Director, Activations Strategy and Operations

Job description

Iterative Health is a healthcare technology and services company powering the acceleration of clinical research to transform patient outcomes. We built a leading performance-driven network of 100+ sites across the US, Europe, India, and Australia, conducting research directly in the communities where care is delivered across gastrointestinal, hepatology, obesity, and cardiology. By combining deep clinical trial expertise with cutting-edge AI, we connect sponsors' scientific ambitions with high-performing research teams that expedite and expand access to novel therapeutics for patients in need. Today, Iterative Health is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and New York City with 250+ employees world-wide. As Director of Activations Strategy & Operations, you will own the end-to-end activation operating model - diagnosing where time is being lost, designing the processes and systems that compress it, and driving cross-functional execution across Site Operations, Regulatory, Legal, and Commercial to make activation faster, more predictable, and more repeatable at scale. You’ll lead the strategy, processes, and cross-functional execution to achieve a 75 day goal from trial award to site activation needed to achieve that target consistently and sustain it as our portfolio grows. This is an ideal role for a strategic, operationally minded leader who wants to own a business-critical outcome, build scalable infrastructure, and operate at the intersection of strategy, process design, cross-functional alignment, and performance management. Where You'll Drive Impact Activation Performance Ownership • Own the end-to-end activation performance framework: setting targets, tracking milestones, and holding the function accountable to the 75-day activation goal. • Monitor performance against targets, surface risks early, and lead the response before delays compound. • Lead portfolio and site sequencing decisions that maximize revenue opportunity across the activation pipeline. Process Design & Systems Thinking • Diagnose where time is being lost across the activation lifecycle — regulatory, legal, site readiness, study startup — and identify the highest-leverage opportunities to compress timelines. • Design and implement scalable, repeatable activation processes that reduce variability and make performance predictable across a growing portfolio of trials and sites. • Develop and maintain activation playbooks that can be operationalized across new trials, new sites, and new therapeutic areas. • Work with Product and Technology to build the systems and tooling that give leadership and operational teams real-time visibility into activation status, milestone risk, and portfolio sequencing. Cross-Functional Alignment & Stakeholder Management • Define roles, responsibilities, and handoffs across the functions involved in activation — ensuring clarity on ownership and accountability at every stage. • Partner with Site Operations, Regulatory, Legal, Commercial, and Study Success to align on activation priorities and resolve cross-functional bottlenecks. • Develop creative approaches to vendor partnerships that accelerate activation timelines — thinking beyond traditional procurement toward relationships that are flexible, performance-oriented, and give IH a competitive advantage. Team & Function Development • Build and develop the activations team as the function scales. • Establish the operating cadence, reporting structures, and accountability mechanisms that enable the team to perform consistently as volume grows. What You Bring to the Team • 7+ years in strategy and operations, management consulting, or a related function — with a track record of designing and implementing operational systems that improve efficiency and scale. • Demonstrated ability to diagnose process inefficiencies, design solutions, and drive cross-functional execution in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment. • Strong systems thinking — you see how the pieces fit together and build processes that hold up as volume grows. • Experience defining roles, responsibilities, and operating models across functions; comfortable having the accountability conversation and driving alignment. • High ownership mindset with clear accountability for outcomes. • Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills — able to influence without authority across legal, regulatory, clinical, and commercial functions. • Experience with vendor identification, evaluation, and management in an operational context; comfortable building the framework for how a company selects and works with external partners. • Comfortable operating in a fast-moving, ambiguous environment where the playbook is still being written. Preferred Qualifications • Experience in healthcare, clinical research, or a regulated industry where process design carries compliance implications. • Experience building or managing small teams. • Strong analytical instincts — able to use data to diagnose problems and measure the impact of process changes. • Proficiency in Google Workspace and/or Microsoft Office tools (Excel, Word, Power How We Work • Collaborative and low-ego team environment • High ownership and accountability culture • Fast-paced and highly iterative growth environment • Open communication and continuous learning mindset • Mission-driven organization focused on improving patient outcomes • Comfortable navigating evolving business priorities and opportunities Benefits That Support You We believe great teams do their best work when they feel supported — professionally and personally. • Hybrid work environment with in-office collaboration two days per week in either our NYC, Boston or Southlake office • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, with up to 80% of premiums covered by Iterative Health • Mental health and wellness support through Spring Health • Health HSA or FSA options, and commuter FSA contributions supported by Iterative Health • Unlimited PTO, 1