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Study Startup Specialist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

PSI CRO

Study Startup Specialist I

Take your career to the next level and be involved in study startup processes in the US. You will provide direct operational support to project teams and ensure that PSI clinical projects start ...

CellCarta

Clinical Study Specialist I

Naperville, IL · On-site

$55K - $73K/yr

Clinical Study Specialist I Are you a clinical operations professional who thrives on precision ... Site Startup & Activation ("Green Light"): Manage the collection, quality control, and filing of ...

CellCarta

Clinical Study Specialist I

Naperville, IL · On-site

Clinical Study Specialist I Are you a clinical operations professional who thrives on precision ... Site Startup & Activation ("Green Light"): Manage the collection, quality control, and filing of ...

InSync Consulting Services

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Clinical Research Budget Specialist

Sacramento, CA · Remote

$50 - $55/hr

Support study startup and activation by ensuring contract and budget alignment. * Prepare and manage budget amendments, financial records, reports, and forecasts throughout the study lifecycle.

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Study Startup Specialist information

What is a study startup specialist?

Study Startup Specialists are professionals responsible for managing and coordinating the initial phases of clinical trials. Their primary duties include preparing and submitting regulatory documents, obtaining ethics committee approvals, and ensuring all site activation requirements are met. They play a critical role in ensuring that clinical studies begin on time and comply with all regulatory and institutional guidelines. Study Startup Specialists work closely with cross-functional teams, clinical research sites, and sponsors to streamline the startup process and mitigate delays.

What are some common challenges a study startup specialist faces during the site activation process?

A Study Startup Specialist often encounters challenges related to coordinating multiple stakeholders, such as clinical sites, regulatory bodies, and sponsors, to ensure timely completion of study documents and approvals. Delays may occur due to varying site readiness, complex regulatory requirements, or slow contract negotiations. Proactive communication, diligent tracking of tasks, and a collaborative approach with cross-functional teams are key to overcoming these challenges and keeping the study startup timeline on track.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a study startup specialist, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Study Startup Specialist, you need a solid understanding of clinical research processes, regulatory requirements, and project management, often supported by a degree in life sciences or a related field. Familiarity with clinical trial management systems (CTMS), IRB/EC submission platforms, and tools like Microsoft Office is typically required. Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and effective communication are vital soft skills for coordinating multiple stakeholders and meeting tight deadlines. These competencies ensure efficient study initiation, regulatory compliance, and smooth collaboration across research teams.

What is the difference between Study Startup Specialist vs Clinical Trial Coordinator?

AspectStudy Startup SpecialistClinical Trial Coordinator
CredentialsBachelor's degree, often in life sciences or related fieldBachelor's degree, often in health sciences or related field
Work EnvironmentPharmaceutical companies, CROs, or research institutions during study initiationClinical sites, hospitals, or research centers managing trial activities
Primary ResponsibilitiesPreparing startup documents, regulatory submissions, site qualificationManaging daily trial activities, patient recruitment, data collection

The Study Startup Specialist focuses on preparing and initiating clinical trials, ensuring regulatory compliance and site readiness. In contrast, the Clinical Trial Coordinator manages ongoing trial activities at the site level. Both roles require similar educational backgrounds but differ in scope and daily responsibilities, with the Specialist more involved in pre-trial setup and the Coordinator in trial execution.

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Infographic showing various Study Startup Specialist job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 85% Full Time, 12% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 79% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 19% Remote job distribution.

Clinical Trial Study Startup Specialist

Vitalief

New Brunswick, NJ • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 24 days ago

Job description

ABOUT VITALIEF
Vitalief is a clinical research consulting firm focused exclusively on the clinical research industry, providing consulting, staffing, and technology-enabled services to academic medical centers, health systems, sponsors, CROs, and site networks.  By combining deep subject matter expertise with the experience of senior research practitioners, we help organizations accelerate study activation, optimize operations, improve financial performance, and build scalable workforce solutions that reduce costs, increase efficiency, and advance clinical breakthroughs for patients.
POSITION SUMMARY
We are seeking an experienced Clinical Trial Study Startup Specialist to join Vitalief as a full-time and support a multi-site health system cardiovascular clinical research initiative focused on accelerating industry-sponsored trial activations across a large health system network.
The Study Startup Specialist will serve as a central coordinator between Clinical Research Coordinators (CRCs), sponsors, investigators, and internal support teams including Contracts, Finance, IRB, Regulatory, Compliance, and IT. This individual will facilitate communication, track startup progress, identify bottlenecks, and help ensure studies move efficiently through the startup lifecycle.  This role is focused on coordination and oversight rather than direct execution of startup activities, with CRCs and functional teams retaining responsibility for submissions and operational deliverables.
The ideal candidate will possess strong project management, stakeholder coordination, communication, and organizational skills, along with a solid understanding of clinical trial startup processes within academic medical centers or complex healthcare systems.
WHY VITALIEF?
  • Impactful Work: Be at the center of a first-of-its-kind cardiovascular research expansion at one of New Jersey's largest health systems — your work directly accelerates access to cutting-edge treatments for cardiac patients.
  • People-First Culture: Thrive in an environment that fosters growth, innovation, and collaboration.
  • Comprehensive Benefits: Enjoy 20 PTO days, 9 paid holidays, company-paid life insurance, short- and long-term disability, a 401(k)-retirement plan, and robust healthcare options.
  • Work Location: Hybrid role – 2 to 3 days on-site in New Brunswick, NJ with limited local travel to other hospital sites.
  • Salary Range: $75,000 to $90,000 - Based on experience level.

RESPONSIBILITIES
  • Serve as the central coordination point between CRCs, sponsors, investigators, and internal support teams throughout the clinical trial startup process.
  • Coordinate and track startup activities including feasibility, contracts, budgets, IRB submissions, regulatory reviews, site qualification visits, and system setup activities.
  • Monitor startup timelines, identify bottlenecks, and proactively escalate issues to help ensure timely study activation.
  • Facilitate ongoing communication regarding study status, outstanding action items, dependencies, and activation readiness across all stakeholders.
  • Partner with CRCs and functional departments while maintaining their ownership of study startup execution activities and deliverables.
  • Coordinate sponsor communications related to startup timelines, documentation requests, site qualification visits (SQVs), and activation planning.
  • Maintain startup tracking tools, dashboards, and status reports to support operational visibility and leadership reporting.
  • Support onboarding coordination for CRCs and help ensure operational readiness across participating sites.
  • Identify process inefficiencies and support continuous improvement efforts to enhance startup timelines and stakeholder collaboration.

QUALIFICATIONS
  • Bachelor’s degree required (healthcare, life sciences, business, project management, or related field preferred).
  • Minimum of 5 years of clinical research experience, including 2 years of clinical research experience in study startup, clinical trial operations, and/or clinical trial management.
  • Strong understanding of the clinical trial startup process within site, Academic Medical Center (AMC), or health system environments.
  • Demonstrated project management and stakeholder coordination experience across multiple concurrent studies or initiatives.
  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively coordinate across sponsors, investigators, CRCs, Legal, Finance, IRB, and operational teams.
  • Experience identifying workflow bottlenecks, facilitating issue resolution, and driving cross-functional accountability.
  • Working knowledge of study startup components including feasibility, contracts, budgets, IRB processes, regulatory requirements, and site activation workflows.
  • Familiarity with ICH-GCP, HIPAA, and general clinical research regulatory requirements preferred.
  • Experience using CTMS and/or project management platforms such as OnCore, ClickUp, Smartsheet, Monday.com, or equivalent systems preferred.
  • Ability to manage competing priorities and maintain organization in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment.
  • Proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with strong attention to detail and follow-through.
  • Prior experience supporting cardiovascular or industry-sponsored clinical trials preferred.
  • CRC, CCRP, CCRA, PMP, or related certification preferred.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Standing, sitting, walking, visual perception, talking and hearing. Lifting up to 20 lbs. Limited travel to hospital sites local to New Brunswick, NJ.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Vitalief partners with clients such as major medical centers and academic institutions that often requires all on-site resources such as prospective Vitalief consultants to be inoculated annually for Influenza and successfully pass a Mantoux Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) for Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.
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