Director, Site Budgets

Primary Responsibilities

• Own the global Site Budgets capability, defining its strategic direction and ensuring budget expertise, methodologies, negotiation practices, and organizational capabilities evolve to meet changing portfolio, market, and business needs.
• Lead the Trial Initiation Specialist (TIS) organization, with accountability for workforce capability, organizational performance, service delivery, budget quality, and stakeholder outcomes.
• Serve as the senior business authority for clinical trial site budgeting, providing leadership on budget strategy, competitiveness, negotiation approaches, Fair Market Value application, and emerging industry trends.
• Establish and maintain a globally consistent site budget operating model that incorporates regional and country perspectives while promoting clear decision rights, escalation pathways, and appropriate local ownership.
• Build strategic relationships across country, regional, global and external stakeholders to strengthen delivery.
• Promote risk-based decision-making and governance frameworks that empower country and regional teams while ensuring appropriate oversight of complex, novel, or higher-risk scenarios.
• Use operational data, market intelligence, and stakeholder insights to guide strategic priorities, workforce planning, performance improvement, and business decisions.
• Partner with Site Budgets and Payments Operational Excellence to define business requirements, priorities, and future capability needs.
• Represent Regional Operations in governance forums and cross-functional partnerships as the accountable leader for the Site Budgets capability.
• Ensure site budget strategies and decisions are aligned with applicable regulations, Fair Market Value principles, standard of care requirements, and compliant business practices.
• Foster a culture of accountability, sound judgment, negotiation excellence, continuous improvement, innovation, collaboration, and empowered decision-making.

Required Education

A minimum of a bachelor's degree is required (scientific, business, or related discipline preferred); advanced degree a plus.

Required Experience and Skills

• 10+ years of clinical research experience in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry, including experience leading operational teams and driving business outcomes in complex environments.
• Strong business acumen and understanding of clinical trial financial operations, including site budgets, investigator grants, payments, Fair Market Value principles, and related operational processes.
• Experience managing directly or indirectly teams of professional employees.
• Proven success leading teams, developing talent, and driving operational performance in a matrixed environment.
• Ability to leverage data and insights to support decision-making, continuous improvement, and achievement of business objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex issues and influence decision-making at senior leadership levels.
• Strong collaboration, stakeholder management, and relationship-building skills.
• Demonstrates initiative, innovative thinking, and a continuous improvement mindset.
• Strong communication, presentation, and change leadership skills.
• Knowledge of and ability to apply Good Clinical Practice (GCP)/International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Strong organizational, prioritization, and execution management skills.

Preferred Skills

Clinical Research, Global Experience