Jess Lightner

Marketing Strategist + Team Leader

Director, Digital Marketing – Velocity Clinical Research

June 2021–Present

Clinical Research Site Network website - desktop and mobile view

Executing innovative marketing strategies and scalable solutions to support a growing global clinical research network.

Key Challenges and Solutions

Challenge: Scaling digital marketing operations across 80 clinical research sites during a period of rapid growth and private equity acquisition.

Solution: Rebuilt the company website, implemented SEO strategies achieving 500% YoY growth, and established processes to manage content for all sites efficiently. Additionally, developed a patient review system leading to a 300% increase in Google reviews and supported the brand transition from Meridian to Velocity Clinical Research.

What I Learned:
Marketing success often boils down to execution—getting things done while balancing strategy. I also learned the importance of aligning team missions to the broader company goals, which keeps everyone moving in the same direction.

Skills Mastered:

  • Large-scale website management and SEO optimization
  • Marketing automation and lead tracking systems
  • Cross-functional collaboration and team mentorship

Tools & Technologies Used:
WordPress, Salesforce CRM, Google Analytics, SEMrush, Meta Ad Platform, Google Ads, Power BI, Power Automate, Tableau, SendGrid

Most Memorable Project:
Rebuilding the company website while implementing a seamless content management system for 80+ site locations. This project demonstrated the power of collaboration and efficient systems to deliver outsized results with a small team.

Work with me

If you’d like to learn more about working together or say hello, email me at hello@jesslightner.com.