Director, Site Budgets

MSD•North Wales, PA

1d•$173,200 - $272,600

About The Position

The Head, Site Budgets serves as the global capability leader for clinical trial site budgeting within Regional Operations. The role is accountable for the performance, quality, consistency, competitiveness, and strategic advancement of the company's site budget capability worldwide. Through leadership of the Trial Initiation Specialist (TIS) organization and partnership with Regional Operations, Clinical Operations, Compliance, Finance, and Site Budgets and Payments Operational Excellence, the position ensures that site budget expertise, negotiation practices, decision frameworks, and organizational capabilities evolve to meet changing portfolio, market, and business needs while enabling timely and compliant trial execution. The role represents Regional Operations in governance forums and cross-functional partnerships, serving as the accountable leader for Site Budgets. It promotes risk-based decision-making, a globally consistent operating model, and compliant site budget strategies aligned with applicable regulations, Fair Market Value principles, and standard-of-care requirements. The position also sponsors responsible digital, data-driven, and AI-enabled ways of working. The position is based primarily in North Wales (Upper Gwynedd), Pennsylvania. Travel requirements are 25%; the shift is first shift/day. The role is a regular employee position, with no relocation offered and no visa sponsorship.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree; scientific, business, or related discipline preferred.
At least 10 years of clinical research experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology 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 teams of professional employees, directly or indirectly.
Proven success leading teams, developing talent, and driving operational performance in a matrixed environment.
Ability to use data and insights to support decision-making, continuous improvement, and business objectives.
Ability to communicate complex issues and influence decision-making at senior leadership levels.
Strong collaboration, stakeholder management, and relationship-building skills, including the ability to build partnerships across functions and geographies.
Initiative, innovative thinking, and a continuous-improvement mindset, with the ability to challenge traditional approaches and identify opportunities to simplify, modernize, and transform work.
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.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree.
Clinical research experience.
Global experience.

Responsibilities

Own the global Site Budgets capability, setting strategic direction and evolving budget expertise, methodologies, negotiation practices, and organizational capabilities to meet 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 industry trends.
Establish and maintain a globally consistent site budget operating model that incorporates regional and country perspectives and promotes clear decision rights, escalation pathways, and appropriate local ownership.
Build strategic relationships with country, regional, global, and external stakeholders to strengthen delivery.
Promote risk-based decision-making and governance frameworks that empower country and regional teams while providing oversight for 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, ensuring processes, systems, analytics, training, governance, and change solutions support business outcomes.
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 align with applicable regulations, Fair Market Value principles, standard-of-care requirements, and compliant business practices.
Foster accountability, sound judgment, negotiation excellence, continuous improvement, innovation, collaboration, and empowered decision-making.
Sponsor responsible digital, data-driven, and AI-enabled ways of working.