Senior Category Manager - Health in London

At Parexel, we all share the same goal - to improve the world's health. From clinical trials to regulatory, consulting, and market access, every clinical development solution we provide is underpinned by something special - a deep conviction in what we do. Each of us, no matter what we do at Parexel, contributes to the development of a therapy that ultimately will benefit a patient. With 22,000+ employees worldwide, we partner with biopharmaceutical companies and research sites to design and deliver patient-focused clinical trials that broaden access and make research a care option for anyone, anywhere. We embrace bold thinking, adapt quickly to change, and continually raise the bar for the speed and quality of clinical research.

We are seeking a Trial Vendor Senior Manager to join our team in a remote capacity in the UK or Ireland. As a Trial Vendor Senior Manager, you will serve as a core member of the Clinical Trial Team (CTT), independently managing all vendor-related aspects of global clinical trials to deliver study outcomes within schedule, budget, quality, and compliance standards. This position plays a central role in vendor oversight, study start-up execution, risk management, and cross-functional collaboration across the full study lifecycle.

You will partner closely with Vendor Start-up Managers, Vendor Program Strategy Directors, procurement, and QA functions to implement vendor strategies and drive operational excellence. With accountability spanning vendor cost control, compliance, and service delivery, the Trial Vendor Senior Manager directly influences the speed and quality of clinical research that reaches patients. With diverse teams and continuous learning opportunities, the Trial Vendor Senior Manager can explore career paths and expand skills across global clinical operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage all vendor-related operational trial deliverables across the full study lifecycle, ensuring adherence to timelines, budget, and quality and compliance standards.
• Collaborate with the Vendor Start-up Manager (VSM) during study start-up for assigned service categories including central labs, eCOA/ePRO, IRT, cardiac and respiratory diagnostics, patient recruitment and retention (PR&R), and imaging reading; assume full vendor management responsibility after study start-up.
• Drive and monitor vendor-related activities for site activation, including compilation of the Final Protocol Package (FPP), monitoring of site activation progress, and resolution of related risks and issues.
• Oversee vendor cost control, budget review, invoice reconciliation, and purchase order close-out; support contract negotiations and contribute to the development of vendor contract amendments.
• Create and maintain vendor-related risk maps with contingency plans; escalate risks and issues to the Trial Vendor Associate Directors Community Lead and/or Vendor Alliance Lead (VAL) as needed.
• Collaborate with Data Operations and review vendor-related cycle times including DTS finalization, data transfers, and database lock (DBL).
• Drive process improvement in vendor operations in collaboration with the Community Lead and GCO Process, Training, and Compliance (PTC) function; apply and promote agile mindset and ways of working.

Candidate Profile

You will thrive in this role if you bring:

• Strengths in vendor management, contract negotiation, and clinical outsourcing.
• 3+ years of experience in clinical operations and vendor management within a regulated clinical research environment.
• The ability to manage cross-functional relationships and communicate clearly across global, matrixed teams.
• A results-driven mindset with strong attention to study timelines, quality, and compliance.
• Comfort working with clinical trial systems including eCOA, IRT, Unified Vendor Portal (UVP), Clinical Insights, and the FIRST risk tool.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• 3+ years of working experience with excellent knowledge of clinical operations processes and vendor management.
• Excellent knowledge of GxP and ICH regulations.
• Strong knowledge of clinical trial design and mapping to supplier requirements.
• Experience in user acceptance testing (UAT) for eCOA and IRT.
• Knowledge of key deliverables that impact green light milestones and vendor readiness.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience or expertise with Central Labs, eCOA, ePRO, IRT, Cardiac and Respiratory diagnostics, Patient Recruitment and Retention (PR&R), and/or Imaging reading, including global process ownership, business system ownership, SOP management, or global training on supplier-related SOPs and processes.
• Familiarity with the Unified Vendor Portal (UVP), Clinical Insights, and the FIRST risk documentation tool.
• Experience in an FSP (Functional Service Provider) or sponsor-embedded clinical operations model.