UCLA Health

Assistant Director, Clinical Trials Contracts

UCLA Health$128K — $298K *
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree required.
  • 10+ years experience in negotiating clinical trials; 3 years in management roles.
  • Expertise in drafting and negotiating industry clinical trial agreements.
  • Strong knowledge of pre-award activities for clinical research.
  • Familiarity with pharmaceutical, biomedical, and medical device industry trends.
  • Demonstrated maturity in clinical judgment and administrative decision-making.
  • Experience in academic medical or university settings.
  • Understanding of regulatory requirements like FDA guidelines.
  • Proficient in industry contracting and subcontracting practices.
  • Strong conflict resolution and negotiation skills across diverse groups.
  • Effective communication with varied audiences in health sciences.
  • Ability to manage efficient work processes and prioritize effectively.
  • Experience in fostering cooperative relationships with various stakeholders.
  • Strong analytical skills and problem-solving abilities.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Familiarity with computing systems in medical facilities; competency in database management.

Responsibilities

  • Provide strategic leadership for Clinical Trials Contracts unit.
  • Oversee negotiation and administration of complex industry-sponsored contracts.
  • Supervise and mentor contract professionals and manage operational workflow.
  • Collaborate with faculty and sponsors to accelerate study start-up.
  • Drive process improvement initiatives and policy development for efficiency.
  • Track performance metrics to support clinical research objectives.
  • Engage in strategic planning for UCLA's clinical research operations.

Benefits

  • Flexible hybrid work schedule.
  • Participation in process improvement initiatives.
  • Continuing education and development opportunities.
  • Comprehensive health and wellness programs.
Full Job Description
General Information

Press space or enter keys to toggle section visibility

Work Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA

Onsite or Remote

Flexible Hybrid

Work Schedule

Monday-Friday; 7:00am-4:00pm or 8:00am-5:00pm or 9:00am-6:00pm

Posted Date

07/16/2026

Salary Range: $128500 - 298100 Annually

Employment Type

2 - Staff: Career

Duration

Indefinite

Job #

31722

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Press space or enter keys to toggle section visibility

The UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) is seeking an Assistant Director, Clinical Trials Contracts to provide strategic leadership for the Clinical Trials Contracts & Strategic Relations unit within the Office of Clinical Research. Reporting to the Director, this role oversees the negotiation, execution, and administration of complex industry-sponsored clinical trial agreements while ensuring efficient, compliant, and high-quality pre-award contracting operations. The Assistant Director supervises and mentors a team of contract professionals, manages daily operations and workflow, and partners with faculty, sponsors, and research administration stakeholders to support timely study start-up. This position also plays a key role in advancing operational excellence through process improvement initiatives, policy and procedure development, performance metrics, and strategic planning in support of UCLA's clinical research enterprise.

Annual range: $128,500.00-$298,100.00

Job Qualifications

Press space or enter keys to toggle section visibility

Required:
  • Bachelor's Degree.
  • At least 10 years recent experience negotiating industry supported clinical trials, 3 years management experience.
  • Demonstrated expertise in industry clinical trial agreement drafting and negotiation.
  • Strong working knowledge of the full range of pre-award activities related to clinical trials research (e.g.,IRB, CIRC, Coverage Analysis, other regulatory approvals, etc.)
  • Knowledge of pharmaceutical, biomedical, and/or medical device company research and development trends.
  • Demonstrated mature clinical and independent administrative judgment and decision-making skills.
  • Experience working with faculty, administrators, and staff in an academic medical center, health care or university environment.
  • Knowledge of research regulatory requirements (including FDA and other federal and state regulations), GCP/ICH guidelines, and special requirements for drug and medical device trials.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of industry contracting and subcontracting practices, including demonstrated experience in drafting contracts and subcontracts.
  • Demonstrated excellence in negotiating skills, including the ability to resolve conflict among various groups and individuals with diverse backgrounds and goals concerning sensitive and important issues. Proven ability to participate effectively in the planning and development of multidisciplinary, cross-departmental research programs and committees.
  • Ability to communicate effectively regarding the health sciences campus research process and related details to a wide audience (scientists, physicians, nurses, staff, sponsors, and the general public.)
  • Ability to design and manage efficient work processes, set and meet expected turnaround time goals on an ongoing basis and monitor, analyze, and improve processes on an ongoing basis.
  • Ability to be flexible and adapt within an ever-changing, dynamic, service-oriented environment.
  • Ability to operate effectively in a team environment.
  • Ability to set priorities of assignments to complete work in a timely manner when there are changes in workload, pressures of deadlines, competing requirements and changes in assignments.
  • Ability to establish and maintain cooperative and mutually supportive working relationships with faculty, administrators, staff, other campus units, UC system units, and sponsoring agencies and companies.
  • 18. Skill in analyzing information, problems, situations, policies or procedures to define the problem, need or objective, identify relevant issues or concerns, formulate alternatives for resolution or new program development, and recommend alternative choices and implications for implementation.
  • Excellent written and verbal communications skills.
  • Familiarity with UCLA Medical Center (preferred) or similar organization computing systems and demonstrated ability to learn and utilize other databases and administrative software, including a future clinical trials information system.
  • Proven supervisory skills.

Preferred:
  • Graduate degree - Juris Doctorate, Paralegal Degree with focus in contract management, or Master in Public Health or Master of Business Administration.


As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer.

Current/former UC employees are subject to a personnel file review.

About UCLA Health

UCLA Health is a world-renowned academic medical center located in Los Angeles, California. It comprises four hospitals, including Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and more than 200 primary and specialty care clinics. UCLA Health is affiliated with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and is consistently ranked among the top hospitals in the United States. The health system employs over 20,000 people and serves as a major center for patient care, medical education, and research.
Learn more about UCLA Health
Industry

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at UCLA Health

More Pharmaceuticals & Biotech Jobs

Find similar Assistant Director, Clinical Trials Contracts jobs: