBRE carefully considers multiple factors to determine compensation, including a candidate’s education, training, and experience. The minimum salary for the position is $130K per year and the maximum salary for the position is or $150K per year. The compensation that is offered to a successful candidate will depend on the candidate’s skills, qualifications, and experience. Successful candidates will also be eligible for a discretionary bonus based on CBRE’s applicable benefit program.
Equal Employment Opportunity: CBRE is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity. We have a long-standing commitment to providing equal employment opportunity to all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, veteran status, political belief, or any other basis protected by applicable law.
Candidate Accommodations: CBRE values the differences of all current and prospective employees and recognizes how every employee contributes to our company’s success. CBRE provides reasonable accommodations in job application procedures for individuals with disabilities. If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request via email at recruitingaccommodations@cbre.com or via telephone at +1 866 225 3099 (U.S.) and +1 866 388 4346 (Canada).
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Clinical Operations Director Jobs
Lead with regulatory and trial management credentials
Employers filing H-1B petitions for Clinical Operations Directors need to justify specialty occupation status. ICH-GCP certification, FDA regulatory experience, and Phase II–III trial oversight make that case clearly and reduce the risk of a USCIS Request for Evidence.
Target sponsors with active IND or NDA pipelines
Biotechs and CROs with active investigational or new drug applications have the most urgent hiring need. Companies mid-trial can't afford gaps in clinical operations leadership, which makes them more willing to initiate or transfer a visa petition quickly.
Understand that your degree field matters as much as your level
USCIS expects a direct relationship between your degree and the role. A master's in clinical research, public health, or a biomedical field supports the petition more cleanly than an unrelated degree supplemented by experience alone, even for senior candidates.
Position O-1A as a parallel path if you have extraordinary credentials
Clinical Operations Directors with published research, named authorship on clinical trial protocols, or speaking records at major industry conferences may qualify for O-1A, which has no lottery and no cap. It's worth evaluating alongside H-1B before the registration window.
Demonstrate cross-functional scope in your application materials
Employers sponsoring this role want evidence you can own CRO relationships, manage IRB submissions, and align operations with regulatory timelines. Framing your resume around trial outcomes and site performance metrics makes the sponsorship conversation easier to initiate.
Start the H-1B conversation before an offer is finalized
H-1B cap-subject petitions can only be filed once per year, with a lottery in March and an October 1 start date. Raising sponsorship early lets employers plan around the timeline instead of treating it as a late obstacle that complicates the hire.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Clinical Operations Director role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes, in most cases. USCIS evaluates whether the position normally requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific field. Clinical Operations Directors typically require degrees in life sciences, clinical research, nursing, or public health, and the role involves complex regulatory and scientific judgment that supports the specialty occupation standard. Sponsors should document these requirements clearly in the H-1B visa petition to reduce RFE risk.
What visa types do employers typically sponsor for Clinical Operations Directors?
H-1B is the most common path for Clinical Operations Directors hired from abroad. Employers with a demonstrated history of trial sponsorship sometimes also support O-1A petitions for candidates with exceptional credentials, such as authorship on published clinical protocols or regulatory guidance documents. TN visa classification is available for Canadian and Mexican nationals whose degree aligns with a qualifying USMCA occupation. Browse current openings on Migrate Mate to see which employers are actively sponsoring.
Does a three-year bachelor's degree qualify for an H-1B petition in this field?
It can, but the evaluation is case-by-case. USCIS accepts three-year degrees from recognized institutions when a credential evaluation confirms equivalency to a U.S. four-year bachelor's degree. For Clinical Operations Directors, a three-year life sciences degree paired with relevant postgraduate work or significant clinical trial experience is generally treated more favorably than a standalone three-year degree in an unrelated field.
How do CROs compare to pharmaceutical companies as H-1B sponsors for this role?
Both sponsor regularly, but the dynamic differs. Large pharmaceutical companies typically have established immigration programs and legal teams that handle petitions efficiently. CROs vary more widely. Some sponsor frequently due to high clinical headcount, while smaller CROs may be sponsoring for the first time. Either way, the strength of the petition depends more on how the role is documented than on the type of employer.
Can I transfer an existing H-1B to a new Clinical Operations Director role without starting over?
Yes. H-1B portability allows you to begin working for a new employer as soon as they file a transfer petition, without waiting for USCIS approval, provided you've maintained valid status. The new employer files a fresh I-129 petition describing the new role. If the job duties or degree requirements differ significantly from your original petition, the new employer should document the specialty occupation basis carefully.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Clinical Operations Director jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.