Clinical Trial Manager - Contractor

Scorpion Therapeutics; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Scorpion Therapeutics is seeking a senior professional to independently manage outsourced clinical development activities across Phases I–III, including vendor selection, contract negotiations, and governance. You will guide cross-functional teams, optimize sourcing strategies, and drive audit readiness while partnering with Finance on budgets and vendor communications.

The role requires extensive experience in pharmaceutical outsourcing, strong negotiation skills, and the ability to manage

Qualifications

• B.A./B.S. required; MBA preferred.
• 10+ years related business/industry experience.
• Experience in clinical outsourcing (pharmaceutical, biotech, academia, or CROs).
• Experience with vendor selection (RFI/RFP), contracting, and budget negotiation.
• Direct/indirect management of vendor governance meetings and processes.
• Managing direct reports preferred (not required).
• Demonstrated Ph I–III outsourcing and audit preparedness; expert knowledge of pharma sourcing/procurement, vendor relationship management, governance/oversight; insight into clinical vendor landscape; strong financial acumen.

Responsibilities

• Independently manage outsourcing activities for Phase I–III trials and Clinical Development projects across the full contract life cycle.
• Negotiate vendor Master Service Agreements and amendments.
• Manage global contract agreements supporting multiple functions.
• Guide project teams through sourcing and advise on best practices.
• Partner with study teams on supplier bidding and bid defense meetings.
• Lead contract-related vendor communications and resolve budget/contract questions.
• Coordinate with Finance on financial queries and budgets.
• Create/modify contract provisions and templates with Legal.

Skills

Vendor management

Contract negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

Financial acumen

Audits readiness

Education

B.A./B.S.

MBA

Tools

MS Excel

MS Word

PowerPoint

Outlook

Job description

Responsibilities:

• Independently manage outsourcing activities for Phase I–III clinical trials and Clinical Development functional area projects across the full contract life cycle (vendor capability assessments, RFP/RFI, selection, contract & budget negotiation).
• Negotiate vendor Master Service Agreements, commercial terms, and amendments.
• Manage/negotiates global clinical development contract agreements (work orders, change orders, confidentiality, HCP, subcontractor agreements, and amendments) supporting multiple functions.
• Guide project teams through sourcing; advise on best approach/industry practices.
• Partner with study teams on supplier bidding/proposal development (RFP creation and bid analysis); facilitate bid defense meetings.
• Lead contract-related vendor communications; address internal budget/contract status questions; resolve conflicts and elevate issues.
• Partner with Finance and study teams on financial queries.
• Create/modify contract provisions and templates in collaboration with Legal and impacted functions.
• Identify/manage contract risks; develop/ensure mitigation plans and stakeholder communication.
• Resolve complex contract and budget issues with relevant departments.
• Use outsourcing systems compliantly (timely data entry); act as subject matter expert.
• Serve as subject matter expert for audits and audit-readiness.
• Manage purchase order process supporting Clinical Development stakeholders.
• Supervise, mentor, and coach direct reports.

Vendor Governance:

• Ensure vendor governance standards/processes/tools (e.g., KPIs, governance charters) are current and aligned to Arcus oversight.
• Lead vendor governance framework, activities, initiatives, and process/tool development.
• Drive governance meetings; ensure scheduling, roles/responsibilities, and meaningful content; track/archiv e materials.
• Identify, document, and mitigate vendor relationship-level risks; handle escalations and propose solutions.
• Seek technology/process innovations to improve vendor engagement; communicate vendor developments.

Process Improvement:

• Partner with Clinical Development leads on optimized sourcing strategy/model and strengthen vendor relationships.
• Lead OVG initiatives (process refinement, financial analyses, KPIs, spend consolidation, productivity/cycle-time reduction, audit readiness).
• Prepare presentations and train resources/providers on core business requirements.

Qualifications:

• B.A./B.S. required; MBA preferred.
• 10+ years related business/industry experience.
• Experience in clinical outsourcing (pharmaceutical, biotech, academia, or CROs).
• Experience with vendor selection (RFI/RFP), contracting, and budget negotiation.
• Direct/indirect management of vendor governance meetings and processes.
• Managing direct reports preferred (not required).
• Demonstrated: Ph I–III outsourcing and audit preparedness; expert knowledge of pharma sourcing/procurement, sourcing models, vendor relationship management, governance/oversight; insight into clinical vendor landscape; strong financial acumen.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Initiative-taking with minimal supervision; self-motivated and able to work independently and in teams (virtual/in-person).
• Cross-functional communication with internal/external stakeholders.
• Strong organization and time management; detail-focused and able to expedite.
• Critical thinking; analyze/synthesize to support sound decisions.
• Advanced MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook.
• Strong verbal/written communication; accuracy/confidentiality with time-sensitive matters.
• Professionalism, punctuality, on-time delivery, sound business judgment.
• Technical aptitude/result driven; exercise independent judgment.
• Ability to travel (including overnight stays).