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Senior Director, U.S. Regional Clinical Operations

Somerset, New Jersey, United States

Legend Biotech is a global biotechnology company dedicated to treating, and one day curing, life-threatening diseases. Headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey, we are developing advanced cell therapies across a diverse array of technology platforms, including autologous and allogenic chimeric antigen receptor T-cell, T-cell receptor (TCR-T), and natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy. From our three R&D sites around the world, we apply these innovative technologies to pursue the discovery of safe, efficacious and cutting-edge therapeutics for patients worldwide.

 

Legend Biotech entered into a global collaboration agreement with Janssen, one of the pharmaceutical companies of Johnson & Johnson, to jointly develop and commercialize ciltacabtagene autolecuel (cilta-cel). Our strategic partnership is designed to combine the strengths and expertise of both companies to advance the promise of an immunotherapy in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Legend Biotech is seeking a Senior Director, U.S. Regional Clinical Operations as part of the Clinical team based in Somerset, NJ.

 

Role Overview

The Senior Director, U.S. Regional Clinical Operations is accountable for country-level clinical operational trial execution and delivery of the IND portfolio in the U.S.  This position is responsible for providing strategic leadership and operational oversight for all U.S.-based clinical trial execution activities across the clinical development portfolio.

This role serves as the leader of the U.S. Regional Clinical Operations organization, accountable for study startup, site activation, site management, monitoring oversight, enrollment performance, and inspection readiness activities executed within the United States. The position partners closely with Clinical Development, Clinical Trial Delivery, Regulatory Affairs, Data Management, Pharmacovigilance, Medical Affairs, Quality Assurance, and external service providers to ensure accelerated, high-quality, and cost-efficient trial execution.

The Senior Director is responsible for building and leading a high-performing field and in-house clinical operations organization, optimizing site engagement strategies, and delivering industry-leading performance against startup and enrollment milestones.

Serve as the clinical operations executive sponsor for the company's U.S. Strategic Site Partnership Program, establishing long-term collaborations with priority research institutions and site networks to improve startup cycle times, enrollment performance, protocol execution quality, and future portfolio readiness.

This position serves as the senior regional operational leader representing U.S. site execution strategy within global clinical development teams and governance forums.

 

Key Responsibilities

Regional Clinical Operations Leadership

  • Lead and develop the U.S. Regional Clinical Operations organization, including monitoring, site management, site activation, and regional startup personnel.
  • Establish a scalable regional operating model capable of supporting a growing pipeline of complex studies, including oncology, hematology, cell therapy, and autoimmune disease programs.
  • Define organizational goals, performance metrics, and operational standards for regional clinical operations.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, patient centricity, operational excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Site Startup and Activation Leadership

  • Provide strategic oversight of all U.S. study startup activities including site identification, feasibility, site selection, site activation, and enrollment readiness.
  • Drive acceleration of startup timelines through optimization of operational processes, vendor partnerships, and investigator engagement models.
  • Partner with Regulatory Affairs, Legal, and Site Contracts teams to remove barriers to site activation.
  • Establish performance metrics and cycle-time targets for startup effectiveness across the portfolio.

Site Management and Monitoring Oversight

  • Provide leadership and oversight for regional site management and monitoring activities.
  • Ensure monitoring strategies are effectively implemented and aligned with risk-based quality management principles.
  • Maintain oversight of site performance, protocol compliance, data quality, patient safety, and issue escalation activities.
  • Ensure inspection readiness across all sites and clinical operations processes.

Enrollment and Site Performance Optimization

  • Develop and execute strategies to improve patient recruitment, enrollment productivity, retention, and site engagement.
  • Implement performance management frameworks to identify enrollment risks and deploy proactive mitigation plans.
  • Utilize operational analytics to monitor site performance and optimize resource allocation.
  • Establish strong relationships with investigators, site networks, key opinion leaders, and clinical research organizations.

Site Relationship Management

  • Develop and execute a comprehensive U.S. site engagement strategy to strengthen partnerships with investigators, study coordinators, site networks, and research institutions, positioning the company as a sponsor of choice.
  • Establish and maintain Clinical Operations executive-level relationships with key research sites, high-enrolling investigators, site networks, and academic medical centers to support current and future clinical development programs.
  • Oversee strategic site outreach initiatives to improve site experience, reduce operational burden, gather site feedback, and drive continuous improvement across trial execution processes.
  • Monitor site satisfaction and engagement metrics and implement action plans to strengthen site partnerships, improve retention of high-performing sites, and increase repeat participation across the clinical portfolio.
  • Partner with Clinical Development, Clinical Trial Delivery, and Clinical Operations Capabilities teams to ensure investigator and site perspectives are incorporated into protocol design, operational planning, patient recruitment strategies, and study execution models.
  • Lead development of a site relationship management framework, including strategic site segmentation, key account management approaches, communication plans, and governance processes for priority sites and networks.
  • Sponsor investigator engagement forums, advisory boards, site councils, and other external interactions to enhance collaboration, identify barriers to participation, and improve overall clinical trial performance.
  • Champion a patient- and site-centric culture across Regional Clinical Operations, driving initiatives that simplify study conduct, enhance site experience, and accelerate enrollment and trial delivery.

Inspection Readiness and Compliance

  • Ensure all studies are conducted in accordance with ICH-GCP guidelines, company SOPs, FDA regulations, and applicable local requirements.
  • Maintain a state of continuous inspection readiness across all regional activities.
  • Support internal audits, regulatory inspections, and CAPA management activities.
  • Partner with Quality Assurance to drive compliance excellence across the organization.

Strategic Portfolio Contribution

  • Represent Regional Clinical Operations on study teams, development teams, portfolio governance forums, and leadership committees.
  • Provide operational input into protocol development, country strategy discussions, enrollment planning, and risk assessments.
  • Participate in clinical development planning to ensure operational feasibility and execution excellence.
  • Influence future operating models, technology adoption, and organizational capabilities.

Financial and Resource Management

  • Manage departmental budgets and resource forecasts, including FTE and FSP resource requirements to enable industry leading portfolio acceleration in the U.S.
  • Optimize utilization of internal resources and outsourced partners.
  • Ensure effective workforce planning to support current and future portfolio demands.
  • Support long-range planning and organizational scaling initiatives.

Key Relationships

  • The Senior Director, U.S. Regional Clinical Operations leader works closely with all applicable internal cross-functional leaders and teams as well as external sites, patient advocacy groups and/or site networks and functional service providers for clinical operations capability building and strengthening.

 

Requirements

  • Minimum degree requirements of a bachelor’s degree (BA, BS) in scientific or health care discipline. Advance Degree Preferred.
  • Minimum 15+ years of progressive clinical operations experience within biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or CRO organizations.
  • Minimum 8+ years of people leadership experience.
  • Proven delivery of ambitious site start-up cycle times and enrollment execution timelines in the U.S.
  • Significant experience leading regional clinical operations, site management, monitoring, or study startup organizations.
  • Demonstrated success overseeing complex Phase I–IV global clinical trials.
  • Experience in oncology, hematology, immunology, rare disease, or cell therapy strongly preferred.
  • Experience supporting FDA inspections and regulatory authority interactions.
  • Proven track record of building and developing high-performing clinical operations teams.
  • Deep understanding of global clinical trial operations and regional execution models, specifically in the U.S.
  • Expert knowledge of FDA regulations, ICH-GCP, and risk-based quality management principles.
  • Strong understanding of site startup, monitoring, enrollment management, and site engagement strategies in the U.S.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead large, matrixed organizations through growth and transformation.
  • Strong business acumen and financial management capability.
  • Data-driven decision-making and operational analytics expertise.
  • Excellent executive communication and stakeholder management skills.
  • Proven ability to influence cross-functional leaders and drive organizational alignment.
  • Strategic thinker with strong execution focus and operational rigor.

 

#Li-AS1

#Li-Hybrid

The base pay range below is what Legend Biotech USA Inc. reasonably expects to offer at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on experience, skills, qualifications, and geographic location. The company reserves the right to modify this range as needed and in accordance with applicable laws.

Other Types of Pay: Performance-based bonus and/or equity is available to employees in eligible roles.

Benefits and Paid Time Off: Medical, dental, and vision insurance as well as a 401(k) retirement plan with a company match that vests fully on day one. We offer eight (8) weeks of paid parental leave after just three (3) months of employment, and a paid time off policy that includes vacation time, personal time, sick time, floating holidays, and eleven (11) company holidays. Additional voluntary benefits include flexible spending and health savings accounts, life and AD&D insurance, short- and long-term disability coverage, legal assistance, and supplemental plans such as pet, critical illness, accident, and hospital indemnity insurance. We also provide voluntary commuter benefits, family planning and care resources, well-being initiatives, and peer-to-peer recognition programs; demonstrating our ongoing commitment to building a culture where our people feel empowered, supported, and inspired to do their best work.

Pay Range (Base Pay):

$222,672 - $292,258 USD

Please note: These benefits are offered exclusively to permanent full-time employees. Contractors are not eligible for benefits through Legend Biotech.

 

Work Authorization & Employment Eligibility

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. As part of our commitment to maintaining a lawful workforce and ensuring compliance with federal employment regulations, we participate in the E-Verify program. If you are selected for employment, you will be required to complete the Form I-9 process, and your employment eligibility will be verified through E-Verify in accordance with applicable federal law. We are committed to providing a fair, transparent, and welcoming hiring experience for all candidates.

 

EEO Statement

It is the policy of Legend Biotech to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions and lactation), gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic under applicable federal, state or local laws or ordinances.

 

Employment is at-will and may be terminated at any time with or without cause or notice by the employee or the company.

 
For information related to our privacy notice, please review: Legend Biotech Privacy Notice.

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