Senior Budget Specialist, Clinical Research

Probity Medical Research Inc•Waterloo, ON

1d•CA$36 - CA$40•Hybrid

About The Position

Probity Medical Research (PMR) is seeking a Senior Budget Specialist, Clinical Research to join their team. This role is crucial for the financial and operational success of clinical research activities. The Senior Budget Specialist will lead the review, negotiation, and finalization of complex clinical trial budgets and amendments. Key responsibilities include assessing financial feasibility, identifying budget risks, ensuring alignment with organizational standards and sponsor requirements, and developing effective budget strategies. The role involves close collaboration with internal teams, sponsors, CROs, and external research sites, serving as a primary contact for budget-related inquiries and providing expert guidance. Additionally, the position contributes to refining budget processes, developing standardized tools, and enhancing operational efficiency. The Senior Budget Specialist must manage multiple complex studies independently, adapt to changing priorities, and meet critical study activation timelines, demonstrating strong judgment, discretion, and attention to detail. Mentorship of team members and collaborative contributions to continuous improvement are also expected. While remote work is an option, on-site availability is required for specific meetings, training, or operational needs.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree or college diploma in Finance, Business Administration, Accounting, Economics, Life Sciences, or a related field.
A minimum of 5 years’ work experience in clinical research budgets, negotiating and developing clinical trial budgets.
Strong understanding of clinical trial budget development, cost analysis, and financial feasibility.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite Knowledge (particularly Word and Excel).
Experience using DocuSign and PDF editing software.
Ability to maintain confidentiality while handling sensitive financial and contractual information.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple competing priorities and consistently meet deadlines.
High level of analytical reasoning, financial judgment, and attention to detail.
Advanced Budget Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
Financial Analysis and Critical Thinking
Attention to Detail
Excellent Written and Verbal Communication Skills
Advanced Organizational and Time Management Skills
Process Improvement and Process Analysis
Creative and Innovative Thinking
Ability to work independently and be a team player
Stakeholder Relationship Management
Adaptability and Flexibility
Collaboration and Teamwork
Advanced Problem-Solving and Decision Making
High level of professionalism and discretion

Nice To Haves

Experience mentoring, training, or providing technical guidance to colleagues is considered a strong asset.
Task Delegation

Responsibilities

Lead, review, negotiate, and finalize complex study budgets and amendments to ensure financial feasibility, compliance, and adherence to timelines.
Independently manage high-priority, high-value, or complex budget negotiations with sponsors, external budget contacts, and research sites.
Maintain a high degree of organizational skills to ensure smooth and efficient daily budget operations.
Apply strong negotiating skills to secure favorable study budget allocations.
Provide expert interpretation of sponsor budget templates, payment schedules, and financial terms to ensure alignment with internal costing standards and operational requirements.
Ensure all applicable study-related costs are accurately captured during the budget negotiation process.
Identify financial risks, inconsistencies, or contractual impacts during budget development and recommend appropriate solutions.
Coordinate with Contracts team to ensure budgets alignment where applicable.
Prioritize workload based on site activation timelines and project volume; collaborate with internal teams to ensure timely budget delivery and study startup.
Serve as a key point of contact for internal and external inquiries related to assigned study budgets.
Manage and respond to email communications promptly to support ongoing study operations and budget accuracy.
Build and maintain effective working relationships with sponsors, CROs, investigators, and internal stakeholders to facilitate efficient study start-up.
Reassess priorities regularly to meet the evolving demands of budget negotiations and site activations.
Assist the Budgets Team Lead in identifying and implementing process improvements to enhance efficiency and consistency.
Support onboarding and training of new team members to ensure understanding of budget processes and tools.
Review work completed by junior team members for quality, consistency, and adherence to department standards, where assigned.
Identify opportunities to improve budget workflows, standardization, documentation, and operational efficiency.
Participate in the development, implementation, and maintenance of departmental policies, procedures, templates, and best practices.
Analyze trends in budget negotiations, sponsor requirements, and operational performance to recommend process enhancements.
Perform other duties as assigned to contribute to the overall success of the organization’s payment and budget processes.