Senior Clinical Pharmacology Trial Leader

Salary Range: £49,140.00 - £91,260.00

Role Type:
Hybrid Working, #LI-Hybrid

Location:

West Works, London, United Kingdom

Relocation Support:
This role is based in London, United Kingdom. Novartis is unable to offer relocation support: please only apply if accessible.

What if your leadership could help turn first-in-human research into confident decisions about the medicines of tomorrow? As Senior Clinical Pharmacology Trial Leader, you will provide the scientific and operational leadership needed to deliver early clinical pharmacology studies from protocol development through to Clinical Study Report finalisation.

Acting as the primary bridge between Novartis, internal study teams, investigators, and selected Contract Research Organisations, you will ensure that emerging pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and safety data are delivered to a high standard and translated into meaningful program decisions.

Working Arrangement:
This hybrid role is based at West Works in London, with flexibility to work remotely for up to two days per week. Domestic and international travel may be required to support study oversight, investigator meetings, and study-team engagement.

• Lead assigned first-in-human and clinical pharmacology studies from protocol development through Clinical Study Report finalisation.
• Develop protocol synopses and protocols with medical, pharmacokinetic, biomarker, statistical, and other cross-functional partners.
• Serve as the primary Novartis contact for Contract Research Organisations, providing direction, oversight, challenge, and issue resolution.
• Lead cross-functional study teams, aligning internal contributors, investigators, vendors, and external partners around study objectives.
• Oversee study start-up, conduct, and close-out, including deliverables, timelines, risks, milestones, and operational execution.
• Lead ongoing review and interpretation of pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, safety, and other emerging clinical study data.
• Prepare and lead dose-escalation meetings, ensuring timely availability of quality data to support informed decisions.
• Lead study-level risk management and implement appropriate mitigation strategies throughout the trial lifecycle.
• Contribute to Clinical Study Reports, regulatory documents, internal decision materials, publications, and program updates.
• Manage study budgets and vendor strategies while sharing lessons learned and strengthening clinical trial delivery practices.

• Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences, Healthcare, or a related discipline.
• Approximately six or more years of experience in clinical trial development, clinical pharmacology, or early clinical development.
• Experience contributing to or leading first-in-human, clinical pharmacology, or other early‑phase studies.
• Strong experience in protocol development, early‑phase study design, and interpretation of pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and safety data.
• Experience delivering studies through Contract Research Organisations or other external clinical-research partners.
• Strong clinical‑trial leadership, operational project‑management, planning, prioritisation, and organisational skills.
• Ability to lead cross‑functional teams, manage competing priorities, and influence internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to interpret, discuss, and represent clinical study data and support timely scientific and operational decisions.
• Strong knowledge of Good Clinical Practice, International Council for Harmonisation standards, regulatory requirements, and high‑quality clinical trial conduct.
• Fluent written and spoken English.

• Advanced degree such as a Master of Science, Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Medicine,…