Senior Study Leader

Novartis; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Novartis is seeking a Senior Study Leader to co-lead cross-functional clinical trial teams and oversee end-to-end delivery of medium to complex studies in a global, matrix environment.

You will guide planning, risk management, and resource allocation, while ensuring compliance with GCP/ICH and regulatory requirements. The role emphasizes agile processes and collaboration across VPG, CPMs, and data operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in life sciences/healthcare or clinically relevant degree.
• 4+ years of recent involvement in clinical research or drug development across Phases I–IV.
• 3+ years of experience conducting global/matrix clinical studies of standard to high complexity with knowledge of ICH/GCP and regulatory authorities.

Responsibilities

• Co-lead the clinical trial team with CSL, delivering multiple medium to complex global studies.
• Act as CTT product owner for operational strategy delivery.
• Plan and manage study timelines, budgets, and resource allocations.
• Foster agile culture and collaboration to achieve sprint goals and long-term impact.
• Ensure study documentation and trial master file readiness and regulatory compliance.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

GCP/ICH knowledge

Budget management

Project planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in life sciences/healthcare

Job description

Job Description Summary

Accountable, with per needed-basis oversight from the Study Director-community Lead (SD-CL), for the execution and delivery of the GCO supported clinical studies of standard to medium complexity and priority per the Operational Execution Plan (OEP) and clinical study protocol.

The Senior Study Leader co-leads together with the Clinical Science Lead (CSL) the cross-functional clinical trial team (CTT), guides planning and management of the assigned clinical study/studies end-to-end to achieve Global Program Team (GPT), Global Clinical Team (GCT) and GCO objectives. Accountable for proactive, iterative operational planning with effective contingencies and embedded risk management mindset in CTT. Oversee budget and people allocation within assigned study/studies.

Contribute in promoting operational excellence through process improvement and knowledge sharing across studies. Fosters an empowered, psychologically safe organization that can navigate a matrix environment, learns, and adjusts quickly to changing conditions and business needs.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

• Co-leads the clinical trial team with the CSL with per needed-basis oversight from the Study Director-community Lead (SD-CL) and support from the Clinical Operations Program Head (COPH), delivery of multiple medium to complex global studies and promotes learning, sharing, consistent performance, and operational excellence through an agile mindset, agile principles, and a team of teams' model
• Acts as the CTT product owner with duties and responsibilities for delivery of operational strategy per established ways of working
• Guides planning and decision making at the study level and delivers assigned clinical study/studies per the Operational Execution Plan (OEP) and clinical study protocol
• Fosters an agile culture within assigned studies to achieve sprint goals and cycles, maximizing collaboration and minimizing dependencies to achieve long-term business impact
• In collaboration with regulatory writing and clinical development, promotes operational excellence in the development of global clinical study protocol(s), by translating the approved study concept sheet(s) into efficient, high quality, executable clinical protocols, and study-related documents
• Create effective CTT dynamics and achieve on performance, prioritization, and communication in close collaboration with CTT sub-team leaders
• Proactive risk management and inspection readiness
• Responsible for developing clinical study timelines with per needed-basis oversight from the Study Director-community Lead (SD-CL) and support from the Clinical Operations Program Head (COPH), and overseeing assigned study budgets
• Ensures systems are maintained with up-to-date study status, risks, and issues
• Fosters a close working relationship with SSO Clinical Project Managers (CPMs) to strengthen the relationship between the global and local teams
• Oversees study recruitment and responsible for activating mitigation strategies in collaboration with the SSO Clinical Project Managers (CPMs)
• Fosters a close working relationship with the Vendor Partnerships & Governance (VPG) Trial Vendor Managers (TVMs) to strengthen the relationship between the vendors and CTT to deliver on clinical study objectives
• Fosters a close working relationship with the Clinical Data Operations (CDO) Trial Data Scientist (TDS) to deliver on clinical study objectives
• Ensures proper handling of all study close out activities including but not limited to site close out, final drug accountability and audit readiness of Trial Master File documentation
• Promotes operational excellence and contributes to the development of Clinical Study Reports, reporting of clinical trial results, and internal/external publications, when appropriate
• May deputize for the Clinical Operations Program Head as a leader and spokesperson for the CTT at Novartis internal meetings
• Partners and collaborates with Portfolio Strategy & Planning (PSP)/COPH to deliver clinical studies in alignment with program strategy
• Play a key role in achieving excellence in study operations and management through process improvement in collaboration with the Study Leadership Community Lead/Host and GCO Process, Training, and Compliance (PTC)

Essential Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in life sciences/healthcare (or clinically relevant degree) is required.
• 4+ years of recent involvement in clinical research or drug development in an academic or industry environment spanning clinical activities in Phases I through IV of standard to high complexity and priority
• 3+ years of recent contribution to and accomplishment in all aspects of conducting clinical studies of standard to high complexity and priority (e.g., planning, executing, reporting and publishing) in a global/matrix environment in pharmaceutical industry or a contract research organization, including expert knowledge of international standards (GCP/ICH), health authorities (FDA/EMA), local/National Heal