Director, Site Budgets

MSD • North Wales, PA

22h • $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 sets global strategy and operating practices for site budgeting, leads a professional organization, and serves as the senior business authority on clinical trial site budgeting. It promotes risk-based governance, uses operational data and market intelligence to inform decisions, and represents Regional Operations in governance forums and cross-functional partnerships. The position also ensures alignment with applicable regulations, Fair Market Value principles, standard-of-care requirements, and compliant business practices.

The role is based primarily in North Wales, Pennsylvania. It is a regular position with a day shift, 25% travel, and no relocation. The company offers a comprehensive benefits package, and the successful candidate is eligible for an annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

Requirements

• A minimum of a bachelor's degree is required.
• 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 teams of professional employees, directly or indirectly.
• 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, with the ability to develop effective partnerships across functions and geographies.
• Demonstrates initiative, innovative thinking, and a continuous improvement mindset, with the ability to challenge traditional approaches and identify opportunities to simplify, modernize, and transform how work is performed.
• 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.
• Sponsors responsible digital, data-driven, and AI-enabled ways of working.
• Required skills include Business Decisions, Clinical Trial Management, Clinical Trials Operations, Ethical Standards, Executive Presence, ICH GCP Guidelines, Motivating People, Multiple Therapeutic Areas, Organizational Leadership, People Leadership, Process Improvements, Relationship Management, Stakeholder Analysis, Strategic Analysis, Strategic Thinking, and Strategy Development.

Nice To Haves

• Scientific, business, or related discipline preferred.
• Advanced degree is a plus.
• Clinical Research.
• Global Experience.

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, ensuring enabling processes, systems, analytics, training, governance, and change solutions effectively 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 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.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision healthcare, and other insurance benefits for employee and family.
• Retirement benefits, including 401(k).
• Paid holidays.
• Vacation.
• Compassionate and sick days.
• Eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director