Advisor, Patient Recruitment Strategy

Rho is establishing a dedicated Patient Recruitment Strategy function to strengthen RFP responses, recruitment planning, vendor partnerships, and data-driven decision-making across clinical programs. This role will serve as a strategic recruitment expert, partnering with feasibility, site engagement, clinical operations, IT and business development teams to design scalable, fit-for-purpose recruitment strategies for Rho’s core therapeutic areas.

The successful candidate will bring small-to-mid-size CRO or biopharma recruitment experience, excel at strategic planning and analytics, and act as both a trusted internal and external advisor on vendor selection, optimization, and performance oversight.

Recruitment Strategy & Planning

• Define and continuously evolve Rho’s patient recruitment strategy framework, standards, tools, and decision-making models used across all clinical programs. Works closely with the Feasibility leadership on developing long-term capability roadmap,
• Leverage sponsor-provided materials, develop trial-, country-, and site-level recruitment strategies based on protocol design, feasibility strategy, targeted patient population, competitive landscape, and operational considerations
• Translate feasibility insights into actionable recruitment plans, including tactical mix recommendations (digital, community-based, site support, etc.)
• Serve as the strategic recruitment lead on select trials during study start-up and enrollment, advising on risk mitigation and optimization opportunities as well as driving strategic pivots when necessary
• Ensure recruitment strategies are data-driven, scalable, and aligned with Rho’s operational structure
• Advise Rho’s Clinical Management team on site- and study-level recruitment plans, equipping the members of this team with the necessary insights and site-level messaging to facilitate plan execution
• Develop tailored recruitment approaches that align with Rho’s Core 4 therapeutic areas: neuroscience (psychiatry and neurology), respiratory, pain (acute and chronic), and immunology (inclusive of dermatology)

RFP & Business Development Support

• Partner with Business Development, Feasibility and Clinical Management teams to support RFPs and proposal development, including:
• Compose recruitment approach narratives in Rho proposals
• Augment and complement feasibility benchmarking, integrating the impact of recruitment strategy into enrollment assumptions and timelines
• Advise on securing vendor bids, align recruitment strategies with vendor representatives, and provide cost considerations on recruitment services
• Contribute to sponsor-facing discussions by articulating clear, defensible recruitment strategies grounded in evidence and experience
• Support bid defense meetings as a subject matter expert in patient recruitment strategy, as necessary

Vendor Strategy & Oversight

• Lead and support vendor prioritization, selection, and onboarding for external recruitment services (e.g., digital campaigns, physical materials, outreach vendors, site-level recruitment tools and technology)
• Define vendor performance expectations, success metrics, and governance models in collaboration with study teams
• Monitor vendor performance using recruitment KPIs and analytics, escalating risks and recommending corrective actions as needed
• Act as a strategic liaison between internal teams and external vendors to ensure alignment with study goals and recruitment budgets
• Create and maintain a library of vendor experience and performance profiles based upon Rho studies and core therapeutic areas

Recruitment Analytics & Insights

• Oversee and interpret recruitment data and performance analytics, including enrollment trends and site-level indicators
• Leverage historical and real-time recruitment data, working with Rho study teams and sponsors to:
• Optimize initially scoped study recruitment strategy
• Identify enrollment risks
• Provide recommendations for pivots in recruitment strategy to optimize recruitment spend
• Inform future feasibility and proposal strategies
• Translate complex data into actionable insights and recommendations for internal stakeholders and sponsors
• Act as the recruitment subject matter expert for any required systems and technology integrations to optimally leverage recruitment metrics

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Leadership

• Lead cross-functional alignment on recruitment strategy direction, partnering closely with Feasibility, Study Start-Up, Clinical Operations, and Project Management teams to ensure cohesive recruitment planning
• Drive the development of standardized recruitment frameworks, tools, procedural documents and best practices for this new unit
• Serve as an internal thought leader on patient recruitment innovation, trends, and emerging methodologies
• Act as a trusted strategic advisor to sponsors, providing clear guidance on recruitment feasibility, risks, and trade-offs as it relates to tiered approaches of recruitment spend
• Act as the primary escalation point and strategic advisor for complex, high-risk recruitment challenges across the organization.
• Ensure alignment between recruitment strategy, business development, and operational execution at an organizational level

Essential Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Possesses an expert-level understanding of the biopharma-CRO proposal process
• Thorough knowledge of the clinical research process, including site feasibility, site selection, country/region-level regulatory submissions, IRB submissions, site activation, and enrollment management
• Working knowledge of regulatory, ethical, and privacy considerations impacting patient outreach and engagement activities
• Demonstrated ability to conceptualize and architect end-to-end patient recruitment strategies that balance scientific and clinical validity, operational reality, patient experience, timelines, and cost
• Demonstrated skill in translating protocol design and feasibility signals into forward-looking recruitment risk assessments and mitigation strategies
• Proven ability to lead vendor selection and performance oversight for recruitment service providers, with an ability to evaluate vendor recommendations critically and ensuring their alignment with study goals, patient experience, and budget constraints
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive alignment on strategic priorities
• Comfort making defensible decisions in the presence of incomplete or imperfect data, using structured assumptions and scenario planning
• Skilled in communicating data-driven insights in a manner appropriate for executive, sponsor, and operational audiences
• Demonstrated ability to think critically, problem solve and apply sound judgment and reasoning to assigned responsibilities
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple projects and administrative responsibilities; balances priorities with minimal oversight through exceptional organizational and time management skills
• The ability to collaborate cross-functionally is essential – balancing both the immediate and long-term needs of the unit with the established processes of Rho operations teams and recruitment stakeholders
• Comfort operating in a strategic- and consultatively-focused role relative to day-to-day operations
• Communicates clearly and professionally in written and verbal formats with both internal and external stakeholders, translating highly complex concepts into clear, actionable messages
• Strong leadership skills with demonstrated ability to navigate complex or challenging situations with professionalism and composure
• Excellent presentation skills, both written and spoken, with an advanced ability to inform, influence, convince, and persuade audiences both internally and externally
• Strategic mindset towards leveraging technology, systems, and automation to improve recruitment visibility, efficiency, and decision-making
• Ability to assess when innovation is appropriate versus when proven approaches provide better reliability
• Comfort operating in environments where processes, tools, and frameworks are evolving, with the ability to help define sustainable standards
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite

• Bachelor’s degree in a clinical- or life science-adjacent field required; advanced degree preferred
• Demonstrated experience establishing or governing recruitment strategy frameworks at a functional or organizational level
• Established track record of recruitment strategy development as a critical success driver across proposal development, feasibility, and study execution, rather than as a standalone operational function
• Experience collaborating with feasibility, study start-up, and/or clinical operations functions to devise protocol-tailored recruitment strategies
• Hands-on involvement in RFP support and proposal development relating to recruitment strategy
• Demonstrated experience authoring and driving trial-, country-, and site-level recruitment plans
• Experienced in leveraging an understanding of patient burden, access barriers, and equity considerations to influence recruitment strategy decisions
• Familiarity with digital recruitment channels and emerging patient engagement technologies, including AI-enabled targeting, prescreening, and analytics tools used to inform recruitment strategy and vendor selection
• Strong experience managing, interpreting and leveraging patient recruitment data and metrics to inform future-facing strategies
• Established track record of prospecting, prioritizing, and negotiating pricing structures with recruitment vendors
• Having played an active role in the building and/or scaling of a new function or capability within a CRO or biopharma environment is preferred
• Experience developing recruitment strategies for single virtual site/DCT trials is preferred
• Therapeutic experience in Rho’s Core 4 therapeutic areas – neuroscience (psychiatry and neurology), respiratory, pain (acute and chronic), and immunology (inclusive of dermatology) – is preferred

A few more things to know about us:

Benefits: Rho provides a comprehensive benefits package for all benefit-eligible employees, which includes medical, vision, dental, HSA, FSA, EAP, life & disability insurance and 401(k). All employees are eligible for paid time off, holidays, parental leave and bereavement leave.

Flexibility: We encourage a work-life balance that allows employees to bring their best selves to work while being passionate about their lives outside work.

EOE. Veterans/Disabled