Associate Director, Clinical Operations

Join us as a Global Study Associate Director (GSAD) in our BioPharmaceuticals Clinical Operations team at AstraZeneca's dynamic R&D site in Gothenburg (Sweden). This role is pivotal in the delivery of clinical studies, providing direction and guidance to a cross-functional study team within the Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism (CVRM) therapy area. As the main liaison between the study team and the Clinical Program Team (CPT), you will be accountable for the delivery of a study according to agreed timelines, budget, and quality standards. Accountabilities As a GSAD, you will lead and provide guidance to a cross-functional study team, ensuring the clinical study progresses as planned. You will be responsible for developing essential study level documents, overseeing external service providers, and ensuring all systems used at a study-level are current and accurate. You will also oversee study level performance against agreed upon plans, milestones, and key performance indicators. Additionally, you will be responsible for study budget re-forecasting and management throughout the study lifecycle. Essential Skills/Experience University degree (or equivalent), preferably in medical or biological sciences or discipline associated with clinical research Relevant clinical experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including project management experience Extensive study management experience Extensive knowledge of ICH-GCP, clinical research regulatory requirements Demonstrated solid project management skills Strong abilities in team leadership with experience from cross-functional leadership of a clinical study or part of a clinical study Excellent communication and interpersonal skills Strong strategic and critical thinking abilities Ability to manage competing priorities Desirable Skills/Experience Advanced degree, master's level education (or higher) Project management certification Proven project management experience on a global level Experience in all phases of a clinical study lifecycle At AstraZeneca, we are driven by our passion for science and our commitment to making a difference. We fuse data and technology with the latest scientific innovations to achieve breakthroughs that have never been done before. Our inclusive environment allows us to work seamlessly as one, leveraging our diverse global knowledge to create the greatest impact on disease. We are constantly advancing our scientific knowledge to shape the future of healthcare and improve patient access to life-changing medicines. If you are ready to make a significant impact on patients' lives and push the boundaries of science, apply now! We welcome your application by Aug 16th, 2026.

Kyowa Kirin is a fast-growing global specialty pharmaceutical company that applies state-of-the-art biotechnologies to discover and deliver novel medicines in four disease areas: bone and mineral; intractable hematologic; hematology oncology; and rare disease.  A Japan-based company, our goal is to translate science into smiles by delivering therapies where no adequate treatments currently exist, working from drug discovery to product development and commercialization. In North America, we are headquartered in Princeton, NJ, with offices in California, North Carolina, and Mississauga, Ontario. Summary: The Associate Director, Clinical Quality Management serves as the central Risk-Based Quality Management (RBQM) Lead for Clinical Operations, responsible for enterprise-wide, proactive risk management across clinical trials. This role owns the end-to-end RBQM framework, including risk identification, assessment, mitigation, centralized monitoring, lessons learned, and maintenance of a clinical risk library, ensuring risks are managed consistently and intelligently across studies, programs, vendors, and regions. The role partners cross-functionally to embed risk-based decision-making into study design, execution, oversight, and continuous improvement, in alignment with ICH E6 (R3), GCP, and global regulatory expectations. Essential Functions: Risk-Based Quality Management (RBQM) Leadership •    Lead the design, implementation, and continuous evolution of a holistic RBQM framework across Clinical Operations, aligned with ICH E6 (R3) and regulatory guidance. •    Serve as the central RBQM authority ensuring consistent risk management approaches across trials, programs, regions, and vendors. •    Integrate RBQM principles into study planning, execution, oversight, and close-out activities. •    Provide expert oversight and guidance to study teams on study-level RBQM plans, ensuring alignment with enterprise risk strategy. Central Risk Identification, Monitoring & Mitigation •    Lead proactive, cross-study and cross-functional risk assessments to identify systemic, emerging, and study-specific risks. •    Define, standardize, and maintain Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) and Quality Tolerance Limits (QTLs) across trials. •    Oversee centralized risk monitoring and trending to enable early detection of critical risks. •    Partner with study teams to develop and oversee risk mitigation, contingency, and escalation plans, ensuring inspection Lessons  Learned & Risk Library Management (Core Ownership) •    Establish and maintain a centralized Clinical Risk Library, capturing: o    Known and emerging risks o    Root causes o    Mitigation strategies o    Effectiveness of controls •    Lead lessons learned activities across trials, audits, inspections, and CAPAs. •    Ensure lessons learned are: o    Systematically captured o    Analyzed for trends o    Fed back into RBQM planning, SOPs, training, and future studies •    Drive organizational learning by translating lessons learned into preventive, forward-looking risk controls.readiness. Quality Oversight & Regulatory Compliance •    Ensure clinical trial conduct complies with GCP, regulatory requirements, and company SOPs. •    Provide centralized quality oversight across trials, CROs, and vendors. •    Support audit and inspection readiness activities, including: o    Risk-based inspection preparation o    Impact assessments o    CAPA development and effectiveness checks Vendor & CRO Risk Oversight •    Design and implement risk-based oversight strategies for CROs and external vendors. •    Monitor vendor performance using quality metrics and risk indicators. •    Lead or support quality governance discussions with external partners. •    Ensure vendor-related risks are integrated into the central risk library and lessons learned framework. Data-Driven Quality & Continuous Improvement •    Leverage data analytics and centralized monitoring tools to enable real-time risk detection and decision-making. •    Generate enterprise-level risk trend reports and insights for senior leadership. •    Continuously refine RBQM methodologies based on data, inspection outcomes, and lessons learned. •    Champion a culture of proactive quality and continuous improvement across Clinical Operations. Cross-Functional Collaboration & RBQM Expertise •    Act as the RBQM Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Clinical Operations and Clinical Quality Compliance. •    Provide RBQM training and coaching to study teams and cross-functional stakeholders. •    Collaborate closely with Regulatory, Biostatistics, Data Science, QA, and Vendor Management teams to align risk strategies and metrics. •    Participate as an observing member on assigned study teams to provide real-time quality and risk support. SOP Management & Governance Support •    Partner with Document Control and SOP Administration teams to ensure RBQM and lessons learned are reflected in SOPs, WIs, and templates. •    Support governance activities, senior management reporting, and quality metrics standardization. •    Recommend and support implementation of corrective and preventive actions to protect system, process, and data integrity.provide real-time quality and risk support. Requirements: Education •    Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Pharmacy, Nursing, Public Health, or related field (required) •    Advanced degree in Clinical Research, Quality Management, Regulatory Affairs, or Data Science (preferred) Experience •    10+ years of experience in Clinical Operations, Clinical Quality, RBQM, or RBM •    Demonstrated experience leading enterprise or cross-study risk management frameworks •    Strong background in audit/inspection readiness, CAPA management, and vendor oversight •    Deep knowledge of ICH-GCP, FDA, EMA, and global regulatory requirements Technical Skills •    Expertise with RBQM tools, centralized monitoring systems, and risk analytics •    Experience defining and using KRIs, QTLs, and quality metrics •    Familiarity with CTMS, eTMF, and data visualization tools (Spotfire, Tableau, Power BI) •    Exposure to AI or predictive analytics for quality monitoring (preferred) Working Conditions: Requires up to 25% domestic and international travel. May involve working outside of regular business hours to accommodate global time zones and project deadlines. The anticipated salary for this position will be $175,000 to $190,000.  The actual salary offered for this role at commencement of employment may vary based on several factors including but not limited to relevant experience, skill set, qualifications, education (including applicable licenses and certifications, job-based knowledge, location, and other business and organizational needs. The listed salary is just one component of the overall compensation package. At Kyowa Kirin North America we provide a comprehensive range of benefits including: * 401K with company match * Annual Bonus Program (Sales Bonus for Sales Jobs) * Generous PTO and Holiday Schedule which includes Summer and Winter Shut-Downs, Sick Days and, Volunteer Days * Healthcare Benefits (Medical, Dental, Prescription Drugs and Vision) * HSA & FSA Programs * Well-Being and Work/Life Programs * Life & Disability Insurance * Concierge Services * Long Term Incentive Program (subject to job level and performance) * Pet Insurance * Tuition Assistance * Employee Referral Awards The compensation and benefits information set forth in this posting applies to candidates hired in the United States. Candidates hired outside the United States will be eligible for compensation and benefits in accordance with their local market. KKNA and all of its employees have an obligation to act in accordance with the law and with integrity in all our operations and interactions It is the policy of Kyowa Kirin North America, Inc. to provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons without regard to race, religion, creed, color, pregnancy, sex, age, national origin, disability, genetic trait or predisposition, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation or affection preference or citizenship status or any other category protected by law. When you apply to a job on this site, the personal data contained in your application will be collected and stored by Kyowa Kirin, Inc. (“Controller”), which is located at 510 Carnegie Center Dr. Princeton, NJ 08540 USA and can be contacted by emailing kkus.talentacquisition.8h@kyowakirin.com. Controller’s data protection officer can be contacted at usprivacyoffice@kyowakirin.com. 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The transfer will be made using appropriate additional safeguards under the standard contractual clauses approved by regulators for transfers of personal data outside the European Union. Your personal data will be retained by Controller as long as Controller determines it is necessary to evaluate your application for employment.  Under the GDPR, if you are located in the European Union, you have the right to request access to your personal data, to request that your personal data be rectified or erased, and to request that processing of your personal data be restricted. You also have the right to data portability, and to lodge a complaint with an EU supervisory authority. If you have any questions about our use of your data, you may contact us by email at usprivacyoffice@kyowakirin.com. RECRUITMENT & STAFFING AGENCIES Kyowa Kirin does not accept agency resumes unless contacted directly by internal Kyowa Kirin Talent Acquisition. 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