Clinical Research Associate Resume Examples and Templates for 2023

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According to Payscale.com, the average annual salary for clinical research associates was $68,724 in 2022. As a CRA, you’ll be tasked with ensuring the accuracy, transparency, and efficiency of clinical trials. You’ll also be responsible for ensuring that the studies are ethical and compliant with the Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) regulations. To build a compelling resume and grab the hiring manager’s attention, you’ll want to create an accomplishment-driven document that showcases your expertise in accomplishing these objectives throughout your career. It’s important to highlight specifics of the clinical trials you were supporting to paint a clearer picture of your experience for the reader. Below, you’ll find three resume examples for entry-level job seekers and clinical research associates with years of professional experience.

Clinical Research Associate Resumes Created Using Our ResumeBuilder

Example #1 Entry-level

Example #2 Mid-career

Example #3 Senior-level

Clinical Research Associate Text-Only Resume Examples

Years of Experience
  • Entry-level Entry-level
  • Mid-career Mid-career
  • Senior-level Senior-level

Jessica Lang
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Santa Maria, San Francisco, CA 12345

Profile

A Clinical Research Associate with entry-level experience, specializing in quality control, audits, continuous improvement, and GCP regulations. Adept at analyzing complex data sets and identifying opportunities to enhance the quality of clinical research initiatives.

Professional Experience

Clinical Research Associate, Arkline Pharmaceuticals, San Francisco, CA
September 2021 – Present

  • Wrote clinical trial documentation for a pharmaceutical company analyzing the efficacy of a new antidepressant, including consent forms, study protocols, and QC guidelines
  • Ensure compliance with FDA, ICH, and GCP regulations, conduct study audits, develop SOPs, and identify opportunities to reduce protocol deviations
  • Coordinate with research coordinators to ensure the accuracy and transparency of data

Clinical Research Internship, Solaris Biomedical, San Francisco, CA
May 2021 – September 2021

  • Provided support for the planning and execution of clinical studies under the direction of the CRA, including reviewing documentation and driving process improvements
  • Ensured compliance with ethical and scientific standards for data collection and analysis

Education

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Clinical Research
University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA  September 2017 – May 2021

Key Skills

  • Clinical Research
  • GCP Regulations
  • Clinical Trial Documentation
  • Process Improvement
  • Quality Control

Certifications

  • Certified Clinical Research Associate (CCRA), ACRA, 2021

Skyler Thompson
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Pine Brook Dr, Miami, FL 12345

Profile

A Clinical Research Associate with five years of experience, specializing in ensuring compliance with GCP, FDA, and ICH regulations. A strong history of building strategic partnerships and developing strategies to improve patient recruitment and retention.

Professional Experience

Clinical Research Associate, Heart and Wellness Research Firm, Miami, FL
September 2019 – Present

  • Coordinate with multidisciplinary research teams to execute clinical trials for cardiology research, including patient enrollment, qualification visits, and site initiation visits
  • Define strategies for patient recruitment, build strategic partnerships with healthcare organizations, and develop new recruitment channels, resulting in a 120% increase in patient retention and a 50% reduction in associated recruitment costs
  • Establish new documentation review protocols to ensure GCP regulatory compliance and reduce delays associated with IRB compliance by 40%

Clinical Research Associate, St. John’s Medical Center, Miami, FL
May 2017 – September 2019

  • Identified investigators, led patient recruitment initiatives, performed site initiatives visits (SIV), and conducted pre-study activities for oncology clinical research trials
  • Managed preparation of documentation for IRB submissions and patient enrollment, including study protocols, consent forms, and confidentiality agreements

Education

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Clinical Research
University of Miami, Miami, FL September 2013 – May 2017

Key Skills

  • Patient Recruitment
  • Clinical Research Qualification
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Clinical Studies
  • GCP Regulations

Certifications

  • Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP), SORCA, 2020
  • Certified Clinical Research Associate (CCRA), ACRA, 2017

Mina Sayed
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Carpenter Street, Philadelphia, PA, 12345

Profile

A Clinical Research Associate with five 10+ of experience, specializing in CTMS, EDMS, regulatory compliance, and SAE reporting. A proven track record of collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to execute complex clinical research initiatives.

Professional Experience

Senior Clinical Research Associate, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
September 2015 – Present

  • Deliver research support for a series of clinical trials for the neurology department, including IRB submissions, patient recruitment, and the development of study protocols
  • Utilize clinical trial management systems (CTMS) to coordinate project management functions of clinical trials, including patient tracking and study deviations
  • Oversee Serious Adverse Event (SAE) reporting activities, including coordinating with the Principal Investigator to ensure transparency and accurate reporting of adverse events

Clinical Research Associate, Temple Hospital, Philadelphia, PA
May 2012– September 2015

  • Provided essential support for the execution of clinical research trials, which included creating documentation for IRB submissions and interfacing with sponsors through the duration of the trial lifecycle
  • Ensured proper tracking and organization of patient visits, drug supply, and adverse events using electronic data capture (EDC) and clinical trial management systems (CTMS)

Education

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Clinical Research
Temple University, Philadelphia, PA September 2008 – May 2012

Key Skills

  • Serious Adverse Event (SAE) Reporting
  • Clinical Trial Management Systems (CTMS)
  • Electronic Data Capture (EDC)
  • IRB Submissions
  • Relationship Building

Certifications

  • Certified Clinical Research Coordinator (CCRC), 2016
  • Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP), SORCA, 2014
  • Certified Clinical Research Associate (CCRA), ACRA, 2012

Tips for Writing a Better Clinical Research Associate Resume

Now that you’ve seen some examples of strong clinical research associate resumes, we’ll examine how you can adapt these best practices to build your own document. A CRA needs to highlight their knowledge and experience in regulatory compliance, patient recruitment, and the creation of clinical trial documentation. Each of these is vital to the success of a clinical research initiative, and you’ll need to feature career achievements that demonstrate your expertise in these key areas. Below, you’ll find expert tips to help you showcase the most important aspects of your clinical research associate experience on your resume.

1. Showcase clinical research KPIs

Incorporating KPIs to highlight the success of your clinical trials will enhance the impact of your bullet points and grab the attention of potential employers. Patient recruitment and retention are essential for the success of a research study. You’ll want to feature accomplishments that showcase your ability to improve enrollment and retain patients during your clinical trials. In the example below, the job seeker effectively leverages these metrics to their advantage. They also draw attention to how they successfully reduced delays associated with internal review boards (IRBs), which can substantially impact the life cycle of a clinical trial.

  • Define strategies for patient recruitment, build strategic partnerships with healthcare organizations, and develop new recruitment channels, resulting in a 120% increase in patient retention and a 50% reduction in associated recruitment costs
  • Establish new documentation review protocols to ensure GCP regulatory compliance and reduce delays associated with IRB compliance by 40%

2. Highlight your expertise in regulatory compliance

As a clinical research associate, your primary job responsibilities will revolve around ensuring regulatory compliance during clinical trials. Good clinical practice (GCP) regulations are the most important to feature. These guarantee the safety and wellbeing of clinical trial participants and are heavily analyzed by internal review boards (IRBs). For a pharmaceutical clinical trial, you’ll also need to meet the requirements to achieve Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. In the example below, the candidate draws attention to their expertise in achieving and maintaining compliance with these regulations, which is an extremely valuable experience in the eyes of potential employers.

  • Wrote clinical trial documentation for a pharmaceutical company analyzing the efficacy of a new antidepressant, including consent forms, study protocols, and QC guidelines
  • Ensure compliance with FDA, ICH, and GCP regulations, conduct study audits, develop SOPs, and identify opportunities to reduce protocol deviations

3. Feature clinical research reporting activities

Another essential aspect of a CRA’s role is to ensure proper reporting of clinical research data throughout the trial. One of the most important types is known as a Serious Adverse Event (SAE), which involves reporting serious injuries, hospitalization, or death of a trial subject. Employers need to see that you have the expertise to support their organization with all of their clinical reporting requirements. You’ll want to feature this experience heavily on your resume. In the example below, the job seeker showcases their expertise in SAE reporting and their knowledge of CTMS, which research organizations have heavily adopted to centralize data reporting.

  • Deliver research support for a series of clinical trials for the neurology department, including IRB submissions, patient recruitment, and the development of study protocols
  • Utilize clinical trial management systems (CTMS) to coordinate project management functions of clinical trials, including patient tracking and study deviations
  • Oversee Serious Adverse Event (SAE) reporting activities, including coordinating with the Principal Investigator to ensure transparency of adverse events for the IRB

Key Skills Hiring Managers Look for on Clinical Research Associate Resumes

Organizations utilize Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to identify qualified applicants based on specific keyword requirements. If your document lacks a sufficient number of key terms, you may not advance to the next phase of the hiring process. Incorporating appropriate terminology is also important for making a positive impression on the hiring manager. You want to send a strong message that you have all of the qualifications the organization is looking for. Below, you’ll find a list of potential keywords that you may encounter while pursuing clinical research associate positions:

Key Skills and Proficiencies
Clinical Development Clinical Monitoring
Clinical Research Studies Clinical Trials
Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS) Confidentiality Agreements
Electronic Data Capture (EDC) FDA Regulations
Good Clinical Practices (GCP) Regulations ICH Guidelines
IRB Submissions Patient Consent Forms
Patient Recruitment Patient Retention
Process Improvement Serious Adverse Event (SAE) Reporting
Site Initiation Visits (SIV) Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Study Protocols Quality Control

Common Action Verbs for Clinical Research Associate Resumes

It’s easy to run out of action verbs when crafting your resume. You may find that you can use only a limited number of words to accurately describe your professional experience. This can be especially challenging for professionals in the healthcare or pharmaceutical industries. To help you keep your content fresh and enhance the readability of your bullet points, we’ve provided a list of action verbs you can use to convey your work experience:

Action Verbs
Analyzed Audited
Collaborated Communicated
Conducted Coordinated
Delivered Developed
Diagnosed Drove
Enhanced Evaluated
Executed Identified
Interfaced Implemented
Improved Led
Managed Oversaw
Partnered Performed
Provided Resolved
Supported  

How to Align Your Clinical Research Associate Resume With the Job Description

Tailoring your resume to the job description can grant you a competitive edge over the competition during the hiring process. To grab the hiring manager’s attention, you need to carefully evaluate how your clinical research associate experience aligns with the needs of the organization you’re applying to. Showcasing your knowledge of regulations for clinical trials is important, but you also want to emphasize soft skills. For example, you may want to provide insights into your ability to collaborate with diverse teams and third-party sponsors, as a CRA often interacts with a variety of groups during the clinical trial lifecycle. Demonstrating that you possess the clinical research and communication skills to succeed in the role will help employers see that you’re the right fit for their culture and long-term objectives.

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Frank Hackett

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)

Frank Hackett is a professional resume writer and career consultant with over eight years of experience. As the lead editor at a boutique career consulting firm, Frank developed an innovative approach to resume writing that empowers job seekers to tell their professional stories. His approach involves creating accomplishment-driven documents that balance keyword optimization with personal branding. Frank is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PAWRCC).