Internal Account Director (Recruitment & Retention)

Syneos Health® is a leading fully integrated biopharmaceutical solutions organization built to accelerate customer success. We translate unique clinical, medical affairs and commercial insights into outcomes to address modern market realities.  

Our Clinical Development model brings the customer and the patient to the center of everything that we do. We are continuously looking for ways to simplify and streamline our work to not only make Syneos Health easier to work with, but to make us easier to work for.

Whether you join us in a Functional Service Provider partnership or a Full-Service environment, you’ll collaborate with passionate problem solvers, innovating as a team to help our customers achieve their goals. We are agile and driven to accelerate the delivery of therapies, because we are passionate to change lives.

Discover what our 29,000 employees, across 110 countries already know: 

WORK HERE MATTERS EVERYWHERE

Why Syneos Health

• We are passionate about developing our people, through career development and progression; supportive and engaged line management; technical and therapeutic area training; peer recognition and total rewards program.
• We are committed to our Total Self culture – where you can authentically be yourself. Our Total Self culture is what unites us globally, and we are dedicated to taking care of our people. 
• We are continuously building the company we all want to work for and our customers want to work with. Why? Because when we bring together diversity of thoughts, backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives – we’re able to create a place where everyone feels like they belong. 

Job Responsibilities

Internal Account Director, Recruitment & Retention (R&R)

About the Role:

Are you looking to lead strategies that accelerate access to life-saving therapies and transform the patient experience in clinical research? As an Internal Account Director, Recruitment & Retention (R&R), you will play a pivotal role in designing and delivering innovative enrollment and retention solutions for global clinical trials.

This senior-level role for a proven leader in clinical trial recruitment. We are seeking an expert with a demonstrated history of driving successful patient enrollment across complex therapeutic areas—someone who brings both strategic insight and operational excellence.

You will collaborate across Clinical Trial Management, Project Leadership, R&R Operations, Data Science, Regulatory, and external vendor partners to ensure sponsors achieve enrollment targets on time and with quality. Acting as a trusted advisor, you will represent R&R services in Bid Defense Meetings, client discussions, and sponsor escalations—shaping strategies that directly impact trial success.

Core Responsibilities:

• Lead Recruitment Strategy: Own the development and execution of patient recruitment and retention plans (PRPs) from study start-up through close-out.

• Be the Sponsor’s Go-To Expert: Represent R&R solutions in Bid Defense Meetings, pre-award planning, and escalations.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner with Clinical Trial Managers, Project Leads, Regulatory, Operations, and Data Scientists to deliver data-driven solutions.

• Enrollment Oversight: Track study progress, proactively manage risks, and implement mitigation strategies to protect timelines.

• Data & Vendor Management: Analyze performance trends, collaborate with vendors, and apply insights to optimize recruitment outcomes.

• Solution Innovation: Contribute to continuous improvement by sharing lessons learned, market insights, and client feedback.

• Strategic Partnerships: Build and sustain strong sponsor, site, and vendor relationships to ensure delivery excellence and repeat business.

• Mentorship & Growth: Provide guidance to colleagues and strengthen team capabilities as the group expands.

Qualifications:

• 8+ years of clinical research or clinical trial operations experience, with extensive focus on patient recruitment and retention.

• Minimum of 1–2 years in leadership or management roles.

• Proven track record of developing and executing successful, measurable recruitment strategies across therapeutic areas.

• Strong understanding of global R&R strategies, including decentralized trials, direct-to-patient outreach, and site-facing support.

• Ability to manage multiple, complex studies under tight timelines.

• Skilled in Microsoft Office Suite; familiarity with clinical trial technology platforms preferred.

Critical Skills:

• Strategic thinker with the ability to convert insights into actionable recruitment plans.

• Exceptional communicator and presenter, able to influence senior stakeholders and sponsors.

• Strong problem-solving and proactive risk management skills in dynamic clinical environments.

• Deep knowledge of cultural and regulatory factors affecting global patient recruitment.

• Flexible, innovative, and collaborative mindset with a focus on results.

Preferred Candidate Profile:

We are looking for someone who is more than qualified—someone recognized as a leader in the field of clinical trial recruitment and retention. The ideal candidate will be:

• Respected industry expert with a reputation for successfully delivering high-profile studies.

• Trusted advisor to sponsors who can confidently represent R&R strategies at the executive level.

• Proven innovator who has implemented new approaches to overcome enrollment challenges.

• Global strategist experienced in managing patient recruitment across multiple geographies, cultures, and regulatory landscapes.

• Strong collaborator and mentor who uplifts colleagues while driving accountability and results.

Why Join Us:

This opportunity is reserved for professionals who have already demonstrated they can deliver at the highest level. As an Internal Account Director, your expertise will directly impact the speed at which new therapies reach patients worldwide.

You’ll be at the center of accelerating clinical trial success—helping bring life-changing medicines to those who need them most, while shaping the future of how patient recruitment is designed and delivered.

If you’re ready to take on a highly visible, career-defining role where your leadership and proven track record make a measurable difference, we want to hear from you.

Get to know Syneos Health

Over the past 5 years, we have worked with 94% of all Novel FDA Approved Drugs, 95% of EMA Authorized Products and over 200 Studies across 73,000 Sites and 675,000+ Trial patients.

No matter what your role is, you’ll take the initiative and challenge the status quo with us in a highly competitive and ever-changing environment. Learn more about Syneos Health.

http://www.syneoshealth.com

Additional Information

Tasks, duties, and responsibilities as listed in this job description are not exhaustive.  The Company, at its sole discretion and with no prior notice, may assign other tasks, duties, and job responsibilities. Equivalent experience, skills, and/or education will also be considered so qualifications of incumbents may differ from those listed in the Job Description.  The Company, at its sole discretion, will determine what constitutes as equivalent to the qualifications described above.   Further, nothing contained herein should be construed to create an employment contract.  Occasionally, required skills/experiences for jobs are expressed in brief terms.  Any language contained herein is intended to fully comply with all obligations imposed by the legislation of each country in which it operates, including the implementation of the EU Equality Directive, in relation to the recruitment and employment of its employees.  The Company is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, including the provision of reasonable accommodations, when appropriate, to assist employees or applicants to perform the essential functions of the job.