How to hire a junior clinical research associate

How to hire a junior clinical research associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step junior clinical research associate hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a junior clinical research associate job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new junior clinical research associate
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a junior clinical research associate, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A junior clinical research associate's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, junior clinical research associates from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of junior clinical research associates.

   Type of Junior Clinical Research Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Junior Clinical Research Associate	Natural sciences managers supervise the work of scientists, including chemists, physicists, and biologists. They direct activities related to research and development, and coordinate activities such as testing, quality control, and production.	$19-41
   Study Director	Technically, a study director carries out scientific responsibilities for protocol design or study plan and approval. Study directors supervise the gathering, analysis, interpretation, documentation, and reporting of data results... Show more	$26-56
   Study Coordinator	Study coordinators oversee the entire process of clinical research from its inception to its completion. The coordinators make certain that human subjects are safe and well-protected... Show more	$16-31

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CRA
   • Sops
   • Clinical Trials
   • Investigational Product
   • CRF
   • Consent Forms
   • Informed Consent

   Responsibilities:

   • Coordinate and manage multiple clinical studies for safety assessment of products with CRO.
   • Supervise and manage planning, implementation, conduct and reporting of assign early phase international clinical studies in oncology.
   • Preform protocol require basic medical evaluations such as blood pressure and ECG's as well as dispensing study medication.
   • Conduct initiations, interim site visitations and audits of CRO for GCP compliance.
   • Review & provide quality management of electronic clinical study data and generate queries on multiple EDC systems.
   • Recruit investigators perform pre-study visits, negotiate budgets, initiate and monitor studies and verify data for accuracy and completeness.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your junior clinical research associate job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A junior clinical research associate can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, junior clinical research associates' average salary in alaska is 37% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level junior clinical research associates 52% less than senior-level junior clinical research associates.
   • Certifications. A junior clinical research associate with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a junior clinical research associate's salary.

   Average junior clinical research associate salary

   $59,820yearly

   $28.76 hourly rate

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   Entry-level junior clinical research associate salary

   $41,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 14, 2026

4. Writing a junior clinical research associate job description

   A junior clinical research associate job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a junior clinical research associate job description:

   Junior clinical research associate job description example

   Grand Canyon University! One of Arizona's leading institutions of higher learning.
   
   Located in the Valley of Sun in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona, GCU is a regionally accredited, private, nondenominational Christian University.
   
   The College of Nursing and Health Care Professions at Grand Canyon University is currently seeking part time Standardized Patients. A Standardized Patient is a trained individual who can accurately and consistently portray the history, personality, physical findings, emotional structure and response pattern of an actual patient, family member, health care provider, or needed role at a particular point in time. A Standardized Patient must be able to provide individualized feedback on interpersonal and clinical skills to nurse practitioner students and GCU Faculty.
   Standardized patients must pass the required patient competencies before being deployed as a standardized patient. Training will be provided. We are especially interested in applicants who can strengthen the diversity of our academic community.
   
   What we are offering:
   The opportunity to contribute to the development of the next generation of Nursing professionals Part-time work$20/hr
   
   What you will do:
   Portray all aspects of the patient scenario, including history of current problem, affect/behavior, and physical findings in a standardized, accurate, and reliable manner Provide written and face-to-face verbal feedback to the student and supervising faculty member Accept ongoing feedback and incorporate that feedback into case simulation Respond to e-mails in a timely fashion Be on time and keep scheduled appointments Provide a positive example to students by supporting the University's Doctrinal Statement, Ethical Position Statement and Mission of Grand Canyon University.
   
   What you need:
   Ability to work a flexible schedule of appointments - schedule will be provided in advance Reliable transportation and the ability to travel to scheduled facility - 33rd and CamelbackTuberculosis (TB) clearance card or be willing and able to obtain and pass a TB test - GCU has an onsite Health Center that can assist with this High School Diploma
   
   #parttime #part-time #actor #patient #acting #GCU #actress #nursing #nurse

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right junior clinical research associate for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with junior clinical research associates they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit junior clinical research associates who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your junior clinical research associate job on Zippia to find and recruit junior clinical research associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with junior clinical research associate candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new junior clinical research associate

   Once you have selected a candidate for the junior clinical research associate position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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