Director, Head of Patient Recruitment and Retention

CanadaRemoteFull-timeexecutive

OtherRecruitment

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Quick Summary

Overview

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Director, Head of Patient Recruitment and Retention based in Canada.

Technical Tools

OtherRecruitment

This is a senior leadership role within Global Clinical Operations, responsible for shaping and executing patient recruitment and retention strategies across clinical trials in the Americas. You will partner with clinical, medical, protocol development, and study teams to support enrollment and long-term follow-up milestones. The role combines strategic planning, patient-centric trial design, vendor leadership, analytics, and operational execution. You will help reduce patient burden, improve participation and retention, and expand access to diverse patient populations. The position also provides an opportunity to introduce innovative approaches involving digital engagement, real-world data, predictive analytics, decentralized trials, and AI-enabled recruitment. You will lead cross-functional teams and external partnerships in a collaborative, globally connected environment.

You will lead regional patient recruitment and retention efforts from strategy through execution, combining patient-focused approaches, data-driven decision-making, and strong external partnerships to improve clinical trial enrollment and retention outcomes.

Develop and lead comprehensive, regionally aligned patient recruitment and retention strategies supporting portfolio priorities.
Tailor recruitment approaches to therapeutic indication, geography, and patient population complexity.
Develop forecasting models to anticipate enrollment timelines, risks, and recruitment needs.
Integrate recruitment planning early into study design and feasibility activities.
Partner with Clinical, Medical, and Protocol Development teams to embed patient-centric principles into clinical trial design.
Identify and address patient burden factors that may affect participation and retention.
Incorporate patient insights, advocacy perspectives, and real-world evidence into recruitment strategies.
Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in clinical trial participation.
Oversee multi-channel recruitment programs spanning digital campaigns, clinical sites, community outreach, and strategic partnerships.
Develop and implement retention programs designed to reduce screen failures and participant dropout.
Ensure effective deployment of patient support services, including travel assistance, concierge services, and educational resources.
Continuously monitor recruitment performance and optimize strategies based on results and emerging data.
Identify, evaluate, and manage recruitment vendors, digital platforms, and patient engagement partners.
Build strategic relationships with patient advocacy organizations, site networks, and community organizations.
Monitor vendor performance and ensure delivery against enrollment goals and timelines.
Identify and implement innovative patient recruitment technologies and solutions.
Use recruitment analytics, digital campaign metrics, site performance data, real-world data, epidemiology, and predictive analytics to improve patient targeting and enrollment.
Evaluate emerging approaches such as decentralized trials, digital engagement tools, and AI-driven recruitment.
Lead innovation pilots and scale successful recruitment and retention approaches.
Drive cross-functional governance supporting site selection, activation, and enrollment execution.
Lead and manage members of the Patient Recruitment and Retention team.
Collaborate effectively with global teams and contribute to study delivery strategies and operational plans aligned with commercial and regulatory objectives.
Manage relevant projects and budgets while maintaining focus on enrollment milestones and operational performance.

Requirements

~2 min read

You bring substantial clinical development and patient recruitment leadership experience, with the strategic, analytical, and interpersonal capabilities needed to manage complex global programs and cross-functional stakeholders.

Bachelor's degree or equivalent, or higher, in a scientific, medical, or healthcare discipline.
Minimum 10 years of combined experience across feasibility, clinical trial management, personnel management, and operations management.
Demonstrated success leading patient enrollment strategies across multiple oncology therapeutic areas.
Proven clinical trial patient and investigator recruitment experience.
Established relationships with patient advocacy organizations and recruitment vendors.
Demonstrated ability to analyze and interpret data to support informed recruitment and retention decisions.
Experience developing study delivery strategies and tactical or operational plans aligned with commercial and regulatory objectives, or demonstrated willingness to develop this capability.
Proven project and budget management experience.
Experience working effectively with global teams and geographically distributed stakeholders.
Strong understanding of patient recruitment and retention challenges within clinical research.
Experience with Microsoft Office Suite, CTMS and EDC applications, analytics platforms, and feasibility tools such as Citeline or Trialtrove.
Strong analytical thinking and data-analysis capabilities.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly across technical, clinical, operational, and executive audiences.
Demonstrated ability to foster teamwork, provide and receive actionable feedback, and work inclusively.
Results-oriented approach with strong initiative and an entrepreneurial mindset.
Adaptability, continuous-learning mindset, and comfort navigating change.
Strong financial awareness and attention to operational performance.
Willingness to travel as required by business needs.