Associate Director, Clinical Operations

About us:

Our purpose at Dispatch is to help create a world where all cancer patients can be cured. We’re humbled by the opportunity to work together as a team on some of the most pressing medical challenges of our time.

To achieve our purpose, we are dedicated to engineering a universal treatment across solid tumors. We’re committed to the development of novel therapies, leveraging first‑in‑class technologies in viral vectors, universal targets, and novel cytokine biology. Our therapeutic approach has the potential to enable us to treat significant numbers of cancer patients and make a real and lasting impact on the world.

Our company was founded on pioneering work carried out in the laboratories of Dr. Carl June (University of Pennsylvania), Dr. Kole Roybal (University of California, San Francisco), Dr. Christopher Garcia (Stanford University) and Dr. Andy Minn (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center).

At Dispatch you will become an early team member, playing a role in meeting our ambitious mission while building our thriving culture. We are determined to deliver with urgency, to discover new solutions, and to uphold scientific rigor. We value ownership, collaboration, and feedback as core to empowering people to live cancer‑free lives.

The Associate Director, Clinical Operations will play a critical role in the planning, execution, and oversight of Dispatch’s early‑phase (Phase I/II) oncology clinical trials. Reporting to the Vice President of Clinical Operations, you will partner closely with Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Biostatistics, Drug Supply, and Quality Assurance, as well as CROs, central labs, and other clinical trial vendors, to ensure studies are executed with the highest standards of quality, timeliness, and regulatory compliance.

• Lead operational execution of one or more early‑phase (Phase I/II) oncology clinical trials, from study start‑up through close‑out.
• Serve as the primary operational point of contact for CROs, vendors, and investigative sites, ensuring deliverables are met on time, within budget, and to quality standards.
• Develop and manage study timelines, budgets, and risk mitigation plans; proactively identify and resolve issues that could impact trial timelines or data integrity.
• Oversee site selection, activation, and ongoing site management activities in partnership with CROs and the broader Clinical Operations team.
• Collaborate with Clinical Development and Biostatistics to develop and review protocols, informed consent forms, case report forms, and other essential study documents.
• Manage vendor oversight activities, including central labs, IRT, imaging, and other specialty vendors supporting early‑phase oncology trials.
• Partner with Drug Supply/CMC teams to ensure adequate investigational product supply and accurate demand forecasting.
• Monitor trial enrollment, data quality, and safety reporting in collaboration with Pharmacovigilance and Medical Monitoring.
• Contribute to the development of departmental SOPs, working practices, and process improvements as Dispatch’s clinical operations function scales.
• Support inspection readiness activities and ensure trials are conducted in accordance with ICH‑GCP, FDA regulations, and Dispatch quality standards.
• Prepare and present study status updates to internal stakeholders and senior leadership.

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (e.g., MS, RN, PharmD) in a life sciences or related field preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive clinical operations experience in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry.
• Demonstrated experience managing early‑phase (Phase I/II) oncology clinical trials, including study start‑up, site management, and vendor oversight.
• Strong working knowledge of ICH‑GCP guidelines, FDA regulations, and clinical trial operational best practices.
• Experience managing CROs and other third‑party vendors, including budget and contract oversight.
• Proficiency with CTMS, EDC platforms, and other clinical trial software.
• Collaborative nature, geared toward cross‑functional teamwork.
• Excellent organizational, problem‑solving, and time‑management…