CRA Manager

MSD; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

MSD is seeking a Senior CRA Operations Manager to lead staff development, capacity planning and process consistency across sites in a hybrid work environment. You will manage CRA performance, provide training, and collaborate with HR, finance and global partners to ensure timely study delivery.

The role requires 8-10 years in Clinical Research, strong leadership, and fluency in English and Greek. You will drive quality, compliance and continuous improvement across the network.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Science required; advanced degree in a relevant scientific or healthcare field preferred.
• 8-10 years of professional experience, and a minimum of 5 years’ experience in Clinical Research.
• Fluent in both Greek and English.
• Strong working knowledge of ICH/GCP regulations and Good Documentation Practices.
• Proven leadership, people management, and team management experience is preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, conflict management, and relationship-building skills with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong critical thinking, risk-based decision-making, and accountability within delegated authority.
• Demonstrated ability to manage change, drive continuous improvement, and maintain quality and compliance.
• Highly organized with strong time management, project management, and operational coordination skills.
• Digitally proficient, with experience using clinical systems, monitoring tools, dashboards, analytics, and approved AI-enabled tools.
• Risk based decision making and leadership, critical thinking, change management, accountability and decision rights as these will be critical for the candidate’s selection.

Responsibilities

• Work allocation, staff development and performance appraisal.
• Provide input for capacity planning and forecasting CRA capacity and needs.
• Ensure consistency of processes and protocol implementation across the country.
• Resolve site or CRA operational issues to meet commitments in a timely manner.
• Attend local Investigator Meetings if requested to.
• Interface with GCTO partners on clinical trial execution.
• Escalate site performance issues to CRM and Clinical Research Director CRD.
• Manage CRA career development and performance reviews.
• Support and resolve escalation of issues from CRAs.
• Liaise with local HR and finance functions as required.
• Contribute to HQ capacity/resource planning activities to ensure efficient allocation of resources.
• Provide training, support and mentoring to the CRA to ensure continuous development.
• Ensure CRA compliance to corporate policies, procedures and quality standard.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Team management

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Conflict management

Relationship building

Risk-based decision making

Change management

Time management

Project management

Operational coordination

Digital proficiency

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Science

Advanced degree in relevant field

Tools

Clinical systems

Monitoring tools

Dashboards

Analytics

AI-enabled tools

Job description

Responsibilities

• Work allocation, staff development and performance appraisal.
• Provides input for capacity planning, including reporting of current manpower and forecasting of CRA capacity and needs, to provide efficient use of resources.
• Work with CRAs, PLMS and other functions to ensure consistency of processes and protocol implementation across the country, to reduce variability and provide predictability.
• Interacts with sites as needed to resolve site or CRA operational issues to meet commitments in a timely manner in coordination with the study CRM.
• Attend local Investigator Meetings if requested to.
• Interface with GCTO partners on clinical trial execution.
• Escalates site performance issues to CRM and Clinical Research Director CRD.
• Manage CRA – career development, performance reviews, etc., including addressing low performance situations, and taking appropriate actions.
• Support and resolve escalation of issues from CRAs.
• Liaise with local HR and finance functions as required.
• Contribute to HQ capacity/resource planning activities to ensure efficient allocation of resources and work. Manage local conflicts between resource and work.
• Provides training, support and mentoring to the CRA to ensure continuous development.
• Ensures CRA compliance to corporate policies, procedures and quality standard.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Science required; advanced degree in a relevant scientific or healthcare field preferred.
• 8-10 years of professional experience, and a minimum of 5 years’ experience in Clinical Research.
• Fluent in both Greek and English.
• Strong working knowledge of ICH/GCP regulations and Good Documentation Practices.
• Proven leadership, people management, and team management experience is preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, conflict management, and relationship-building skills with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong critical thinking, risk-based decision-making, and accountability within delegated authority.
• Demonstrated ability to manage change, drive continuous improvement, and maintain quality and compliance.
• Highly organized with strong time management, project management, and operational coordination skills.
• Digitally proficient, with experience using clinical systems, monitoring tools, dashboards, analytics, and approved AI-enabled tools.
• Risk based decision making and leadership, critical thinking, change management, accountability and decision rights as these will be critical for the candidate’s selection.

We offer an attractive compensation package, outstanding benefits, and an exciting work environment with varied tasks in an international environment.

Required Skills

Adaptability, Adaptability, Capacity Planning, Clinical Research, Clinical Research Management, Clinical Trial Documentation, Clinical Trial Management, Clinical Trial Planning, Clinical Trials Monitoring, Clinical Trials Operations, Coaching, Cross-Cultural Awareness, Decision Making, Emotional Intelligence, Ethical Standards, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Leadership, Line Management, Oncology Trials, On Site Monitoring, People Leadership, People Management, Performance Feedback, Relationship Management, Resource Allocation Planning {+ 5 more}

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Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

Employee Status: Regular

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Flexible Work Arrangements: Hybrid

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Job Posting End Date: 11/17/2026*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.