Senior Contracts & Budgets Negotiator

Centricity Research

About The Position

We are looking for an experienced Senior Contracts & Budgets Negotiator to join our growing clinical research team. In this role, you’ll lead the preparation, review, and negotiation of clinical trial budgets and agreements that support study start-up and ongoing research activities across our site network. You’ll work closely with sponsors, CROs, Principal Investigators, Study Start-Up, Regulatory, Finance, and Operations teams to ensure contracts and budgets are accurate, compliant, and aligned with protocol requirements and operational needs. This is a fast-paced, highly collaborative role that requires strong negotiation skills, attention to detail, and the ability to confidently manage multiple complex studies and timelines simultaneously. Your work will directly impact study activation timelines, financial performance, and overall operational success.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in clinical research contracts and budgets, study start-up, clinical trial finance, or a related field.
Experience independently negotiating clinical trial budgets and reviewing CTAs with sponsors and CROs.
Understand clinical research financial workflows, protocol-driven budgeting, and site operations.
Familiarity with CTMS platforms and clinical trial tracking systems.
Exceptional attention to detail and ability to manage multiple high-priority negotiations simultaneously.
Highly organized and able to work effectively in a deadline-driven environment.
Professional and confident communication with sponsors, CROs, vendors, investigators, and internal stakeholders.
Enjoy problem-solving and can proactively identify risks, inconsistencies, and opportunities within contracts and budgets.
Thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced environment where priorities can shift quickly.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Healthcare Administration, Life Sciences, or a related field (or equivalent experience).

Responsibilities

Prepare, review, negotiate, and maintain Clinical Trial Agreements (CTAs), Statements of Work (SOWs), budgets, and related study documents.
Lead budget negotiations with sponsors and CROs to ensure appropriate coverage for study procedures, staff effort, and operational costs.
Review contracts and budgets for legal, financial, operational, and protocol-related risks or gaps.
Lead internal budget review meetings with clinical and operational teams to ensure alignment between study budgets, protocol requirements, staffing needs, and projected revenue impact.
Partner with site and operational stakeholders to validate study assumptions, resource allocation, and financial feasibility prior to study activation.
Manage budget amendments, stipend negotiations, and ongoing financial updates throughout the lifecycle of a study.
Coordinate vendor pricing and agreements for external study procedures and services.
Partner closely with Study Start-Up and Regulatory teams to support timely study activation and enrollment readiness.
Maintain working knowledge of study protocols and amendments impacting financial or contractual obligations.
Communicate budget and stipend updates to internal stakeholders to support regulatory submissions and study execution.
Maintain organized trackers, documentation, and audit-ready records across assigned studies.
Collaborate cross-functionally with Operations, Finance, Regulatory, and site teams to resolve issues and support study success.
Leverage technology and emerging AI-enabled tools to improve efficiency, accuracy, reporting, and workflow optimization within the contracts and budgets process.