VP of Clinical Operations

VP of Clinical Operations

Espresso Clinical | Boston, MA (East Coast remote considered)

Clinical trials still run on five disconnected systems, a spreadsheet, and hope. Sponsors lose visibility the moment data enters the site. By the time a risk surfaces, it's already a problem.

We built R1 to change that. R1 is an agentic AI platform that unifies EDC, IRT, eCOA, CTMS, and study timelines — giving clinical operations teams real-time intelligence, automated risk detection, and the ability to act before issues become crises. We're in active pilots with pharma sponsors and in co-development with Parexel.

We're hiring the first VP of Clinical Operations at Espresso. This is not a management role waiting for a team beneath it. It's a player-coach position — hands-on customer deployments, sponsor-facing credibility, and building the ClinOps function from scratch, in that order.

WHY THIS ROLE EXISTS NOW

We have product. We have customers. We need someone who can own clinical success at the highest level — in the room with sponsors, shaping how R1 evolves, and building the team that scales with us.

WHAT YOU'LL DO IN YEAR ONE

• Own the clinical success of our active pilots. Ensure they succeed, extract the learnings, translate them into product improvements.

• Be our clinical voice in every sales conversation. You'll sit across from VP-level sponsors and make R1 credible.

• Define what good looks like for AI-assisted risk-based monitoring. You'll shape our RBQM methodology and how R1 operationalizes it.

• Make your first hire — and lay the groundwork for the team we need in year two.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

Must-have:

• 10 years in clinical trial operations with real sponsor-side accountability

• Direct experience managing CRAs, Study Managers, or ClinOps teams

• Working knowledge of EDC, IRT, eCOA, and CTMS — operational, not theoretical

• Genuine fluency in risk-based monitoring — you've run it, not just read about it

• Startup or growth-stage experience: you know what it means to figure things out without a playbook

• East Coast based (Boston strongly preferred)

Strong positives:

• FSP or hybrid monitoring model experience

• Customer-facing ClinOps leadership (you've sold or delivered as a service)

• Built a clinical function from scratch, not just inherited one

• Deep network in mid-size pharma

WHAT WE OFFER

• Meaningful equity at an early stage — you'll own a real piece of what you build

• Direct line to the CEO — no middle layers, no bureaucracy

• The chance to shape both a company and a category

• A product that actually works and customers who already see the value

Location: Boston, MA preferred. East Coast remote considered for the right person.

Apply or reach out directly: HR@espressoclinical.com