Senior Director, Global Clinical Finance, Budgeting, & Outsourcing

Essential Functions

• Define and lead the global clinical finance, budgeting and outsourcing strategy, operating model and multi-year capability roadmap in alignment with Clinical Development and enterprise priorities.
• Lead portfolio-level financial planning and oversight across clinical programs, including long-range forecasts, scenario analyses, financial controls, accrual methodologies, variance management and executive reporting, in partnership with Finance and Accounting.
• Provide executive leadership with forward-looking assessment of clinical spend, financial commitments, forecast risk, operational trade-offs and opportunities for cost optimization or avoidance.
• Establish global outsourcing and category strategies across CROs, investigative sites, laboratories, clinical technology, RTSM/IRT, clinical trial materials and other service providers; approve material sourcing strategies and supplier-selection recommendations.
• Set commercial and contracting governance for MSAs, Work Orders/SOWs and Change Orders, including approval thresholds, negotiation guardrails, change-control standards and escalation pathways for material financial or contractual exposure.
• Establish the enterprise supplier-governance framework, including supplier segmentation, performance metrics, executive business reviews and joint governance forums; lead strategic relationships and material performance escalations.
• Establish global standards and governance for investigator-site budgets, contracting and payments, including Fair Market Value methodology, exception management, SOX compliance (US), payment performance and billing-compliance expectations.
• Serve as business owner for clinical financial, contracting and payment capabilities, including Veeva, and sponsor process automation, system integration, data governance and reporting improvements in partnership with IT and Finance.
• Develop and maintain the functional governance framework, policies and SOPs needed to support GCP-compliant sponsor oversight, inspection readiness, financial stewardship and documentation integrity.
• Partner with Clinical Operations, Finance, Procurement, Legal, Quality, CMC, Regulatory and other stakeholders to identify and mitigate financial, contractual, supply, compliance and supplier risks.
• Build and lead a high-performing global function, including organizational design, workforce planning, hiring, development, performance management, succession planning and prioritization of resources.
• Serve as the senior Clinical Development advisor for outsourcing, financial operations and supplier performance; present strategic recommendations and lead cross-functional initiatives requiring executive alignment.
• Perform other cross-functional responsibilities or strategic projects as assigned to support evolving business priorities.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in life sciences, business, finance, healthcare administration or a related discipline required; advanced degree preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, CRO or related clinical-development business operations, including substantial responsibility for clinical finance, outsourcing, contracting or supplier management required.
• 7+ years leading global clinical outsourcing, supplier-management, budgeting, forecasting or contracting capabilities, including 5+ years of people leadership required.
• Demonstrated experience supporting global Phase I–III development programs and advising senior leaders on portfolio financials, outsourcing strategy, supplier performance and material risk required.
• Extensive experience with competitive sourcing, complex commercial negotiations, MSAs, Work Orders/SOWs, Change Orders and CRO/vendor governance required.
• Experience with clinical financial and payment systems, including Veeva capabilities supporting site budgeting and payments required.
• Experience with RTSM/IRT, clinical technology, laboratory services, and investigational product/comparator/ancillary supply commercial models preferred.