Clinical Research Change Management Consultant

About Vitalief
Vitalief is a consulting firm dedicated to helping Sites, Sponsors, and CROs optimize research operations, reduce costs, and accelerate innovations that improve patient care. By combining deep clinical research expertise with practical, results-oriented consulting, we help organizations enhance operational efficiency and achieve sustainable growth.

The Role
We are seeking a highly experienced Clinical Research Change Management Consultant to lead clinical trial operational assessments for our clients, including large Academic Medical Centers and multi-location community hospital systems. This role will serve as the primary subject matter expert (SME) for comprehensive current-state operational assessments across Technology, Organization, Process, People, and Finance, supporting both Oncology and Non-Oncology clinical research programs.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in organizational transformation and change management within complex healthcare and research environments, with a proven ability to drive stakeholder alignment, operational adoption, and sustainable process improvement across multi-site systems.

You will collaborate closely with the Vitalief delivery team to conduct structured stakeholder interviews, assess operational effectiveness, identify organizational and workflow gaps, and deliver actionable recommendations along with a scalable transformation roadmap to hospital leadership.

Engagement Details

• Work Hours: from 20 to 40 hours/week
• Contract Duration:  from 1 to 3 months (possible extension and/or conversion to a Vitalief full time employee).
• Pay Rate: Market competitive (depends on experience level).
• Location: Remote (EST zone work hours) with up to 10% travel domestically.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the lead Clinical Research SME for the engagement, guiding all aspects of the operational assessment and change management strategy.
• Conduct in-depth interviews with clinical research staff and stakeholders across the clinical trial lifecycle to identify operational gaps, bottlenecks, communication challenges, and improvement opportunities across Oncology and Non-Oncology programs.
• Partner with executive and operational stakeholders to assess organizational readiness for change and recommend sustainable transformation strategies.
• Collaborate with the Vitalief team to design effective interview templates, assessment methodologies, and change management frameworks.
• Evaluate current-state workflows, governance structures, staffing models, and technology utilization to identify opportunities for operational alignment and standardization.
• Compare Oncology and Non-Oncology operations to identify transferable best practices and opportunities for cross-functional integration.
• Develop prioritized, actionable recommendations that address immediate operational challenges while supporting long-term scalability and organizational adoption.
• Create and present a clear transformation roadmap focused on operational excellence, stakeholder engagement, process optimization, and effective cross-system coordination.
• Provide regular project status updates to executive stakeholders, ensuring alignment, transparency, and on-time delivery of engagement milestones.
• Deliver executive-level presentations summarizing findings, recommendations, change impacts, and measurable next steps.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive clinical research operations experience, preferably within Academic Medical Centers and/or community hospital systems.
• Bachelor’s degree in life sciences, healthcare, or related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
• Proven experience leading operational assessments, organizational transformation, and enterprise-level change management initiatives.
• Experience supporting Oncology and Non-Oncology clinical trial operations preferred.
• Strong knowledge of change management methodologies, stakeholder engagement, and organizational adoption strategies.
• Prior consulting experience delivering strategic solutions to healthcare or research clients is preferred.
• Executive-level communication, facilitation, and presentation skills with the ability to clearly convey complex findings.
• Demonstrated success influencing stakeholders and driving operational improvements in complex, matrixed environments.
• Expertise with research operations technologies, including CTMS, EMR integrations, workflow tools, and analytics platforms.
• Strong analytical, financial, and problem-solving skills, including risk assessment and mitigation planning.
• Proven ability to build C-suite relationships, lead cross-functional initiatives, and mentor high-performing teams.
• Strategic, collaborative, and results-oriented leader who thrives in fast-paced environments.

Preferred Skills

• Experience leading large-scale organizational change, transformation programs, or post-merger operational integration initiatives.
• Experience managing consulting delivery teams, including role definition, coaching/mentoring, and performance management.
• Strong general management and P&L oversight experience.
• Familiarity with change management frameworks such as Prosci, ADKAR, Lean, or similar methodologies.

Physical Demands
Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working at a computer. Standing, walking, visual perception, talking, and hearing. Ability to lift up to 20 lbs. Limited travel to various physical locations domestically.