Director - Client Clinical Operations

At Caris, we understand that cancer is an ugly word—a word no one wants to hear, but one that connects us all. That’s why we’re not just transforming cancer care—we’re changing lives.

We introduced precision medicine to the world and built an industry around the idea that every patient deserves answers as unique as their DNA. Backed by cutting-edge molecular science and AI, we ask ourselves every day: “What would I do if this patient were my mom?” That question drives everything we do.

But our mission doesn’t stop with cancer. We're pushing the frontiers of medicine and leading a revolution in healthcare—driven by innovation, compassion, and purpose.

Join us in our mission to improve the human condition across multiple diseases. If you're passionate about meaningful work and want to be part of something bigger than yourself, Caris is where your impact begins.

Position Summary
The Director of Client Clinical Operations is a senior leadership role responsible for advancing precision oncology programs through embedded, client-facing clinical execution. Positioned as a trusted advisor to oncology clients and internal enterprise leadership, this role partners closely with senior commercial and clinical leadership—while maintaining a distinct operational execution lens. The Director leads a national team of Embedded Clinical Operations Managers (ECOMs), who in turn direct elite, customer-embedded Clinical Operational Specialists—processors and phlebotomists—strategically deployed within valued accounts. These specialists operationalize Caris Life Sciences’ precision oncology model at the point of care, enabling consistent execution of Caris processes while supporting specimen integrity, access, and clinical readiness across complex oncology environments. This role is intentionally focused on upstream clinical execution, workflow coordination, risk awareness, and compliance alignment within customer settings to seamlessly support Caris laboratory and precision oncology processes. Acting as a bridge between clients and internal teams, the Director ensures operational clarity, accountability, and scalability across enterprise partnerships. Serving as a trusted advisor to health system leadership, oncology leadership, and internal commercial and clinical stakeholders, the Director of Client Clinical Operations plays a critical role in strengthening customer trust, enabling growth, and ensuring that Caris Life Sciences’ precision oncology solutions are consistently and effectively executed in real-world clinical environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the national strategy and execution of embedded Clinical Operational Specialist programs across strategic customer accounts, aligning clinical operations with commercial growth priorities, enterprise initiatives, and customer-specific objectives.

• Design and implement scalable, standardized operating models that improve specimen acquisition and processing quality, turnaround time, quantity-not-sufficient and specimen rejection rates, collection volume, site coverage, and overall laboratory performance.

• Directly manage and develop Embedded Clinical Operations Managers (ECOMs), who oversee workflow performance and embedded Clinical Operational Specialists—including processors and phlebotomists—at assigned customer sites.

• Build a high-performance culture centered on ownership, accountability, adaptability, and continuous improvement while coaching ECOMs as frontline leaders through performance management and professional development.

• Oversee program budgets, headcount planning, resource allocation, hiring, onboarding, staffing coverage, and retention in partnership with Finance and Human Resources, including contingency planning for absences and account ramp-ups.

• Serve as the primary clinical-operational liaison and trusted advisor to hospital executives, laboratory and medical directors, pathologists, oncologists, and multidisciplinary leadership teams, translating operational data into actionable insights that improve customer value and business performance.

• Support strategic account planning and enterprise oncology relationships in partnership with Commercial and oncology sales leadership, ensuring clinical execution aligns with commercial strategy and customer objectives.

• Ensure embedded clinical activities within customer environments adhere to Caris Life Sciences’ precision oncology processes, policies, scope-of-practice requirements, and compliance standards without assuming direct ownership of laboratory operations or internal laboratory processes.

• Partner with Lab Operations, Quality, and Compliance teams to coordinate clinical workflows, mitigate risk, maintain execution readiness, and ensure upstream clinical activities support downstream laboratory excellence.

• Own governance for client-specific program customization, including the review and approval of site coverage models, operating rhythms, role responsibilities, and success metrics within established compliance and scope-of-practice guardrails.

• Ensure consistent and reliable specimen acquisition and handling practices while maintaining compliance with HIPAA, CLIA, CAP, OSHA bloodborne pathogen standards, and customer-specific policies and safety requirements.

• Oversee vendor credentialing, badging, immunization, and site-access compliance for embedded personnel across assigned health system accounts.

• Act as a strategic connector among oncology clients and internal leaders across Commercial, Lab Operations, Quality, Compliance, Marketing, Finance, and Human Resources, serving as an escalation point for complex client-facing operational challenges affecting precision oncology delivery.

• Provide executive-level reporting on program performance, risks, opportunities, and strategic outcomes, clearly articulating the relationship between clinical operations, customer value, and bottom-line impact.

• Own and report defined performance metrics—including turnaround time, QNS and specimen rejection rates, collection volume, site coverage, and team retention—against annual targets while keeping senior leadership informed of industry trends, emerging best practices, and evolving customer needs.

• Contribute to external thought leadership, publications, and strategic narratives demonstrating how operational excellence enables the effective delivery of precision oncology.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MPH, MHA, or equivalent) strongly preferred.

• 8+ years of progressive leadership experience in clinical operations, laboratory services, healthcare operations, or related fields.

• Demonstrated experience managing geographically dispersed clinical or operational teams, including experience leading people managers.

• Strong understanding of anatomic pathology, specimen workflows, phlebotomy operations, oncology diagnostics, and laboratory quality metrics.

• Proven ability to lead client-facing operational programs within complex hospital or health systems environments.

• Ability to meet and maintain customer vendor credentialing requirements, including background check, drug screen, and immunization/health screening standards.

• Phlebotomy or laboratory certification (ASCP, PBT, or equivalent) preferred, or demonstrated experience leading certified phlebotomy and processing staff.

Preferred Experience & Skills

• Experience embedding clinical or operational personnel within customer or partner organizations.

• Deep familiarity with oncology care pathways, multidisciplinary clinical teams, and precision medicine workflows.

• Strong working knowledge of Lean, process improvement, and quality management methodologies.

• Exceptional executive presence with the ability to influence without direct authority.

• Data-driven mindset with experience leveraging reporting tools to communicate performance and drive decisions.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.

• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively during organizational change and evolving business priorities.

Physical Demands

• Standing for extended periods.

• Ability to lift move 25lbs.

Training

• All job-specific, safety, and compliance training will be assigned based on the job functions associated with this employee.

Other

• This position may require up to 50% domestic travel to customer sites, and some evenings, weekends, and/or holidays.

Annual Hiring Range

$170,000 - $210,000

Actual compensation offer to candidate may vary from posted hiring range based upon geographic location, work experience, education, and/or skill level. The pay ratio between base pay and target incentive (if applicable) will be finalized at offer.

Conditions of Employment:  Individual must successfully complete pre-employment process, which includes criminal background check, drug screening, credit check ( applicable for certain positions) and reference verification.

This job description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Caris Life Sciences is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.