The Opportunity The Program/Operations Manager owns the end-to-end delivery and execution of the onsite and in-the-wild data collection client programs, overseeing financial performance, client engagement, and cross-functional execution from pre-sales through delivery. This role is business-minded and delivery-focused: it requires deep operational excellence, client satisfaction, and strategic execution in a fast-moving, high-stakes environment where quality, throughput, and safety all matter simultaneously.
Location & Flexibility Our ideal candidate will work remotely out of California.
This role has required and regular travel to program facilities and field data collection sites.Responsibilities Program Ownership & Leadership- Own overall program performance, including financial health (forecasting, P&L, invoicing), delivery success, and client satisfaction.
- Serve as the primary point of contact and escalation point for operational and client challenges, leading regular client syncs and on-site or virtual business reviews (weekly/quarterly).
- Drive consistent reporting through weekly status updates, dashboards, and progress reviews to internal leadership and client stakeholders.
- Lead and develop project teams with direct people management responsibility, monitoring performance metrics and productivity across teams and addressing gaps through coaching and development.
- Collaborate with Legal and Liability to ensure onsite and in-the-wild collection activities meet compliance, safety, and insurance standards.
- Work with Talent Acquisition to define hiring strategy and job profiles for collectors, including hybrid full-time, part-time (FTC/PTC), and crowd-based staffing models.
Operational Strategy & Execution- Guide execution strategy across staffing, vendor engagement, equipment, and day-to-day operationsEvaluate and deploy the right mix of staffing models - full-time collectors, part-time collectors, and crowd-based resourcing - to match program scale, coverage needs, and cost targets.
- Lead Project Managers to ensure timelines, budgets, and milestones are met across both facility-based and field collection workstreams.
- Support facility sourcing, setup, and readiness for onsite data collection, and own logistics for in-the-wild collection sites.
- Oversee procurement strategy for equipment and staffing to match approved program scope.
- Support the launch of new workstreams and oversee integration of third-party contributions into the overall delivery model.
- Proactively identify and mitigate delivery risks, recommending interventions or contingency plans to close gaps or resolve quality and yield issues before they affect the client.
Cross-Functional Collaboration- Align Operations, Talent Acquisition, Legal, Finance, Quality, and vendors around a single delivery plan.
- Partner closely with the client - translating their requirements on approach, calibration, and equipment into staffing plans, timelines, and budgets, and ensuring field execution reflects the agreed technical standard.
- Ensure alignment between execution and financial expectations, and drive clear communication across stakeholders for accountability.
- Contribute to strategic planning with the client account and broader leadership team, identifying opportunities to scale the data collection delivery model to new accounts and programs.
Qualifications - 3-5+ years managing global or large-scale onsite/field operations programs supporting Data Collection, User Research, Clinical Research, Machine Learning or a similar environment/domain.
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Operations, or a related field; relevant experience accepted in place of formal education.
- Proven success leading cross-functional teams (Operations, TA, Legal, Finance) and driving high-stakes program delivery. Prior client-facing program or account management experience required.
- Familiarity with program/project management methodologies such as PRINCE2, PMI, or similar preferred.
- Translates complex client and technical requirements into scalable, executable delivery models.
- Strong financial ownership: forecasting, P&L management, invoicing, and budget accountability.
- Manages high-risk, high-volume onsite and in-the-wild environments effectively, including safety and compliance considerations.
- Enables cross-functional alignment and speed across Operations, TA, Legal, Finance, and Quality.
- Strong stakeholder management and customer-centric mindset; builds trust and alignment across global, distributed teams.
- Structured, results-oriented approach to planning, monitoring, and control; confidently manages escalations and executes contingency plans.
- Comfortable presenting performance, financials, and risk to both client and internal leadership audiences.
