Operations Lead

Why this role exists

RDI is scaling fast. We’ve become the go-to CRO for major diagnostics companies because we move quickly, we’re operationally sharp, and we don’t make excuses. At ~20 people, growth creates a predictable failure mode: too many cross-functional threads die in the gaps.

This role exists to close those gaps.

You are here to take messy, ambiguous problems and turn them into clear plans, tight execution, and shipped outcomes—using the people, vendors, and systems around you. You are not here to manage for the sake of managing. You are here to make the business run.

This role exists because execution is the battleground. The difference between “interesting upstart” and “category-defining company” is operational excellence at scale. You will help build the operating system that lets a small team consistently beat much larger competitors.

What we do

RDI helps diagnostic and medical device companies get FDA clearance faster by running clinical trials with speed, precision, and accountability.

Our story

RDI isn’t just growing. We’re doing something the industry says can’t be done.

RDI is an overnight success—years in the making.

We grew 4× last year, but the foundation has been built over more than a decade. 

No one has successfully built and scaled a modern CRO focused on diagnostics and medical devices in the last 15 years. The space is dominated by massive, slow incumbents optimized for pharma—not speed, not precision, not diagnostics.

We’re the outlier.

Why that matters

Diagnostics and medical devices are treated as second-class citizens in clinical research. Timelines drag. Execution is sloppy. Accountability is diffuse. Patients and innovators pay the price.

RDI exists to change that.

How we do it 

RDI was founded in 2008 and professionalized in 2017 through a search fund acquisition, not venture hype. We’re backed by long-term operators and growth investors—not dependent on VC burn or fundraising cycles. From 2022–2024, we expanded aggressively by doing the hard things right: building real infrastructure, earning trust from enterprise customers, and executing consistently.

What makes RDI different is substance:

• A diagnostics-first CRO in an industry that has neglected diagnostics and medical devices for years
• A high-complexity CLIA lab paired with a tech-enabled CRO and a national physician lab network
• A physician network sourced from real data, not vanity questionairres
• CAP accreditation and operational rigor where competitors rely on scale and inertia

No one has successfully started and scaled a modern CRO focused on diagnostics and medical devices in over 15 years. The industry is dominated by large, slow incumbents optimized for pharma—not speed, accountability, or precision.

We’re the underdog—and we’re winning.

Our customers believe in us because we execute when others don’t. Our goal is simple: prove them right, and prove the competition wrong.

Hear our COO and Startup Manager describe our culture or read about it here.

What you’ll actually do

This role exists to make RDI run closer to best-in-class across every non-clinical function.

You will think and act like an entrepreneur inside the business: deciding when to outsource, when to fix things yourself, and when to hire or upgrade capability.

You are not an EA, an office manager, or a functional specialist. You are an individual operator who uses people, vendors, and systems to get outcomes.

Sales & Marketing Operations

You don’t sell—but you make sure revenue programs actually work.

• Ensure we are generating and following up on qualified leads
• Own execution of major marketing initiatives (including our annual conference)
• Coordinate vendors, timelines, budgets, and internal owners
• Create simple reporting so leadership knows what is working and what is not

HR & People Operations

You don’t replace HR—you make sure it works.

• Ensure legal and HR compliance using outside counsel and partners
• Own onboarding so new hires have a strong first day and clear ramp
• Ensure basic people processes are in place (roles, expectations, career paths)
• Fix friction that causes good people to disengage or leave

IT & Systems

You don’t build software—you ensure technology enables the team.

• Manage IT vendors and internal tools so systems work for people, not against them
• Drive adoption, cleanup, and standardization of tools
• Escalate and resolve issues that slow teams down

Accounting & Financial Operations

You don’t act as the accountant—you make sure money flows cleanly.

• Coordinate with accounting and finance to ensure invoices go out on time
• Ensure project expenses are tracked and visible
• Identify waste, inefficiency, or operational leakage
• Keep operational reality aligned with financial reporting

Office, Lab & Client Readiness

You own the physical and operational experience of RDI.

• Ensure the office and lab reflect our quality and ambition
• Coordinate facilities, vendors, and build-outs as needed
• Make RDI a place employees are proud to work and clients trust when they visit

Board & Investor Operations

You ensure stakeholders get what they need.

• Coordinate updates, materials, and meetings
• Ensure compliance, reporting, and tax-related workflows are supported
• Keep information flowing without last-minute scrambles

Location

This role is in-person in Van Nuys. Not remote. Not hybrid.

We move too fast, and the work is too cross-functional, for this to be a “log in from home” job. You’ll be in the center of the action, working directly with the CEO/COO and the people who own the work.

• Proof that you are a winner and have the winner's mindset
• Strong execution and follow-through
• Clear, concise written and verbal communication
• Comfort owning vendors, timelines, and accountability
• High integrity and discretion

Salary philosophy

We care about two things: (1) paying fairly and (2) paying for impact.

• Transparent expectations: We’ll ask for your target salary early. We want to pay you fairly and something that allows you to focus on work but not distract from our shared growth vision.
• Paid for outcomes: If you materially improve how the business runs (revenue programs execute, hiring/onboarding tightens, tools stop breaking teams, invoicing gets clean, the office/lab becomes client-ready), you should share in the value you create.