Senior Director, Clinical Project Management

Position Summary:

The Senior Director, Clinical Project Management will provide strategic leadership in the planning, execution, and oversight of clinical programs, with a particular focus on designing clinical development plan inputs and tracking progress against the Target Product Profile (TPP). This role will ensure the alignment of program activities with regulatory, business, and scientific objectives, while overseeing external vendors and CRO partners. The ideal candidate combines deep clinical project management experience with strong scientific and strategic insight to support study design and program execution.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead cross-functional teams to develop, implement, and monitor clinical development plans, ensuring alignment with the Target Product Profile and regulatory strategy.
• Provide strategic input into study design, protocol development, and endpoint selection to optimize program success.
• Track, report, and communicate program progress against the TPP, clinical development milestones, and regulatory timelines.
• Oversee selection, management, and performance of CROs and other external vendors, ensuring adherence to quality standards, timelines, and budget.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for external partners, fostering strong collaborations and ensuring transparency in deliverables.
• Collaborate closely with medical, regulatory, and commercial teams to align clinical strategy with overall product development objectives.
• Provide mentorship and leadership to project management staff, promoting best practices and continuous process improvement.
• Identify risks and implement mitigation strategies to ensure timely delivery of clinical programs.

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in Life Sciences, Pharmacy, Medicine, or related field; PhD, PharmD, or MD preferred.
• Minimum of 10–12 years of clinical development and project management experience, with a track record of leading complex, multi-site studies.
• Extensive experience in designing clinical development plans, defining endpoints, and supporting study design.
• Proven experience in managing CROs and vendors, with strong negotiation and oversight capabilities.
• Deep understanding of regulatory requirements, clinical trial operations, and therapeutic development.
• Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to synthesize complex scientific and operational data into actionable insights for executive leadership.

Email (please attach CV): drowland@planet-pharma.co.uk

About Planet Pharma:

Planet Pharma is an American parented Employment Business/Agency that provides global staffing services with its head-quarters in Chicago and our EMEA regional office located in Central London. We have invested significantly in creating a robust international platform that enables us to work compliantly in 30+ countries with a current network of 2500+ active contractors globally as well as a very strong permanent / direct hire recruitment offering.

Our specialist knowledge and close relationships with our clients and the wider industry really makes us unique in our field. Just recently we were recognised by FORBES as the 17th best professional staffing firm, and have won multiple awards from industry accredited bodies for our commitment to excellence and service delivery. We have extensive functional expertise including: Regulatory Affairs, Pharmacovigilance, QA, QC, Submissions experts, Clinical development, Quality, Biostatistics, and Medical Affairs / Writing.

We are an equal opportunities Recruitment Business and Agency. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.