Clinical Study Planning & Scheduling Lead

ThermoFisher Scientific; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Thermo Fisher Scientific in Austin is seeking a Scheduling Lead for early-phase clinical studies. You will own integrated CRU calendars across multiple sites, coordinating study placement for awarded and prospective studies while balancing timelines, bed capacity, and procedural workload.

You will partner with Site Leadership, Investigators, Recruitment, Finance, and operations to develop scheduling solutions and maintain accurate data for capacity planning and business opportunities.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of the clinical trial process, with emphasis on early-phase CRU operations.
• Ability to review and interpret study protocols and identify requirements relevant to scheduling.
• Strong written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent presentation and meeting facilitation skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong time management and ability to manage multiple concurrent activities.
• Demonstrated business maturity, professionalism.
• Ability to work independently as well as in a collaborative team environment.

Responsibilities

• Owns and maintains the integrated study calendars across supported CRUs, coordinating study placement for awarded and prospective studies and ensuring study placement, key milestones, and scheduling changes are accurately and timely reflected.
• Evaluates prospective and awarded studies requiring CRU scheduling or placement assessment, partnering with Feasibility Lead and relevant stakeholders to develop scheduling plans based on protocol requirements, participant and cohort needs, bed capacity, recruitment capability, procedural workload, specialized equipment and processing limitations, holidays, sponsor timelines, and competing site activity.
• Serves as the owner and coordination point for study-calendar changes, evaluating downstream impacts across the portfolio, implementing routine adjustments within established parameters, and developing scheduling alternatives or escalating significant capacity and prioritization decisions to Site Leadership.
• Facilitates cross-functional study placement and scheduling discussions with Site Leadership, Site Investigators, Participant Recruitment, Business Development, and operational stakeholders to identify constraints, challenge assumptions, and develop executable scheduling solutions.
• Coordinates portfolio scheduling across CRUs, including multisite studies, while balancing confirmed and prospective study demand, site-specific capabilities, operational constraints, and available capacity to support study placement and business opportunities.
• Maintains accurate scheduling data, trackers, and planning tools and provides schedule information to Finance and Site Leadership to support capacity planning, revenue forecasting, business decision-making, and continuous improvement of scheduling processes.

Skills

Clinical trials knowledge

Protocol interpretation

Communication skills

Presentation skills

Organizational skills

Time management

Professionalism

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Work Schedule

Other

Environmental Conditions

Office, Some degree of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) required (safety glasses, gowning, gloves, lab coat, ear plugs etc.)

Job Description

Leads study planning and portfolio scheduling across the Austin, Las Vegas, and Prague Clinical Research Units (CRUs), with a primary focus on early-phase clinical studies. Serves as the central owner of the integrated site study calendars, coordinating the placement of awarded and prospective studies and evaluating scheduling changes to maintain accurate, executable plans. Balances study timelines, participant and cohort requirements, bed capacity, operational workload, specialized procedures and equipment, recruitment considerations, and other site constraints to identify scheduling risks and optimize available capacity. Partners cross-functionally with Site Leadership, Site Investigators, Business Development, Participant Recruitment, Finance, and clinical operations teams to develop scheduling solutions, support business opportunities, and facilitate executable study placement and scheduling across individual and multisite studies.

What You'll Do:

• Owns and maintains the integrated study calendars across supported CRUs, coordinating study placement for awarded and prospective studies and ensuring study placement, key milestones, and scheduling changes are accurately and timely reflected.

• Evaluatesprospective and awardedstudiesrequiring CRU schedulingorplacementassessment, partneringwiththe Feasibility Lead and relevantfunctionalstakeholderstodevelopschedulingplansbasedonprotocolrequirements, participant and cohortneeds, bedcapacity, recruitmentcapability, proceduralworkload, specializedequipment and processinglimitations, holidays, sponsortimelines, and competingsiteactivity.

• Serves as the owner and coordination point for study-calendar changes, evaluating downstream impacts across the portfolio, implementing routine adjustments within established parameters, and developing scheduling alternatives or escalating significant capacity and prioritization decisions to Site Leadership.

• Facilitates cross-functional study placement and scheduling discussions with Site Leadership, Site Investigators, Participant Recruitment, Business Development, and operational stakeholders to identify constraints, challenge assumptions, and develop executable scheduling solutions.

• Coordinates portfolio scheduling across CRUs, including multisite studies, while balancing confirmed and prospective study demand, site-specific capabilities, operational constraints, and available capacity to support study placement and business opportunities.

• Maintains accuratescheduling data, trackers, and planning tools and provides schedule information to Finance and Site Leadership to support capacity planning, revenue forecasting, business decision-making, and continuous improvement of scheduling processes.

• Coordinates administrative activities supporting the Human Safety Committee (HSC), including managing submissions, scheduling reviews, preparing agendas and meeting materials, facilitating meetings, documenting minutes and decisions, and tracking follow-up activities in accordance with applicable procedures.

• Coordinates the CRU study placement process, ensuring required scheduling and operational inputs are available for review, facilitating study placement discussions, documenting placement decisions and action items, and ensuring approved study placements and scheduling changes are accurately reflected in the applicable CRU calendars. Participates in client discussions as needed to communicate scheduling considerations, site capacity constraints, and potential scheduling alternatives.

• Evaluatesprospective and awardedstudiesrequiring CRU schedulingorplacementassessment, partneringwiththe Feasibility Lead and relevantfunctionalstakeholderstodevelopschedulingplansbasedonprotocolrequirements, participant and cohortneeds, bedcapacity, recruitmentcapability, proceduralworkload, specializedequipment and processinglimitations, holidays, sponsortimelines, and competingsiteactivity.

• Serves as the owner and coordination point for study-calendar changes, evaluating downstream impacts across the portfolio, implementing routine adjustments within established parameters, and developing scheduling alternatives or escalating significant capacity and prioritization decisions to Site Leadership.

Education & Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent and relevant formal academic / vocational qualification
• Previous experience that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job (comparable to 0 to 2 years).

Years of experience refers to typical years of related experience needed to gain the required knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the essential functions of the job. Years of experience are not to be used as the only determining factor in establishing the job class or making employment selection decisions.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Knowledge of the clinical trial process, with an emphasis on early-phase clinical research and CRU operations

• Ability to review and interpret study protocols and identify requirements relevant to study scheduling and placement

• Strong written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills

• Excellent presentation and meeting facilitation skills

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail

• Strong time management, prioritization, and ability to manage multiple concurrent activities

• Demonstrated business maturity, professionalism

• Ability to work independently as well as in a collaborative team environment

Working Conditions and Environment:

• Work is performed in an office/ laboratory and/or a clinical environment.
• Exposure to biological fluids with potential exposure to infectious organisms.
• Exposure to electrical office equipment.
• Personal protective equipment required such as protective eyewear, garments and gloves.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to work in an upright and /or stationary position for 6-8 hours per day.

• Repetitive hand movement of both hands with the ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.

• Frequent mobility required.

• Occasional crouching, stooping, with frequent bending and twisting of upper body and neck.

• Light to moderate lifting and carrying (or otherwise moves) objects including luggage and laptop computer with a maximum lift of 15-20 lbs.

• Ability to access and use a variety of computer software developed both in-house and off-the-shelf.

• Ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand; with the ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

• Frequently interacts with others to obtain or relayinformation to diverse groups.

• Performs a wide range of variable tasks as dictated by variable demands and changing conditions with little predictability as to the occurrence. Ability to perform under stress. Ability to multi-task.

• Regular and consistent attendance.

Why Join Us?

When you join Thermo Fisher Scientific, you become part of a global team that values passion, innovation, and a commitment to scientific excellence. You’ll work in an environment where collaboration and development are part of the everyday experience—and where your contributions truly make a difference.

Thermo Fisher Scientific is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.