Retention Coordinator

Summary: The Retention Coordinator is a network-wide clinical leader responsible for keeping study participants engaged, educated, and compliant from randomization through end of study across the Pinnacle Clinical Research network. Combining advanced practice nursing expertise with trial participant management, this role serves as the single point of escalation for at-risk participants, turns early termination and lost-to-follow-up data into actionable insight, and builds the SOPs and training that make retention a repeatable network capability, particularly in steatotic liver disease (SLD), obesity, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) trials. Modeled on the transplant coordinator role in liver transplantation, the Retention Coordinator treats participants as our customers and is a visible differentiator for Pinnacle in sponsor partnerships.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Retention Analytics and Reporting:

• Conduct a retrospective lookback of all early terminations (ETs) and lost-to-follow-up (LTFU) participants in SLD, AD, and obesity trials from 2023 to present to identify trends, root causes, and site-and study-level opportunities for improvement.
• Establish and maintain real-time monitoring of ETs, LTFU, missed visits, and other early warning signs across the network, including retention metrics by site, therapeutic area, study, and treatment phase.
• Partner with Finance and Commercial leadership to quantify the data and revenue impact of participant dropouts.
• Update the executive team at least monthly on retention trends, mitigation strategies in place, and whether those strategies are measurably improving retention.
• Produce retention data and case examples that support business development, capability presentations, and sponsor discussions.

At-Risk Participant Management and Escalation:

• Serve as the single point of escalation for sites managing participants at risk of withdrawal or loss to follow-up.
• Apply clinical judgment to assess and support at-risk participants, including tolerability concerns, adverse events, intercurrent illness, and social or logistical barriers to continued participation.
• Collaborate with Principal Investigators, Sub-Investigators, and Medical Directors on clinical interventions that support safe continuation in study, within protocol and sponsor requirements.
• Coordinate with Sponsor and CRO study teams as appropriate on retention concerns and approved retention tools.

Participant Liaison and Engagement:

• Educate participants and care partners on study expectations, visit schedules, dose escalation, and what to expect from investigational therapies, with an emphasis on clear, culturally responsive communication.
• Champion a customer-service mindset across the network so that every participant interaction reinforces trust and continued participation.
• Support engagement strategies for diverse and underserved populations, including Spanish-speaking participants.

SOP Development and Retention Strategy:

• Develop, implement, and maintain network SOPs and best practices on retention strategies to mitigate preventable dropouts, including:
• Gastrointestinal tolerability and symptom management during incretin-based therapy (e.g., GLP-1 and multi-agonist) dose escalation
• Proactive outreach and contact cadence between scheduled visits
• Early identification and escalation of participants showing withdrawal risk
• Re-engagement of participants who have missed visits or become difficult to reach
• Considerations specific to memory-impaired participants and their study partners in AD trials
• Gather “on the ground” feedback from site staff and participants on what works and what does not and incorporate those learnings into network practices.
• Share successful practices across sites and therapeutic areas to drive consistent performance as the network grows.

Training and Education:

• Serve as the primary trainer for Clinical Research Coordinators (CRCs) and operations staff across the network on medical SOPs and retention practices.
• Train site staff on adverse event recognition, documentation, and management processes during dose escalation and ongoing treatment, in partnership with investigators and Medical Directors.
• Onboard new sites and staff to network retention standards and assess competency on an ongoing basis.
• Support adherence to ICH GCP, FDA regulations, sponsor requirements, and internal quality standards; contribute to corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) related to retention as required.

Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time.

Education / Experience:

• Master’s or Doctorate degree in Nursing from an accredited program, with board certification as a Nurse Practitioner (FNP, AGNP, or ANP preferred).
• 3+ years of clinical experience as a Nurse Practitioner or Registered Nurse, with experience in hepatology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, obesity medicine highly preferred. Additional experience in addiction medicine also preferred.
• 2+ years of clinical research experience at a site, SMO, or site network, including direct participant management in industry-sponsored trials, preferred.
• Experience with incretin-based therapies (GLP-1 and related agents) and management of treatment-related side effects preferred.
• Experience developing SOPs, delivering staff training, and working with data to identify trends.
• Working knowledge of GCP, FDA regulations, and clinical research best practices.
• Possess impeccable integrity and personal and professional values consistent with the company’s high standards and mission.

Certificates and Licenses: Active, unrestricted Nurse Practitioner and RN license (ability to obtain additional state licenses or compact privileges as needed); national NP board certification; BLS required; GCP certification required; IATA certification preferred.

Language: Bilingual English/Spanish highly preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Other Abilities:

• Strong clinical judgment and the ability to translate clinical knowledge into practical guidance for site staff and participants.
• Exceptional customer-service orientation and empathy, with the ability to build trust with participants from diverse backgrounds.
• Analytical mindset; comfortable working with retention data, identifying patterns, and presenting findings and recommendations to executive leadership.
• Skilled trainer and communicator who can engage CRCs, investigators, and operations staff across multiple sites.
• Must be able to effectively communicate with all levels of internal and external contacts.
• Ability to oversee confidential matters and sensitive information with discretion and judgment.
• Proactive at identifying, addressing, and solving issues in real time.
• Energetic self-starter, results-oriented, and able to work effectively in an entrepreneurial, fast-growing environment.
• Adaptable to evolving market demands and dynamic work environment.

Work Environment:

• Hybrid role combining remote work with on-site presence at network sites.
• Regular travel required (approximately 25–35%) to network sites for training, site support, and retention reviews, with occasional travel to sponsor meetings and conferences.
• Ability to support time-sensitive participant escalations, which may occasionally fall outside standard business hours.