C-Path Jobs in Tucson: 2 Openings Now

Published: August 17, 2026 | By TucsonHIRED Team

TUCSON, AZ — One of the Old Pueblo's most quietly important employers is hiring. Critical Path Institute jobs in Tucson are open right now at the nonprofit known locally as C-Path, with two full-time roles posted: an Associate Director for its NeuroScience Program and a Project Coordinator supporting its clinical outcome assessment work. Together they cover both ends of the ladder, one senior leadership seat and one solid entry point into Tucson's bioscience sector.

Nonprofit mission work, real Tucson salaries, and a benefits package that most employers in town can't match.

📍 The Employer at a Glance

Organization	Critical Path Institute (C-Path)
Type	501(c)(3) nonprofit, regulatory science and medical research
Location	Tucson, AZ
Size	51–200 employees
Open roles on TucsonHIRED	2 (Associate Director, Project Coordinator)
Work setup	Onsite and hybrid, depending on role

Who Is Critical Path Institute?

If you have lived in Tucson a while and never quite placed the name, you are not alone. C-Path does not make a product you can buy. It is a nonprofit that builds partnerships and processes designed to cut the time, cost, and risk out of developing and approving new therapies, working alongside the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, industry scientists, academic researchers, and patient organizations.

The organization has spent roughly two decades in that role, pooling clinical trial data and developing tools that help get new treatments to patients faster. It grew out of the FDA's Critical Path Initiative and has deep roots in the University of Arizona and the broader Southern Arizona research community. Funding comes from a mix of public and private sources.

For job seekers, the practical translation is this: C-Path is a science-adjacent nonprofit with corporate-grade pay and benefits, headquartered here rather than running a satellite office out of somewhere else. That combination is rare in Tucson.

💼 Open Position: Associate Director, NeuroScience Medical Research

Full time | Onsite | $106,240 – $159,360

This is a senior operations and leadership role inside C-Path's NeuroScience Program. The Associate Director manages and mentors a team of project managers and project coordinators, owns program-level budgets and payroll allocations, keeps the program aligned with C-Path's standard operating procedures, and serves as the main bridge between NeuroScience and the organization's central operations teams.

The day-to-day is a genuine mix: financial reporting and grant support, contract and DocuSign workflow, performance reviews and staff development, strategic planning with program leadership, and representing C-Path with regulatory agencies, funders, and research partners. Travel runs light, roughly 5 to 10 percent.

What they're looking for:

Bachelor's degree or 7–10 years of relevant professional experience; an advanced degree such as an MS, MBA, or MPH is preferred
Minimum 7–10 years of formal project management experience
At least 3 years supervising and managing personnel
PMP certification or equivalent experience
Advanced Excel (complex budgeting formulas, pivot reporting, macros) and advanced Word
Comfort with monday.com, SharePoint, Teams, and Salesforce

View the full Associate Director listing and apply.

📋 Open Position: Project Coordinator

Full time | Hybrid | $42,000 – $62,700

This one is the on-ramp. The Project Coordinator supports C-Path's Clinical Outcome Assessment Program and its three consortia, handling meeting scheduling across Outlook, Teams, and Zoom, keeping membership rolls current in Salesforce, preparing agendas and minutes, tracking tasks in monday.com, managing monthly expense reports, and helping plan large virtual and offsite meetings. There is also some general office support in the mix, including front desk coverage and event setup.

What they're looking for:

High school diploma or equivalent; an associate or bachelor's degree is preferred
Around two years of administrative experience preferred
Experience in healthcare or a science-related organization is a plus, not a requirement
Strong organization, attention to detail, and written and verbal communication
Solid Microsoft Office skills plus comfort with SharePoint, Zoom, and Teams

Important: C-Path requires a cover letter for this role. Applications submitted without one will not be reviewed. Do not skip that step.

View the full Project Coordinator listing and apply.

🏆 The Benefits Package

C-Path lists the same benefits overview on both openings, and it is a strong one by Tucson standards:

Medical, dental, and vision insurance
HSA and FSA options
5% employer match on a 403(b), plus an additional 3% company contribution
Company-paid basic life and AD&D, short-term disability, and long-term disability
Generous PTO
16 paid holidays

That retirement structure is the standout. An 8% combined employer contribution is well above what most Southern Arizona employers offer, and over a career it is worth more than a modest bump in base pay.

What It Means for Tucson Job Seekers

These two postings are a useful snapshot of how Tucson's bioscience and research sector actually hires. The senior role wants program management and financial operations chops more than a lab background. The coordinator role wants organization and follow-through, with science experience listed as preferred rather than required. Neither one asks for a PhD.

If you have been building administrative or project management experience elsewhere in town, in healthcare, higher education, or a nonprofit, this is exactly the kind of lateral move that lands you in a growing field. Related paths worth exploring:

🔎 Search These Jobs Now

You can also browse everything C-Path currently has posted on the Critical Path Institute company profile.

Don't Miss the Next Opening

C-Path posts in waves, and the good roles do not sit long. Create a free TucsonHIRED account to save jobs, track your applications, and get alerts when new Tucson openings match what you are looking for.

📢 For Tucson Employers

Hiring in Tucson right now? Post your jobs on TucsonHIRED and reach local candidates who are already searching for work in the Old Pueblo, not scrolling past listings in three other states.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Critical Path Institute do?

C-Path is a Tucson-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that partners with the FDA, industry, academia, and patient groups to reduce the time, cost, and risk involved in developing and approving new medical therapies. It works in regulatory science rather than manufacturing or selling drugs.

How many jobs does Critical Path Institute have open in Tucson?

Two full-time roles are currently posted on TucsonHIRED: Associate Director of NeuroScience Medical Research and Project Coordinator. Check the company profile for the live count.

What does Critical Path Institute pay?

The posted range for the Associate Director role is $106,240 to $159,360. The Project Coordinator role is listed at $42,000 to $62,700. Both are full-time positions.

Are C-Path jobs remote?

Not fully. The Associate Director position is onsite in Tucson. The Project Coordinator position is hybrid, and the program it supports includes both onsite and remote staff.

Do I need a science degree to work at C-Path?

Not for these two openings. The Associate Director role is built around project management, personnel management, and financial operations. The Project Coordinator role requires a high school diploma or equivalent, with an associate or bachelor's degree preferred and healthcare or science experience listed as a plus.

Does the Project Coordinator application require a cover letter?

Yes. C-Path states plainly that applications submitted without a cover letter will not be reviewed or considered for this role.

Tucson's economy gets described in the same three or four categories over and over, and bioscience rarely makes the shortlist. C-Path is a reminder that it should. Two open seats, real pay, and a mission that reaches a lot further than the edge of the Catalinas.

Critical Path Institute Jobs in Tucson: Two Openings Now at C-Path