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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Get Access To All JobsWork Arrangement: On-Site
Requisition Number: 268598
Regular or Temporary: Regular
Location: Durham, NC, US, 27710
Personnel Area: DUKE HOSPITAL
Date: Apr 14, 2026
At Duke Health, we're driven by a commitment to compassionate care that changes the lives of patients, their loved ones, and the greater community. No matter where your talents lie, join us and discover how we can advance health together.
About Duke University Hospital
Pursue your passion for caring with Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, which is consistently ranked among the best in the United States. The largest of the four Duke Health hospitals with 1062 patient beds, it features comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic facilities, including a regional emergency/trauma center, an endo-surgery center, and more.
General Description of the Job Class
- Provide overall nursing direction and leadership for the CAREhub and Life Flight teams serving all Duke Health Acute Care sites on a 24 hour basis
- Ensure the effective administrative management of clinical functions related to personnel and policy to meet the mission of patient care, education and research within a fiscally responsible organization.
Position Overview:
Duke Health Acute Care is comprised of 4 hospitals: Duke Raleigh Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Health Lake Norman, and Duke University Hospital. Patient flow is managed at each acute care site by the CAREhub team that places patients at each site and manages incoming and outgoing transfers between sites and from outside hospitals. Patient movement for all incoming and outgoing patients requiring transport is managed by our Life Flight team. These teams provide operational oversight and act on behalf of hospital leadership to provide access for all patients in need of Duke acute care. This position will provide administrative oversight and set the strategic direction for these teams across the health system.
Duties and Responsibilities of this Level
- Direct and coordinate work of Life Flight and CAREhub nurse managers, ensuring their work aligns with acute care and individual hospital objectives related to patient flow and overall care delivery
- In collaboration with patient flow leadership, set the strategic and operational plan for the CAREhub and Life Flight teams. Communicate plan to team members and continuously evaluate opportunities for improvement.
- Ensure that all Life Flight and CAREhub policies and procedures and personnel management align with health system policies and practice; serve as health system leader for budgetary preparation and control.
- Travel amongst patient flow team locations to collaborate with local acute care leadership, Life Flight leaders, and CAREhub leaders. Ensure clinical operations are well-coordinated with adequate staffing, space, and facilities for each team. Foster accountability within the teams and establish a clear escalation pathway for raising concerns.
- Develop and communicate vision for day to day management and facilitate ongoing refinement of such models.
- Determine and recommend necessary space, equipment, supplies and support systems to ensure effective functioning of CAREhub and Life Flight. Ensure safe environment of care for all staff. Ensure effective processes for staff development, recruitment and retention. Support overall patient flow shared governance structure. Assure staff participation in departmental and organizational structures.
- Continually assess direct reports competency and growth opportunities to aid their continued professional development.
- Perform other related duties incidental to the work described herein.
Education:
- Bachelor or higher degree in Nursing and Master's Degree in related field
Experience:
- Five years of nursing experience is required including at least 2 years of experience in a management role.
Desired Leadership Competencies
- Ability to manage multiple organization missions. Facilitation, consensus-building, and negotiation skills
- Sensitivity for and understanding of clinical disciplines and issues.
- Understand cost containment and managed care systems.
- The ability to work with all types of individuals in multiple settings and locations and to promote diversity in the workplace.
- Knowledge of necessary regulatory bodies including North Carolina Nurse Practice Act.
- Expert communication skills.
Degrees, Licensure, and/or Certification:
- Must have current or compact RN licensure in the state of North Carolina.
- BLS certification required.
Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status.
Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.
Essential Physical Job Functions:
Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.
Nearest Major Market: Durham
Nearest Secondary Market: Raleigh
Work Arrangement: On-Site
Requisition Number: 268598
Regular or Temporary: Regular
Location: Durham, NC, US, 27710
Personnel Area: DUKE HOSPITAL
Date: Apr 14, 2026
At Duke Health, we're driven by a commitment to compassionate care that changes the lives of patients, their loved ones, and the greater community. No matter where your talents lie, join us and discover how we can advance health together.
About Duke University Hospital
Pursue your passion for caring with Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, which is consistently ranked among the best in the United States. The largest of the four Duke Health hospitals with 1062 patient beds, it features comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic facilities, including a regional emergency/trauma center, an endo-surgery center, and more.
General Description of the Job Class
- Provide overall nursing direction and leadership for the CAREhub and Life Flight teams serving all Duke Health Acute Care sites on a 24 hour basis
- Ensure the effective administrative management of clinical functions related to personnel and policy to meet the mission of patient care, education and research within a fiscally responsible organization.
Position Overview:
Duke Health Acute Care is comprised of 4 hospitals: Duke Raleigh Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Health Lake Norman, and Duke University Hospital. Patient flow is managed at each acute care site by the CAREhub team that places patients at each site and manages incoming and outgoing transfers between sites and from outside hospitals. Patient movement for all incoming and outgoing patients requiring transport is managed by our Life Flight team. These teams provide operational oversight and act on behalf of hospital leadership to provide access for all patients in need of Duke acute care. This position will provide administrative oversight and set the strategic direction for these teams across the health system.
Duties and Responsibilities of this Level
- Direct and coordinate work of Life Flight and CAREhub nurse managers, ensuring their work aligns with acute care and individual hospital objectives related to patient flow and overall care delivery
- In collaboration with patient flow leadership, set the strategic and operational plan for the CAREhub and Life Flight teams. Communicate plan to team members and continuously evaluate opportunities for improvement.
- Ensure that all Life Flight and CAREhub policies and procedures and personnel management align with health system policies and practice; serve as health system leader for budgetary preparation and control.
- Travel amongst patient flow team locations to collaborate with local acute care leadership, Life Flight leaders, and CAREhub leaders. Ensure clinical operations are well-coordinated with adequate staffing, space, and facilities for each team. Foster accountability within the teams and establish a clear escalation pathway for raising concerns.
- Develop and communicate vision for day to day management and facilitate ongoing refinement of such models.
- Determine and recommend necessary space, equipment, supplies and support systems to ensure effective functioning of CAREhub and Life Flight. Ensure safe environment of care for all staff. Ensure effective processes for staff development, recruitment and retention. Support overall patient flow shared governance structure. Assure staff participation in departmental and organizational structures.
- Continually assess direct reports competency and growth opportunities to aid their continued professional development.
- Perform other related duties incidental to the work described herein.
Education:
- Bachelor or higher degree in Nursing and Master's Degree in related field
Experience:
- Five years of nursing experience is required including at least 2 years of experience in a management role.
Desired Leadership Competencies
- Ability to manage multiple organization missions. Facilitation, consensus-building, and negotiation skills
- Sensitivity for and understanding of clinical disciplines and issues.
- Understand cost containment and managed care systems.
- The ability to work with all types of individuals in multiple settings and locations and to promote diversity in the workplace.
- Knowledge of necessary regulatory bodies including North Carolina Nurse Practice Act.
- Expert communication skills.
Degrees, Licensure, and/or Certification:
- Must have current or compact RN licensure in the state of North Carolina.
- BLS certification required.
Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status.
Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.
Essential Physical Job Functions:
Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.
Nearest Major Market: Durham
Nearest Secondary Market: Raleigh
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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.
Clinical Operations Director jobs are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Clinical Operations Director JobsFrequently 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 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 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.
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