Senior Clinical Research Project Manager

Actalent; United States; Hybrid; USD 96,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Senior Project Manager, Clinical Research (Oncology) to lead the full lifecycle of oncology clinical trials from inception to closeout. You will coordinate cross-functional teams, manage budgets and timelines, and ensure compliance with GCP and SOPs while mentoring junior staff.

Based in a hybrid Philadelphia environment, the role emphasizes collaboration with funders and internal partners, and involvement in business development activities for new trials.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of oncology clinical trial project management experience.
• Extensive clinical operations experience in oncology settings.
• Hands-on with registration trials and trial registration processes.

Responsibilities

• Oversee end-to-end oncology trial projects, ensuring contractual, schedule, and budget adherence.
• Serve as primary liaison between funders and internal teams, ensuring clear communication.
• Support planning, oversight, and strategic decision-making with the Senior Director.
• Review contracts, budgets, and CRFs for feasibility and alignment with objectives.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams (Data Management, Regulatory, Monitoring, Clinical Supplies).
• Ensure SOPs, GCP, and regulatory requirements are followed across projects.
• Mentor and train junior project management staff and CRAs.
• Contribute to proposals by detailing resource needs and monitoring time.
• Assist vendor oversight and performance evaluation of external partners.
• Support data review, data quality initiatives, and UAT for trial systems.

Skills

Oncology project management

Clinical operations in oncology

Registration trials

Planning and budgeting

Vendor management

Data management & UAT

GCP & SOPs

CRO/pharma experience

Cross-functional coordination

Mentoring junior staff

Education

Bachelor's degree in life sciences or related field

Master's degree preferred

SOCRA certification preferred

Job description

Job Title: Senior Project Manager, Clinical Research (Oncology)

Job Description

The Senior Project Manager oversees the full lifecycle of oncology clinical trial projects, serving as the primary liaison between funders and internal project teams. This role manages multiple trials to ensure all contract deliverables are completed on time, within budget, and in compliance with standard operating procedures and Good Clinical Practice. The position plays a key role in coordinating cross-functional teams, supporting business development activities, and mentoring junior project management and clinical research staff.

Responsibilities

• Manage the overall execution of oncology clinical trial projects, ensuring all activities align with contract requirements, timelines, and budget constraints.
• Serve as the main point of contact between the funder and internal project teams, facilitating clear communication, issue resolution, and timely status updates.
• Assist the Senior Director of Clinical Research in clinical trial management activities, including planning, oversight, and strategic decision-making.
• Review contracts, study protocols, budgets, and case report forms (CRFs) to confirm feasibility, accuracy, and alignment with project objectives.
• Coordinate and oversee the work of cross-functional project teams, including Data Management, Regulatory, Monitoring, and Clinical Supplies, to ensure cohesive and efficient trial operations.
• Ensure all project tasks are performed in accordance with established standard operating procedures (SOPs), Good Clinical Practice (GCP), and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Provide mentoring, coaching, and training to junior staff, including Project Managers, Associate Project Managers, and Clinical Research Associates (CRAs), to support their professional development and performance.
• Contribute to proposals for new contract bids by providing detailed input on resource allocation, including project management time, number of monitors, and monitoring time required.
• Support vendor management activities, including selection, oversight, and performance evaluation of external partners involved in clinical trial execution.
• Collaborate with data management teams to support data review, data quality initiatives, and user acceptance testing (UAT) related to clinical trial systems.
• Participate in trial registration activities and ensure that registration requirements are met in a timely and compliant manner.
• Identify operational risks and issues within projects and work proactively with stakeholders to develop and implement mitigation strategies.
• Monitor project progress against milestones and deliverables, prepare reports, and communicate status and performance metrics to leadership.
• Promote continuous improvement in clinical trial processes and contribute ideas to streamline operations and enhance the efficiency of cancer clinical trials.

Essential Skills

• At least 10 years of oncology project management experience in clinical trials.
• Extensive experience in clinical trial management and clinical operations within oncology.
• Hands-on experience with registration trials and trial registration processes.
• Strong project management skills, including planning, budgeting, timeline management, and stakeholder communication.
• Proficiency in vendor management, including oversight of external partners involved in trial execution.
• Solid knowledge of data management processes and user acceptance testing (UAT) for clinical trial systems.
• Thorough understanding of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and standard operating procedures related to clinical research.
• Background in clinical research and clinical project management in a CRO or pharmaceutical environment.
• Ability to coordinate cross-functional teams such as Data Management, Regulatory, Monitoring, and Clinical Supplies.
• Demonstrated capability to mentor, train, and support junior project management and clinical research staff.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelors degree required in a relevant field such as life sciences, health sciences, or a related discipline.
• Masters degree preferred, particularly in a scientific, healthcare, or research-focused area.
• SOCRA certification preferred.
• Experience working with oncology-focused clinical trials and familiarity with cancer clinical trial networks.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage complex projects and competing priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for interacting with funders, internal teams, and external partners.
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative, mission-driven environment focused on improving cancer clinical trials.

Work Environment

This role operates in a professional clinical research environment with a hybrid work model. The schedule follows normal business working hours, with a mix of on-site and remote work. Remote days vary based on the needs of project teams and project timelines, offering some opportunity to work from home while maintaining regular collaboration with colleagues. The organization focuses on improving and streamlining cancer clinical trials across public and private sectors, providing opportunities to work closely with partners in the healthcare industry and members of national cancer research groups. The culture emphasizes collaboration, scientific rigor, and a shared commitment to advancing cancer clinical research.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Philadelphia, PA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $70.00 - $80.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your jobclassification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may besubject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefitsavailable for this temporary role may include the following:Medical, dental & visionCritical Illness, Accident, and Hospital401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions availableLife Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)Short and long-term disabilityHealth Spending Account (HSA)Transportation benefitsEmployee Assistance ProgramTime Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a hybrid position in Philadelphia,PA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 14, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications withoutregard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protectedby law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification oradjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in thecity and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicantswith arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector:

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as acondition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this lawshall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):

We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process,including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applicationsand qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, youacknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.