Senior Clinical Scientist

POSITION LOCATION: This position can work out of our San Carlos, CA office in a hybrid model one day a week or remote anywhere in the US. 

The Senior Clinical Scientist will support clinical development activities across early cancer detection (ECD) studies. This role focuses on medical/clinical data review, enrollment and operational data tracking, and supporting scientific outputs such as abstracts, posters, and publications. The Sr. Scientist will collaborate closely with senior clinical scientists, clinical operations, biostatistics, medical directors, and cross-functional partners to ensure high-quality data, timely study execution, and impactful scientific communication.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Study Support & Execution

• Support the development and refinement of study documents (e.g., schedules of assessments, objectives/endpoints, inclusion/exclusion criteria) under the guidance of senior clinical scientists.

• Contribute to authoring and reviewing sections of study protocols and supporting documents.

• Assist in preparing materials for regulatory response packages as needed.

• Provide protocol and study-specific training to internal teams and CRO partners.

• Help ensure study manuals, CRFs, and associated guidelines are aligned with protocol requirements.

• Participate in study meetings, site initiation visits, investigator meetings, and pre-site selection discussions to support successful study conduct.

Clinical Data Review & Medical Review Support

• Conduct routine clinical data reviews to ensure data quality, completeness, and medical plausibility.

• Assist in monitoring safety data, reviewing protocol deviations, and identifying trends requiring escalation.

• Collaborate to support data cleaning activities, ensuring alignment with study timelines.

Scientific Data Analysis for Publications & Conferences

• Partner with clinical scientists, statisticians, and medical directors to extract and interpret scientific data for abstracts, posters, presentations, and manuscripts.

• Support medical and scientific writing, including background research, data summaries, and figure/table preparation.

• Contribute to preparation of internal and external presentations for advisory boards, steering committees, investigator meetings, and relevant conferences.

Enrollment Metrics & Data Trend Tracking

• Track enrollment progress and key performance metrics across ECD studies; support forecasting and variance analyses.

• Maintain dashboards or trackers to identify trends in clinical data, site performance, and study progress.

• Flag data anomalies, patterns, or operational risks to senior team members.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as a clinical science representative in internal meetings, supporting scientific and operational discussions.

• Engage with medical directors, medical science liaisons, clinical operations, regulatory, and other internal stakeholders on cross-functional projects.

QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Advanced degree preferred (MS, RN, or PhD)

• 2-4 years of experience in clinical research, clinical science, oncology research, or related scientific/medical fields.

• Experience with clinical data review, data interpretation, or scientific analyses preferred.

• Familiarity with oncology, CRC, or early detection technologies is a plus.

• Basic understanding of study protocols, CRFs, and clinical research processes.

• Some experience with scientific communication (abstracts, posters, or manuscripts) is beneficial.

• Experience with project management, clinical research and scientific writing

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: 

• Demonstrated ability to identify problems and motivated to be creative and brainstorm innovative solutions 

• Fast learner who can develop in-depth technical understanding of Natera’s products 

• Exceptional communication skills (oral and written) and attention to detail 

• Demonstrated ability to work independently AND collaborate with team members. 

• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.