Manager of Tissue Operations

About the role

It's More Than a Career, It's a Mission. Our people are the foundation of our success. By joining our growing team at Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI), a subsidiary of McKesson, you will have the opportunity to become part of one of the largest community-based cancer programs to advance oncology treatments and improve outcomes for cancer patients across the globe. We look for mission-driven candidates who have a desire to advance the fight against cancer and make a difference in the lives of patients diagnosed with cancer every day. Our Mission People who live with cancer - those who work to prevent it, fight it, and survive it - are at the heart of every decision we make. Bringing the most innovative medical minds together with the most passionate caregivers in their communities, we are transforming care and personalizing treatment. Through clinical excellence and cutting-edge research, SCRI is redefining cancer care around the world. As the Manager of Tissue Operations you will provide operational and people leadership for Tissue Operations to ensure timely, high-quality procurement, processing, and management of tissue samples supporting clinical research activities. This role is accountable for end-to-end workflow oversight, turnaround time (TAT) performance, cross-functional coordination, and continuous process improvement. The Manager ensures consistent execution of tissue operations, establishes clear accountability for prioritization and escalation, and develops staff to support a scalable, high-performing function. Oversees end-to-end tissue operations, including procurement, receipt, processing, documentation, shipment, and return of fresh and archival specimens Directly manages Tissue Operations staff, including hiring, onboarding, performance management, and professional development Establishes clear expectations, accountability, and workload prioritization across the team Ensures appropriate coverage, workload distribution, and operational readiness Owns tissue turnaround time (TAT) performance, including prioritization decisions and intervention strategies Tracks, trends, and analyzes key metrics (e.g., fresh, archival, priority TAT) to drive performance improvement Drives accountability for meeting defined operational targets and service-level expectations Ensures compliance with SOPs, work instructions, sponsor requirements, and regulatory standards Develops, implements, and maintains SOPs and work instructions to support consistent operations Ensures adherence to corporate policies, quality standards, and audit readiness expectations Identifies process gaps and implements sustainable workflow improvements to enhance efficiency and reduce delays Partners with internal teams (physicians, research nurses, coordinators, laboratory staff) to ensure alignment on study needs and timelines Coordinates with external partners (pathology labs, sponsors, CROs) to support timely specimen procurement and issue resolution Serves as escalation point for complex or time-sensitive issues impacting specimen flow or study timelines and addresses concerns as needed with leadership and physicians Ensures consistent, high-quality communication and service across internal and external stakeholders Supports training, competency development, and ongoing education for the team You should have for this position: Clinical research operations, including tissue and specimen management workflows Regulatory, sponsor, and quality requirements related to specimen handling Process improvement and performance metric tracking Operational leadership and team management Process design, workflow optimization, and problem-solving Data analysis and performance tracking At least three years of experience in clinical research, laboratory operations, or tissue/specimen management. About Sarah Cannon Research Institute Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) is one of the world's leading oncology research organizations conducting community-based clinical trials. Focused on advancing therapies for patients over the last three decades, SCRI is a leader in drug development. In 2022, SCRI formed a joint venture with former US Oncology Research to expand clinical trial access across the country. It has conducted more than 850 first-in-human clinical trials since its inception and contributed to pivotal research that has led to the majority of new cancer therapies approved by the FDA in the past decade. SCRI's research network brings together more than 1,300 physicians who are enrolling patients into clinical trials at more than 200 locations in 20+ states across the U.S. Please click here to learn more about our research offerings. We care about the well-being of the patients and communities we serve, and that starts with caring for our people. That's why we have a Total Rewards package that includes comprehensive benefits to support physical, mental, and financial well-being. Our Total Rewards offerings ser

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