Vice President Clinical Operations

Vice President, Clinical Operations - Autoimmune

Location: San Diego, CA — hybrid preferred; remote candidates may be considered with up to 25% travel

Meet Life Sciences has been retained by a clinical-stage biotechnology company to identify a Vice President, Clinical Operations. The company is advancing novel immunotherapies across autoimmune diseases and oncology and is seeking an experienced leader to shape its clinical operations strategy as the portfolio grows.

Individual will provide strategic and operational leadership across global clinical programs, from early development through registrational studies. This is an opportunity for a hands-on executive to influence portfolio decisions, build the clinical operations function, and establish the infrastructure needed to deliver complex trials.

The Opportunity

• Define and execute the global clinical operations strategy, aligning study delivery with clinical development priorities and corporate objectives.


• Oversee clinical trial planning and execution across multiple programs, ensuring quality, patient safety, timelines, and budget accountability.


• Partner with executive leadership to assess portfolio priorities, operational risks, resource requirements, and development timelines.


• Build and develop the clinical operations organization, including hiring, mentoring, organizational planning, and succession.


• Lead CRO and vendor selection, contracting, oversight, and performance management.


• Own portfolio budgets, forecasting, and resource planning.


• Establish scalable processes, governance, and performance metrics to support an expanding pipeline.


• Maintain inspection readiness and compliance with ICH-GCP and applicable global regulatory requirements.


• Collaborate closely with Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Drug Safety, Translational Medicine, and other functions to advance programs.

Candidate Profile

• Extensive pharmaceutical or biotechnology clinical operations experience, with demonstrated success at the VP or function-head level.


• Experience leading global clinical programs across early and late development, including preparation for registrational studies.


• Strong autoimmune or immunology experience preferred; experience across oncology is also valuable.


• Experience with T-cell engagers, bispecific antibodies, cell therapies, or other complex immunotherapies is advantageous.


• Proven ability to build teams and operational infrastructure within a growing biotechnology organization.


• Strong expertise in portfolio oversight, budget management, CRO governance, and operational risk management.


• Ability to contribute at the executive level while remaining closely engaged in study execution.


• Excellent communication, judgment, and cross-functional leadership skills.