Overview
In this role, you provide strategic leadership across feasibility and site activation operations, guiding a team of FSA Managers to deliver high-quality trial start-up outcomes. You shape regional and global strategies, aligning with organizational priorities while driving performance and proactive risk management. You partner with senior leaders and customers to influence start-up strategies and support clinical execution, growth, and continuous improvement. You will build leadership capability, manage capacity, and serve as an escalation point for complex issues, enabling scalable, efficient trial activation.
Pay / Benefits
- Competitive base salary
- Performance related incentives
- Health and wellbeing programmes (medical, dental, vision)
- Retirement and pension plans
- Life assurance and disability coverage
- Employee assistance programmes and wellbeing resources
Responsibilities
- Lead regional/global FSA Managers responsible for feasibility, country/site strategy, regulatory activation, and study start-up delivery
- Set strategic direction for FSA operations across multiple studies/programs ensuring alignment with priorities
- Drive performance through managers via clear objectives, metrics, and proactive risk mitigation
- Partner with senior functional leaders, project teams, and customers to shape start-up strategies and support trials
- Support business development activities including proposals, bid defenses, governance meetings, and growth initiatives
- Lead organisational change, process optimisation, and continuous improvement to enhance efficiency, scalability, and quality
- Build leadership capability by coaching and developing FSA Managers and strengthening succession pipelines
- Ensure effective resource planning, workforce strategy, and capacity management to meet needs
- Act as senior escalation point for complex operational, customer, and people-related matters
Key requirements
- Bachelor's degree in a relevant scientific, healthcare, or life sciences discipline
- Extensive clinical research experience with expertise in feasibility, site selection, country strategy, regulatory activation, and start-up
- Proven success managing managers or multiple teams in CRO/pharma environments
- Experience leading large global or regional organisations through growth and transformation
- Strong strategic planning and business management skills translating objectives into execution
- Experience partnering with senior customers and governance/business development activities
- Strong financial, resource planning, and workforce management capabilities
- Excellent communication, influencing, and leadership skills with ability to engage dispersed teams
- Track record of driving operational excellence and measurable performance improvement
- Willingness to travel (~15%)
- Communication
- Influencing
- Leadership
- Stakeholder engagement
- Collaboration
Senior Manager, Feasibility & Site Activation in Swansea employer: Icon Clinical PLC
At ICON, we pride ourselves on being a values-driven organisation that fosters a collaborative and inclusive work culture. As an Operation Program Specialist, you will not only contribute to meaningful healthcare projects but also benefit from our comprehensive rewards package, including competitive salaries, health programmes, and robust career development opportunities. Join us in Sofia, Warsaw, or Swansea, where your expertise will be valued and your professional growth supported in a dynamic environment dedicated to bringing new treatments to patients faster.
