What are the responsibilities and job description for the Clinical Operations Associate position at PicnicHealth?
At PicnicHealth, we're building the future of non-interventional clinical research, and centered on patients. Our mission is to make it radically easier, faster, and more affordable to perform clinical trials and get better treatments to patients. We're replacing the legacy, services-heavy model with a modern, AI-first approach that unlocks insights from rich, multi-modal data—from clinical notes and imaging to lab results—at scale. By engaging patients directly through our personal health assistant, PicnicAI, which meets them where they’re at and delights them along the way (with an industry leading NPS of 76), patients participate actively in the research they care about.
PicnicHealth is already a trusted partner to 7 of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies. Our work spans 40 disease areas and has supported over 60 peer-reviewed publications, including an FDA submission that incorporates PicnicHealth data.
Founded in 2014, we’ve raised $100M from top investors like Amplify Partners, Felicis Ventures, B Capital Group, and Y Combinator. Our business running non-interventional studies more than doubled last year, and we’re growing even faster in 2025. We’re a team of doctors, patients, data nerds, engineers, and builders, reimagining how clinical research works — and we’re just getting started!
The Opportunity
At PicnicHealth, we’re transforming how real-world data powers research through technology and patient-centered design. As our Clinical Operations Associate, you’ll be the operational lead for site-based research—owning the day-to-day execution of startup, regulatory submissions, onboarding, and ongoing support across a portfolio of observational and low-interventional studies. At the same time, you’ll play a role in shaping and evolving how we work with sites, testing new approaches, and refining our playbooks as we grow. You’ll thrive if you’re excited to roll up your sleeves to get the work done while also helping us figure out better, tech-forward ways of doing it.
What We’re Looking For
We’re looking for a self-starter that thrives in a dynamic start-up environment where processes evolve rapidly and who can take full ownership of outcomes. You’re energized by navigating ambiguity in the complex world of observational research, and you know how to bring clarity for others while keeping projects moving. You balance speed with quality, delivering work that meets high standards even under tight timelines. You’re comfortable juggling multiple priorities, and you know when to zoom out to anticipate risks and when to dive into the details to unblock execution. Most of all, you bring a collaborative mindset -building trust with sites, sponsors, and teammates - while holding yourself accountable for results.
Over the next 12 months, you will be focused on:
Why will PicnicHealth win in Clinical Research?
Trials are a major bottleneck in drug development, and the promising advancements in biotech cannot translate to real patient impact unless clinical research becomes faster and more efficient
The industry runs on outdated technology and manual processes. Research sites (hospitals, academic centers, doctors' offices) are overburdened and under-resourced. Contract research organizations (CROs), the organizations that traditionally run clinical trials for life sciences companies, typically throw hundreds-of-thousands of man-hours wrangling sites and cobbling together vendor software.
PicnicHealth Has Built Technology That Uniquely Positions Us To Run Faster, Cheaper, And More Flexible Studies While Removing Burden From Sites
We pay competitive salaries. Everyone on the team is an owner: all full time employees get competitive equity.
Target Base Salary Range: $100K -$130K
The base salary PicnicHealth offers may vary depending upon the scope, complexity, and autonomy of the position and on the candidate’s job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
We’re a remote first company, with teammates spread across the US. We support in-person gatherings, including co-working spaces and multi-day onsites, to build connections and move forward strategic initiatives. Expect to travel 2-4 times a year. For our team members in the Bay Area, who prefer to work in person we can offer a hybrid set up to work from the SF office on a flexible schedule.
You Also Get
PicnicHealth is already a trusted partner to 7 of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies. Our work spans 40 disease areas and has supported over 60 peer-reviewed publications, including an FDA submission that incorporates PicnicHealth data.
Founded in 2014, we’ve raised $100M from top investors like Amplify Partners, Felicis Ventures, B Capital Group, and Y Combinator. Our business running non-interventional studies more than doubled last year, and we’re growing even faster in 2025. We’re a team of doctors, patients, data nerds, engineers, and builders, reimagining how clinical research works — and we’re just getting started!
The Opportunity
At PicnicHealth, we’re transforming how real-world data powers research through technology and patient-centered design. As our Clinical Operations Associate, you’ll be the operational lead for site-based research—owning the day-to-day execution of startup, regulatory submissions, onboarding, and ongoing support across a portfolio of observational and low-interventional studies. At the same time, you’ll play a role in shaping and evolving how we work with sites, testing new approaches, and refining our playbooks as we grow. You’ll thrive if you’re excited to roll up your sleeves to get the work done while also helping us figure out better, tech-forward ways of doing it.
What We’re Looking For
We’re looking for a self-starter that thrives in a dynamic start-up environment where processes evolve rapidly and who can take full ownership of outcomes. You’re energized by navigating ambiguity in the complex world of observational research, and you know how to bring clarity for others while keeping projects moving. You balance speed with quality, delivering work that meets high standards even under tight timelines. You’re comfortable juggling multiple priorities, and you know when to zoom out to anticipate risks and when to dive into the details to unblock execution. Most of all, you bring a collaborative mindset -building trust with sites, sponsors, and teammates - while holding yourself accountable for results.
Over the next 12 months, you will be focused on:
- Centralizing site operations: Build and own scalable workflows for site startup (CDA/feasibility surveys, selection, contracting, budgeting, and IRB submissions).
- Streamlining onboarding: Lead creation of training materials, scripts, SOPs, and study one-pagers; ensure every site understands objectives, ICFs, workflows, and the PicnicHealth platform.
- Regulatory execution: Manage IRB submissions, amendments, and continuing reviews; track documentation in eTMF; own compliance handoffs.
- Ongoing site management: Conduct monthly check-ins, oversee site payment processes, distribute newsletters, and ensure site and stakeholder engagement across the study lifecycle.
- Cross-functional coordination with influence: Collaborate with Project Managers, Recruitment Managers, Product, and Delivery Leadership to operationalize observational studies at scale.
- Study closeout: Lead final site communications, regulatory wrap-up, and offboarding to ensure timely, compliant closure.
- Drive innovation in site operations: Develop and test tech-forward approaches to site engagement, pushing creativity in how we deliver consistently and efficiently, with quality.
- Leverage AI in a historically low-tech space: Apply AI to site workflows in a part of the industry that has historically been underpowered by technology.
- Bring 5 years of clinical research operations experience, with at least 2 years in site-facing roles (observational or non-interventional research strongly preferred).
- Have hands-on experience with site startup, regulatory/IRB submissions, and ongoing site management.
- Hold a Bachelor’s degree in life sciences, public health, nursing, or a related field
- Operate with high autonomy and minimal supervision while maintaining exceptional standards for quality and compliance, backed by strong expertise in Good Clinical Practice (GCP), HIPAA, and site compliance workflows.
- Are adept at cross-functional coordination across delivery, regulatory and quality, and product teams.
- Excel in fast-paced, scaling health-tech environments, with a mindset for building reusable playbooks and processes.
- Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence, adapt and build trust with sites, sponsors, and internal stakeholders.
Why will PicnicHealth win in Clinical Research?
Trials are a major bottleneck in drug development, and the promising advancements in biotech cannot translate to real patient impact unless clinical research becomes faster and more efficient
The industry runs on outdated technology and manual processes. Research sites (hospitals, academic centers, doctors' offices) are overburdened and under-resourced. Contract research organizations (CROs), the organizations that traditionally run clinical trials for life sciences companies, typically throw hundreds-of-thousands of man-hours wrangling sites and cobbling together vendor software.
PicnicHealth Has Built Technology That Uniquely Positions Us To Run Faster, Cheaper, And More Flexible Studies While Removing Burden From Sites
- PicnicAI (trained on 350M clinician annotations over 100k patient records) is the only system that can effectively access and structure all participant EMR data trials need
- Our AI health assistant (NPS of 76 in 2024) guides participants through study activities and enables most to be done at home
- We're an integrated solution — virtual site, CRO, and software platform — with AI built in from the ground up, initially focusing on non-interventional research.
We pay competitive salaries. Everyone on the team is an owner: all full time employees get competitive equity.
Target Base Salary Range: $100K -$130K
The base salary PicnicHealth offers may vary depending upon the scope, complexity, and autonomy of the position and on the candidate’s job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
We’re a remote first company, with teammates spread across the US. We support in-person gatherings, including co-working spaces and multi-day onsites, to build connections and move forward strategic initiatives. Expect to travel 2-4 times a year. For our team members in the Bay Area, who prefer to work in person we can offer a hybrid set up to work from the SF office on a flexible schedule.
You Also Get
- Comprehensive benefits including above market Health, Dental, Vision
- Family friendly environment
- Flexible time off
- 401k plan
- Free PicnicHealth account
- Equipment and internet funds for home office set up
- Wellness Stipend
Salary : $100,000 - $130,000
