Assistant Vice President Head of Clinical Research Operations

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Now more than ever, our guiding principles are helping us in our search for exceptional talent - candidates who align with our unique workplace culture and who want to maximizethe abundant opportunities for growth and success.

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HSS is consistently among the top-ranked hospitals for orthopedics and rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report. As a recipient of the Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence, HSS was the first hospital in New York City to receive the distinguished designation. Whether you are early in your career or an expert in your field, you will find HSS an innovative, supportive and inclusive environment.

Working with colleagues who love what they do and are deeply committed to our Mission, you too can be part of our transformation across the enterprise.

Emp Status

Regular Full time

Work Shift

Day (United States of America)

Compensation Range

The base pay scale for this position is $198,500.00 - $268,000.00. In addition, this position will be eligible for additional benefits consistent with the role. The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be determined based on various factors, including but not limited to: scope of role, level of experience, education, accomplishments, internal equity, budget, and subject to Fair Market Value evaluation. The hiring range listed is a good faith determination of potential compensation at the time of this job advertisement and may be modified in the future.

What you will be doing

Reporting Relationships

Reports To

• Chief Research Officer

Dyadic Leadership Relationship

• SVP, Service Lines

Direct Reports

• Service Line Research Administrative Directors (*with dyadic reporting to Service Line Research Directors)
• Director, Clinical Trials Unit
• Director, Clinical Registries
• Director/ Manager, Biorepositories
• Other centralized research operations leaders as assigned by the Chief Research Officer.

Indirect Oversight

Through Service Line Administrative Research Directors, provides strategic oversight and support for:

• Service Line Research Managers
• Clinical Research Coordinators
• Clinical Research Assistants
• Other research operations staff

Essential Responsibilities

Clinical Research Operations Leadership

• Support development and execution of the operational vision and strategic plan for clinical research activities across all service lines.
• Establish enterprise-wide standards, policies, procedures, and best practices specifically in support of clinical research quality, efficiency, consistency, and compliance.
• Ensure alignment of clinical research operations with institutional strategic priorities and service-line goals.
• Lead initiatives that improve clinical research investigator support, operational performance, and research depth.
• Promote a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Identify opportunities to expand and strengthen institutional research infrastructure and shared services.

• Provide oversight and direction for registry submissions, ensuring data integrity, regulatory and submission requirements, and timely completion across the research portfolio.

Clinical Research Workforce Strategy and Leadership

• Support development and oversight of the clinical research workforce strategy.
• Lead workforce planning initiatives supporting current and future research growth.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, training, mentorship, and leadership development programs.
• Foster a culture that supports career progression, employee engagement, accountability, and operational excellence.
• In partnership with Research Leadership, establish and maintain standardized job families, career ladders, competency models, and professional development pathways.

Leadership of Clinical Service Line Administrative Research Directors

• Provide direct administrative leadership, mentorship, and support for Service Line Administrative Research Directors.
• Establish expectations, goals, and performance metrics for research operations leadership across service lines.
• Facilitate alignment of operational practices across service lines while respecting specialty-specific needs.
• Support Administrative Research Directors in staffing strategy, budget planning, portfolio management, operational problem solving, and program development.
• Promote collaboration and sharing of best practices across research programs.
• Support integration of clinical research with broader research ecosystem.

Dyadic Partnership with Physician Research Leaders

• Collaborate closely with the SVP of Service Lines, physician Research Directors, Department Chairs, and Service Chiefs to ensure research operations effectively support clinical and scientific priorities.
• Support development and execution of service-line research strategies and growth plans.
• Align workforce, infrastructure, and operational resources with research opportunities and institutional priorities.
• Serve as a strategic advisor regarding research operations, staffing models, infrastructure, and portfolio development.

Clinical Trials Unit & Clinical Registries

• Ensure that clinical trials, clinical registries and biorepositories are aligned with overall goals, governed appropriately and staffed for success.

• Promote responsible stewardship, sustainability, and data integrity
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, ethical standards, and institutional policies.

Research Quality, Compliance, and Operational Excellence

• Partner with Director of Research Quality & Compliance to lead enterprise research quality management and compliance programs.
• Oversee audit readiness activities and quality improvement initiatives.
• Establish risk mitigation and corrective action frameworks.
• Promote a culture of research integrity, participant safety, and accountability.

Research Infrastructure and Technology

• Partner with Research Leadership and HSS Data team to enhance research infrastructure.
• Support Research Administration’s governance and operational adoption of clinical trial management systems, electronic regulatory systems, registries, and research reporting tools.
• Drive process improvement initiatives that improve transparency, efficiency, and user experience.

Research Metrics and Performance Management

• Monitor performance across study startup, enrollment, workforce utilization, quality, compliance, and operational effectiveness.
• Partner with physician Research Directors and Department/Service Line leadership to establish service-line-specific key performance indicators
• Report research operational performance to executive leadership and governance committees.

Financial and Resource Stewardship

• Partner with Research Finance to strengthen financial reporting, budget development, and ongoing budget management and long-term workforce planning.
• Partner with appropriate team members to identify and support grant and external funding opportunities at the service line level
• Monitor use of clinical research resources and operational investments.
• Evaluate opportunities to improve efficiency and maximize return on research infrastructure investments.
• Partner with Research Administration on optimizing budget development for sponsored clinical research projects.
• Support development of sustainable models for research growth and shared services.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

• Master's degree in Public Health, Clinical Research, Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Epidemiology, Nursing, Health Services Research, or related field or 12+ years leadership experience.
• Doctoral degree preferred.

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience in clinical research, research administration, or research operations.
• Minimum 5 years of leadership experience overseeing research programs, personnel, or institutional initiatives.
• Demonstrated success leading large-scale research operations and multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience within an academic medical center, health system, or research-intensive organization.
• Experience overseeing clinical trials, registries, quality programs, and research infrastructure initiatives.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Advanced knowledge of clinical research regulations, GCP, FDA regulations, human subjects protections, and research compliance requirements.
• Strong strategic planning, organizational leadership, and workforce development capabilities.
• Experience leading organizational change and process improvement initiatives.
• Strong financial, operational, and analytical skills.
• Demonstrated ability to build partnerships across complex stakeholder groups.
• Excellent communication and executive leadership abilities.
• Experience with CTMS platforms, electronic regulatory systems, research databases, registries, and enterprise reporting solutions.

Non-Discrimination Policy
Hospital for Special Surgery is committed to providing high quality care and skilled, compassionate, reliable service to our community in a safe and healing environment. Consistent with this commitment, Hospital for Special Surgery provides care, admits, and treats patients and provides all services without regard to age, race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, national origin, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, veteran or military status, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law or by accreditation standards.