Vice President, Patient Recruitment & Marketing

At Headlands Research, we are dedicated to enhancing clinical trial delivery within our communities. As a leading network of advanced clinical trial sites, we leverage cutting-edge technology and exceptional support services to broaden outreach and participation. Founded in 2018, our rapidly growing company currently operates 20+ sites across the US and Canada, with plans for further expansion.

The Role

The Vice President of Patient Recruitment & Marketing is a key member of the leadership team responsible for developing and executing strategies that accelerate patient enrollment, strengthen site engagement, and elevate the organization’s brand within the clinical research ecosystem. This role leads all patient recruitment, marketing, communications, digital strategy, and participant engagement initiatives across the company’s clinical research portfolio. The VP will drive growth through data-driven recruitment programs, innovative marketing campaigns, strategic partnerships, and operational excellence.

Responsibilities: 

• Strategic Leadership
  • Develop and execute a multi-year patient recruitment and marketing strategy that supports organizational growth goals, including study enrollment, site performance, and market expansion.
  • Serve as the leader for all recruitment operations, marketing functions, and patient engagement services.
  • Partner with Operations, Business Development, Therapeutic Area Leaders and Sponsors to align recruitment strategy with study requirements and business priorities
  • Build strong, trust-based relationships with site leadership teams to drive adoption of best practices and execution of recruitment strategies.
  • Lead continuous improvement initiatives to maximize enrollment efficiency, reduce timelines, and improve patient experience across all trials.
• Patient Recruitment & Enrollment Operations
  • Oversee development and deployment of patient recruitment plans for all clinical trials, including recruitment projections, funnel modeling, and performance tracking.
  • Manage and optimize centralized recruitment team and call center, marketing specialists, community engagement, and retention programs.
  • Develop therapeutic area specific playbooks to drive optimal recruitment in all therapeutic areas of focus
  • Ensure recruitment operations are compliant with regulatory and ethical requirements, including FDA, OHRP, IRB, and GDPR/CCPA guidelines.
  • Manage vendor selection for advertising agencies, digital recruitment partners, referral networks, and technology platforms.
• Marketing & Communications
  • Own the organization’s brand strategy, positioning, messaging architecture, and corporate narrative.
  • Lead all marketing functions, including digital marketing, social media, content creation, communications, PR, and site-level marketing support.
  • Oversee design and execution of integrated campaigns that drive patient engagement, sponsor awareness, and market differentiation.
  • Develop robust analytics capabilities to measure ROI, optimize media spend, and inform strategic decision-making.
• Digital Innovation & Technology
  • Champion the use of data and technology to enhance targeted outreach, reduce recruitment cycle times, and improve patient experience.
  • Collaborate with IT and Data teams to enhance digital ecosystems that support recruitment, retention, and real-time performance visibility. 
  • Support the development of marketing campaigns, metrics and reports to track their effectiveness
  • Support the creation of social media content using social media channels to improve brand awareness
• Leadership & Culture
  • Build, mentor, and lead high-performing teams across recruitment, marketing, and patient engagement functions.
  • Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and excellence.
  • Provide leadership oversight on budget planning, resource allocation, and performance management.
  • Collaborate with site leaders to cultivate strategic partnerships with community organizations, advocacy groups, healthcare providers, and sponsor organizations to strengthen referral networks and enhance patient access.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, Public Health, or related field required; Master’s degree (MBA, MPH, MS in Clinical Research, or related) preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive people leadership in patient recruitment, marketing, healthcare or clinical research required.
• Demonstrated success leading recruitment strategies for multi-site clinical trials or large research networks.
• Deep knowledge of clinical research operations, regulatory frameworks, and sponsor expectations.
• Proven track record developing and executing high-impact marketing and digital strategies.
• Experience managing teams, budgets, and organizational change.
• Experience in a growth-oriented clinical research organization, site network, CRO, or healthcare system preferred.
• Expertise with recruitment and call center technologies (CRMs, marketing automation, digital advertising platforms, AI-driven targeting tools) preferred.
• Demonstrated success driving enrollment for diverse patient populations preferred.
• Strategic mindset with ability to translate vision into actionable plans. 
• Strong analytical and strategic planning mindset.
• Strong leadership presence and executive communication skills.
• Data-driven decision-making and analytical rigor.
• Creativity and innovation in marketing and recruitment methodologies.
• Ability to influence internally and externally across all levels.
• Passion for patient experience, accessibility, and health equity.