Senior Director, Participant Recruitment and Retention

Madrigal is a biopharmaceutical company focused on delivering novel therapeutics for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a serious liver disease that can progress to cirrhosis, liver failure, need for liver transplantation and premature mortality. Every member of our Madrigal team is connected by our shared purpose: leading the fight against MASH.

Madrigal’s medication, Rezdiffra (resmetirom), is a once-daily, oral, liver-directed THR-β agonist designed to target key underlying causes of MASH. Rezdiffra is the first and only medication approved by both the FDA and European Commission for the treatment of MASH with moderate to advanced fibrosis (F2 to F3). An ongoing Phase 3 outcomes trial is evaluating Rezdiffra for the treatment of compensated MASH cirrhosis (F4c).

Our success is driven by our people. We are building a dynamic, inclusive, and high-performing culture that values scientific excellence, operational rigor, and collaboration. To support our continued growth, we are strengthening our workforce strategy to ensure we have the right talent, at the right time, in the right way.

The Senior Director, Participant Recruitment and Retention provides strategic leadership for the development and execution of global participant recruitment, engagement, diversity, and retention strategies across Madrigal Pharmaceuticals' clinical development portfolio. This leader will establish innovative, patient-centered approaches that accelerate enrollment, improve participant retention, and enhance the overall clinical trial experience while supporting the company's mission to deliver transformative therapies to patients with metabolic and liver diseases.

Working collaboratively with Clinical Operations, Medical Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, Biostatistics, Data Management, Clinical Supply, Patient Advocacy, Legal, and external partners, the Senior Director will develop enterprise-wide recruitment capabilities that improve study performance and support successful clinical trial execution.

This position requires a strategic, data-driven leader with deep expertise in clinical trial recruitment, decentralized clinical trial methodologies, patient engagement, digital recruitment technologies, health equity, and vendor management.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

Develop and execute Madrigal's enterprise participant recruitment and retention strategy across all clinical development programs.

Establish long-term strategic initiatives that improve enrollment timelines, participant diversity, retention, and overall study performance.

Build scalable recruitment capabilities, processes, standards, and governance across the organization.

Serve as the organizational subject matter expert on participant recruitment, engagement, retention, and patient-centric clinical trial design.

Provide executive leadership with enrollment forecasts, strategic recommendations, risk assessments, and mitigation plans.

Recruitment Strategy

Lead development of protocol-specific recruitment and retention strategies for Phase I-IV clinical studies.

Collaborate with study teams during protocol development to optimize study feasibility, participant burden, and recruitment success.

Evaluate recruitment challenges and proactively implement innovative solutions to accelerate enrollment.

Develop country, regional, and site-specific recruitment strategies based on epidemiology, competitive landscape, and operational feasibility.

Integrate digital technologies, social media, community outreach, and patient engagement initiatives into recruitment plans.

Participant Engagement & Retention

Design participant-centric initiatives that improve study awareness, enrollment, engagement, and long-term retention.

Develop participant communication strategies throughout the clinical trial lifecycle.

Partner with patient advocacy organizations and community leaders to improve trial accessibility and awareness.

Champion health equity initiatives that increase participation among historically underrepresented populations.

Ensure participant feedback is incorporated into continuous improvement efforts.

Cross-Functional Leadership

Partner closely with Clinical Operations to ensure recruitment strategies align with study execution plans.

Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure recruitment materials comply with applicable regulations and ethical standards.

Work with Clinical Supply, Data Management, and Biostatistics to anticipate operational impacts related to enrollment.

Support Business Development due diligence activities by evaluating recruitment feasibility for potential pipeline assets.

Influence senior leadership through data-driven recommendations and strategic insights.

Vendor & Partnership Management

Assist in the selection, oversight, and evaluation of recruitment vendors, digital marketing agencies, patient engagement organizations, and technology providers, as appropriate.

Assist in the negotiation of scopes of work, budgets, and performance expectations.

Develop key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLAs) to measure vendor performance.

Establish strategic partnerships with advocacy organizations, healthcare systems, research networks, and community organizations, as appropriate.

Operational Excellence

Collaborate in the development of enrollment forecasting models and recruitment analytics.

Monitor, in collaboration with study and program teams, study enrollment metrics and identify emerging risks.

Create executive dashboards to communicate recruitment performance across the portfolio.

Drive continuous improvement initiatives utilizing operational metrics and lessons learned.

Establish standardized recruitment planning processes and best practices.

Financial Management

Develop and manage recruitment budgets across multiple clinical programs.

Optimize resource allocation and vendor investments.

Evaluate return on investment for recruitment initiatives and technologies.

Ensure cost-effective delivery of recruitment programs while maintaining quality and compliance.

People Leadership

Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing recruitment and participant engagement organization which is 'fit for purpose' for the R&D Department and the business.

Foster a collaborative, patient-focused, and innovative culture.

Establish performance objectives and professional development plans.

Promote continuous learning and adoption of industry best practices.

Qualifications

Education - Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences, Public Health, Nursing, Healthcare Administration, Marketing, or a related field required.

Advanced degree (MS, MPH, MBA, PharmD, or PhD) preferred.

Experience

Minimum 15 years of progressively responsible experience within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, CRO, or healthcare industry.

At least 6 years of leadership experience in clinical trial recruitment, participant engagement, or clinical operations.

Demonstrated success leading global recruitment strategies across multiple therapeutic areas.

Experience supporting Phase I-IV clinical development programs.

Experience managing large, cross-functional teams and external vendors.

Strong understanding of FDA, ICH-GCP, HIPAA, GDPR, and global clinical research regulations.

Preferred Experience

Experience in metabolic disease, hepatology, NASH/MASH, endocrinology, cardiovascular disease, or rare disease clinical trials.

Experience implementing decentralized and hybrid clinical trial models.

Experience with digital recruitment technologies and participant engagement platforms.

Experience partnering with patient advocacy organizations.

Global clinical trial experience.

Knowledge, Skills & Competencies

Expert knowledge of clinical trial recruitment methodologies.

Deep understanding of participant engagement and retention best practices.

Strong strategic planning and organizational leadership capabilities.

Demonstrated ability to influence executive leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.

Excellent project management and portfolio management skills.

Advanced analytical and data interpretation skills.

Strong financial and budget management experience.

Exceptional communication, presentation, and executive influencing skills.

Ability to manage multiple complex global initiatives simultaneously.

Commitment to patient-centered innovation and continuous improvement.

Improve enrollment timelines across the clinical development portfolio.

Increase participant retention and reduce study attrition.

Expand participation from diverse and underrepresented populations.

Madrigal’s Total Rewards strategy is based on a biotech industry peer group comparator and is inclusive of base pay, bonus and equity. Our equity offers meaningful opportunity allowing our employees to share in the success they help create. By aligning individual and company performance, we empower employees to think like owners, giving them a stake in the organization.

All employees receive equity, which we believe reinforces our ownership culture. Base salary is determined by several factors including the candidate’s qualifications, skills, education, experience, business needs and market demands.  As of the date of this posting, a good faith estimate of the current pay scale for this position, applicable to all candidates, is $257,471- $294,411 per year.  We comply with all applicable minimum wage laws.

All full-time employees receive equity, which reinforces our ownership culture and offers meaningful opportunity for our employees to share in the success they help create. By aligning individual and company performance, we empower employees to think like owners, giving them a stake in the organization.  

Full-time employees are also eligible for comprehensive benefits, including flexible paid time off, medical, dental, vision and life/disability insurance, and 401(k) offerings (i.e., traditional, Roth, and employer match) in accordance with applicable plans. We also offer additional voluntary benefits like supplemental life insurance, legal services, and other offerings. In addition, we offer mental health benefits through our Employee Assistance Program for employees and their family. The company also provides other benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. 

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities throughout the hiring process. If you need assistance, please contact [email protected]. 

Madrigal is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran or disabled status, or other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. 

Unsolicited resumes from agencies should not be forwarded to Madrigal. Madrigal will not be responsible for any fees arising from the use of resumes through this source. Madrigal will only pay a fee to agencies if a formal agreement between Madrigal and the agency has been established. 

Applications are being accepted on an ongoing basis and can be submitted through our Madrigal Careers site. 

Please be aware that we have received reports of individuals misrepresenting themselves as Madrigal Pharmaceuticals’ Hiring Managers, seeking to engage with job candidates through fraudulent online advertisements or job posting sites. These unauthorized individuals are using Madrigal’s name and logo in an attempt to solicit up-front fees and obtain personal information from interested job candidates. Please know that Madrigal does not conduct interviews via text or in chat rooms; conduct interviews via Skype, RingCentral or solely via telephone; charge candidates an advance fee of any kind (e.g., fees for purchasing equipment); nor does it offer positions of employment without undergoing a thorough recruiting process.  

Please also note that any correspondence with regard to employment would come from an authorized madrigalpharma.com email address or from an email address from one of our trusted search firm partners. We are aware that incorrect/fraudulent email addresses, with Madrigal misspelled, have been utilized in these most recent fraud attempts. If you receive unsolicited employment offers from people claiming to work for or on behalf of Madrigal, we recommend that you: do not respond to their questions; do not open any attachments; and do not click on any hyperlinks. Any questions regarding the legitimacy of job-related contacts can be directed to [email protected].