Senior Clinical Study Researcher

Danone; Utrecht; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Premium pension

30 days annual leave

Health care allowance

Gym discount

Nutrition/health initiatives

Learning opportunities

Job summary

Danone Netherlands seeks a Senior Clinical Study Researcher to provide scientific and methodological expertise across research and innovation projects in medical nutrition. You will translate business needs into evidence plans, design studies, draft protocols and plan analyses in line with SOPs.

You will collaborate with scientists, Clinical Study Managers, Data Managers, Statisticians and cross-functional teams to shape evidence strategies and bring clinical insights to products and services.

Qualifications

• A university degree and/or PhD in life sciences or a related scientific discipline.
• Strong knowledge of study methodology and clinical research.
• Knowledge of ICH-GCP guidelines and medical writing, with excellent English.
• Strong medical nutrition science and business acumen.
• Ability to balance scientific insights with feasibility and timelines.

Responsibilities

• Shape fit-for-purpose evidence plans.
• Drive clinical research methodology across study phases.
• Identify evidence-generation approaches, incl. real-world data.
• Interpret and communicate study results; write reports.
• Strengthen clinical research capability and mentorship.

Skills

Life sciences degree

Clinical research knowledge

ICH-GCP knowledge

Medical nutrition science

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Research design

Mentoring

KOL networking

Education

PhD in life sciences

Job description

About The Job

As Senior Clinical Study Researcher, you will provide scientific and methodological clinical expertise across different phases of our research and innovation projects.

With your solid experience in clinical study methodology and strong scientific skills, you will translate business needs into relevant and fit-for-purpose evidence plans. Your work will cover study design, protocol development, statistical analysis planning, interpretation and reporting of study results, in accordance with applicable legislation and Standard Operating Procedures.

You will work in close collaboration with scientists, Clinical Study Managers, Data Managers, Statisticians, cross-functional business teams and other stakeholders across Danone to ensure the right data is collected.

In this role, you will combine scientific rigour with strong business acumen. You will actively build your understanding of the medical nutrition category, our product portfolio and the commercial context. Working with cross-functional partners, you will identify evidence needs and help shape evidence strategies that support meaningful innovation, differentiation and business impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Shape fit-for-purpose evidence plans. Build a strong understanding of medical nutrition science and the business, including category dynamics, portfolio priorities and stakeholder needs. Use these insights to co-create evidence plans with scientific, medical, regulatory, marketing and other business partners.

• Drive clinical research methodology. Provide methodological and scientific support throughout all phases of clinical studies, evaluate study hypotheses, assess protocol feasibility and contribute to investigator selection. As part of multidisciplinary teams, you will help drive methodological decisions while safeguarding the scientific quality of your studies.

• Identify the right evidence-generation approach. Determine and apply the most appropriate approach for the business question, combining traditional clinical studies with innovative study designs, evidence synthesis, real-world evidence and existing internal or external data sources where relevant.

• Interpret and communicate scientific evidence. Interpret study results and write clinical study reports, abstracts and manuscripts. You will liaise with doctors, scientists and healthcare professionals and build internal and external networks with Key Opinion Leaders, investigators, experts and other relevant stakeholders.

• Strengthen clinical research capability. Supervise and mentor other and new Clinical Study Researchers, while monitoring emerging clinical evidence and study designs in medical nutrition and bringing relevant external developments and perspectives into Danone.

About You

You are passionate about making a difference to health and bringing strong clinical evidence to products and services. With significant experience in clinical research and a thorough scientific understanding of study methodology, clinical research and scientific literature, you are comfortable translating complex scientific questions into relevant evidence approaches.

Scientific rigour comes naturally to you, alongside the curiosity to understand the medical nutrition business, its strategic priorities and commercial context. You are able to balance scientific quality and clinical study design with feasibility, timelines and business relevance.

A pragmatic and adaptable mindset helps you navigate changing business needs, while your precision, analytical thinking and collaborative approach enable you to solve complex challenges and work effectively with a broad range of stakeholders.

Must-haves

• A university degree and/or PhD in life sciences or a related scientific discipline, combined with strong experience in international clinical research within an academic setting, the pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical industry, or another relevant research environment.
• Thorough scientific knowledge of study methodology and clinical research, including the interpretation and application of scientific literature and data, with the ability to monitor emerging clinical evidence and study designs in medical nutrition and bring relevant external insights into Danone.
• Knowledge of ICH-GCP guidelines, applicable clinical research legislation and medical writing, with excellent written and spoken English for developing protocols, study documents, papers and reports, as well as delivering presentations.
• Strong medical nutrition science and business acumen and curiosity, with the ability to understand strategic and commercial priorities and connect them to relevant evidence opportunities.
• Ability to balance scientific and medical nutrition insights, clinical study design and quality, feasibility, timelines and business relevance, supported by strong analytical, organisational and communication skills.

Nice-to-haves

• Expertise or previous experience within the medical nutrition field.
• Hands-on experience with a range of research designs and evidence-generation methods, including interventional and observational studies, pragmatic or decentralised approaches, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, real-world evidence and real-world data, and secondary analyses of existing datasets or other relevant data sources.
• Demonstrated experience building a network of Key Opinion Leaders, investigators and experts within a relevant scientific or therapeutic area.
• Experience supervising or mentoring other Clinical Study Researchers or scientific colleagues.

About Us

At Danone we are committed to our mission “bringing health, through food to as many people as possible”. We are working together to make sure that our brands, like Nutricia and Nutrilon, create real benefits for people, communities and the planet. You will be part of one of the largest Certified B Corps in the world. Being B Corp means to be part of a select movement of companies verified to be meeting the highest standards of social and environmental criteria and using business as a force for good. One Planet. One Health.

Our state‑of‑the‑art research and innovation center builds bridges between food and science and is global in reach, founded on over 125 years of experience in life & food science, technology and user experience and is at the forefront of pioneering advances in specialized nutrition.

We offer:

All Danoners receive a complete package of benefits.

• competitive salary and yearly bonus
• premium free pension
• 30 days of annual leave (with the opportunity to purchase more)
• monthly health care allowance
• discount on your gym membership
• initiatives focused on nutrition, physical, and mental health
• continuous learning opportunities through workshops, online courses and training sessions

We put people at the center of everything we do. Bring your unique perspective, ambitions and ideas to the table – the impact you could make might surprise you. We are committed to embrace diversity, nurturing an inclusive workplace where every individual is valued; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is deeply embedded in Danone's DNA.

* All applications will be considered for a vacancy without discrimination based on ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.