Senior Patient Recruitment and Engagement Lead

Work Schedule Standard (Mon-Fri)

Environmental Conditions

Job Description

About the Role

Help shape how patients find, access, and stay engaged in clinical trials around the world. PPD, the clinical research business of Thermo Fisher Scientific, is transforming patient recruitment through Patient First—a dedicated organization focused on enhancing the patient experience from the first click to the final study visit.

As a Senior Patient Recruitment & Engagement Lead (PREL), you will lead global recruitment and retention strategy across clinical trials, partnering with study teams, clients, sites, and vendors to translate patient, site, and enrollment insights into practical strategies that support enrollment success, quality, compliance, and exceptional patient experience.

What You’ll Do

Lead Global Recruitment Strategy

• Own patient recruitment and retention strategy from study startup through enrollment.
• Build comprehensive recruitment plans aligned to enrollment goals and study needs.
• Anticipate recruitment risks, develop mitigation strategies, and adjust plans based on study performance.
• Serve as the recruitment subject matter expert in client-facing discussions, proposals, bid defenses, and strategic planning.

Drive Study Execution & Performance

• Partner with Project and Clinical Leads, CRAs, study teams and sites throughout startup and enrollment.
• Monitor prescreening, screening, screen failure, enrollment, recruitment, and diversity metrics to identify trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Develop country- and site-specific recruitment approaches that strengthen engagement and support local requirements.
• Translate performance data into clear dashboards, reports, and executive-level updates for clients and internal stakeholders.

Bring Recruitment Strategies to Life

• Lead the development, review, approval, localization, production, and distribution of patient-facing recruitment materials.
• Oversee Central Recruitment campaigns and drive consistent, effective implementation across participating sites.
• Partner with Population Science to incorporate diversity objectives and patient-centric approaches into recruitment plans.
• Manage relationships with third-party recruitment vendors and ensure quality, timelines, and deliverables are on track.

Own Operational & Financial Delivery

• Partner with Finance on recruitment budgets, invoices, out-of-scope activities, contract modifications, and forecasting.
• Maintain oversight of recruitment commitments, timelines, approvals, reporting, and training across assigned studies.
• Ensure recruitment activities meet applicable regulations, SOPs, study protocols, privacy requirements, and quality standards.
• Balance multiple global studies while maintaining strong stakeholder relationships and operational excellence.

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree
• 5+ years of relevant clinical trial experience, including patient recruitment, study operations, and global recruitment strategy.
• Experience designing and executing global patient recruitment campaigns and strategies.
• Demonstrated client-facing experience with pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or CRO sponsors.
• Experience managing vendors, budgets, and cross-functional project teams.
• Strong understanding of clinical trial operations, enrollment strategy, and recruitment performance metrics.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to turn recruitment data into insights and action.
• Excellent communication, presentation, stakeholder management, project leadership, and prioritization skills.
• Knowledge of healthcare regulations, patient privacy requirements, and ethical recruitment practices.
• Ability to work effectively within a global matrix organization and manage multiple global studies simultaneously.

Preferred Experience

• Presenting global recruitment strategy and performance to senior or executive stakeholders.
• Recruitment material development, localization, and campaign implementation.
• Collaborating with clinical operations and clinical management teams.
• Supporting diverse patient recruitment initiatives.

Why This Role Matters

You’ll sit at the intersection of strategy, data, operations, and patient experience—helping study teams anticipate recruitment challenges, turn insight into action, and deliver stronger enrollment outcomes across global clinical trials.

Additional Requirements

• Able to communicate, receive, and understand information and ideas with diverse groups of people in a comprehensible and reasonable manner.
• Able to work upright and stationary for typical working hours.
• Ability to use and learn standard office equipment and technology with proficiency.
• Able to perform successfully under pressure while prioritizing and handling multiple projects or activities.
• May require as-needed travel (0–20%).

Thermo Fisher Scientific considers equivalent education, training, and/or directly related experience where appropriate.

Location: Remote US. Relocation assistance is NOT provided.

*Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

*Must be able to pass a comprehensive background check, which includes a drug screening.

The annual salary range estimated for this position in North Carolina is $100,000- $120,000 USD. This position may also be eligible to receive a variable annual bonus based on company, team, and/or individual performance results in accordance with company policy.

Compensation and Benefits

This position may also be eligible to receive a variable annual bonus based on company, team, and/or individual performance results in accordance with company policy. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package that our U.S. colleagues and their families can count on, which includes:

• A choice of national medical and dental plans, and a national vision plan, including health incentive programs

• Employee assistance and family support programs, including commuter benefits and tuition reimbursement

• At least 120 hours paid time off (PTO), 10 paid holidays annually, paid parental leave (3 weeks for bonding and 8 weeks for caregiver leave), accident and life insurance, and short- and long-term disability in accordance with company policy

• Retirement and savings programs, such as our competitive 401(k) U.S. retirement savings plan

• Employees’ Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) offers eligible colleagues the opportunity to purchase company stock at a discount

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