Budget Specialist, Clinical Research

Probity Medical Research Inc. (PMR); Southwestern Ontario; Hybrid; CAD 60,000 - 88,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid or remote work

Job summary

Probity Medical Research Inc. (PMR) based in Waterloo, Ontario, seeks a Budget Specialist to help ensure the financial success of clinical studies by developing, reviewing, and negotiating budgets.

You will collaborate with sponsors, CROs, sites, and internal teams to move studies from planning to activation. This role offers hybrid or remote work across North America and internationally, with opportunities to build specialized budgeting experience within the clinical research industry and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Clinical Research, Health or Life Science or related field.
• Minimum 1 year on-site clinical research coordinator or 2+ years on-site clinical research administration.
• Experience negotiating study budgets is an asset.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel; familiarity with DocuSign and PDFs.

Responsibilities

• Review, negotiate, and finalize initial study budgets and amendments to ensure financial feasibility and timelines.
• Communicate with sponsors, external budget contacts, and sites to negotiate optimal budgets.
• Maintain organizational skills to support daily budget operations.
• Coordinate with Contracts team to align budgets with internal standards.
• Monitor active sites and upcoming projects in KPI trackers.

Skills

Budget negotiation

Financial analysis

Stakeholder management

Budget lifecycle management

Excel proficiency

DocuSign experience

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Project multitasking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Clinical Research, Health or Life Science or related field

Tools

Excel

DocuSign

PDF software

Job description

Based in Waterloo, Ontario, Probity Medical Research (PMR) is a Canadian organization supporting the advancement of clinical research by partnering with research sites, pharmaceutical companies, and contract research organizations. Through our specialized administrative services, we help clinical research teams deliver studies that contribute to the development of new treatments and therapies.

At PMR, employees have the opportunity to contribute to meaningful work while developing specialized knowledge within the clinical research industry. Our teams collaborate across departments and with external partners, providing employees with exposure to a variety of projects, stakeholders, and opportunities to expand their skills.

As a growing organization, we value individuals who are eager to learn, contribute ideas, and help improve the way we work. We are committed to creating a supportive and inclusive workplace where employees can build their expertise, take ownership of their work, and grow alongside the organization.

PMR is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a respectful and inclusive workplace. We offer a benefits program and an opportunity to build specialized experience within the clinical research industry while contributing to the continued success and growth of our organization.

As a Budget Specialist, you will help ensure the financial success of clinical research studies by developing, reviewing, and negotiating clinical trial budgets. Working closely with sponsors, CROs, research sites, and internal teams, you'll play an important role in bringing new clinical studies from planning to activation.

This position offers a unique opportunity to develop expertise at the intersection of finance, negotiation, and clinical research while working with a diverse portfolio of studies and stakeholders across North America and internationally. You'll contribute to improving internal processes, supporting organizational growth, and helping deliver high-quality service to our partners.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

Job Responsibilities

Budget Management

• Review, negotiate, and finalize initial study budgets and amendments to ensure financial feasibility, compliance, and adherence to timelines
• Communicate with sponsors, external budget contacts, and sites to negotiate optimal study budgets
• 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
• Review sponsor budget templates and ensure alignment with internal cost standards and regulatory requirements
• Ensure all applicable study-related costs are accurately captured during the budget negotiation process
• Coordinate with Contracts team to ensure budgets alignment where applicable
• Review and monitor active sites and upcoming projects in team KPI tracker
• Update KPI tracker to ensure accuracy and workload visibility
• 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

Operational Efficiency & Stakeholder Support

• 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
• 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

Additional Responsibilities

• Perform other duties as assigned to contribute to the overall success of the organization’s payment and budget processes

Skills

• Clinical trial budget development, negotiation & financial analysis
• Strong understanding of study cost drivers protocol requirements & site-level budgeting considerations
• Ability to assess sponsor-proposed budgets and develop strategic counterproposals
• Stakeholder advisory support (internal teams, sponsors, external partners)
• Budget lifecycle management & tracking process optimization
• Exceptional attention to detail and financial accuracy
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Analytical thinking, sound judgment & confident decision-making
• Excellent organizational, prioritization & deadline management skills
• Independent work ethic with strong collaborative approach
• Adaptability in high-volume, deadline-driven environments

Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree or college diploma in Clinical Research, Health or Life Science or a related field
• A minimum of 1 year as an on-site clinical research coordinator or clinical research assistant or 2 or more years of on-site clinical research administration experience
• Experience working on or negotiating study budgets would be an asset
• Highly Proficient Microsoft Office Suite Knowledge (Excel)
• Experience with DocuSign and PDF software
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects at once
• A high level of critical and logical thinking, analysis, and/or reasoning

Working Conditions

This role is eligible for hybrid or remote work.