Business Development Manager (Clinical Trials)

Context of the Role

The Project Operations (PO) team works closely with our research teams, external partners and collaborators to ensure project aims are achieved. The team is primarily responsible for the setup, conduct and overall delivery of clinical trial projects across all research programs in the Institute according to best practice guidelines and research budgets. 

The Business Development Manager will join the global Project Operations team and will work closely with the Innovative Clinical Trials Hub.

The Innovative Clinical Trials Hub is a new global initiative within Project Operations, aiming to create a team of experts to support the design, delivery, and analysis of innovative clinical trials. These will include platform, adaptive trials, decentralized trials and utilize novel methods of identifying & recruiting participants, delivering trial interventions, and conducting analyses.

The Role

The Business Development Manager is a global role based in the TGI UK office within the Centre for Operational Research Excellence (CORE).

The Business Development Manager will take responsibility for the development of new project opportunities from internal and external collaborators, taking them from initial contact through to project kick off, early project management and handover to project-specific staff. The role will involve relationship management, compiling budgets, negotiating vendor and collaborator costs and driving forward a costing methodology & commercial strategy for the Innovative Clinical Trials Hub. The role will also contribute to the development of processes, templates and guidance relating to the costing of clinical trials both for the Hub and more widely across TGI.

The Business Development Manager may also work with the Innovative Clinical Trials Hub team on the development, design and implementation of processes, procedures and projects to support the delivery of the Hub.

Reporting Relationships

The Business Development Manager reports directly to the Director, Global Project Operations.  The role will work in close collaboration with the Operations Manager, Clinical Trials, and the Executive Director, TGI UK.

Duties and Key Responsibilities

Business Development

• Act as the main contact point for new and existing external collaborators and vendors wishing to contract The George Institute for project services related to the Innovative Clinical Trials Hub and facilitate new relationships and development of new contracts.
• Proactively interact with external stakeholders, vendors and collaborators to investigate new opportunities, building relationships and identifying areas for collaboration.
• Lead horizon scanning activities to identify new opportunities; promote TGI and the Innovative Clinical Trials Hub to external organisations by meeting new potential collaborators, delivering presentations and scoping routes for new business.
• Work with the Executive Director TGI UK, Director Global Project Operations and Director, Centre of Operational Research Excellence to identify strategic opportunities and make decisions on priority areas.
• Track new opportunities, work awarded and report progress to the Executive Director TGI UK, Director, Global Project Operations and Director, Centre of Operational Research Excellence.
• Work with the Operations Manager, Clinical Trials in the development of a commercial strategy for the Innovative Clinical Trials Hub.
• Work with the TGI Quality Assurance team to ensure all vendors and external companies meet appropriate standards.

Budgeting

• Work with the Operations Manager, Clinical Trials to develop and negotiate budgets for new project work, including liaising with relevant functional area heads and external vendors to obtain quotes for services, costing project-specific staff and working with colleagues in other TGI regions to compile region-specific direct research costs.
• Lead the liaison with funding organisations to negotiate and agree project budgets and initiate contracting activities. 
• Drive the development and implementation of a strategic costing framework for the Innovative Clinical Trials Hub, ensuring projects are costed accurately and fairly, with consideration of funding for capacity building and longevity of the Hub.
• Work with the Innovative Clinical Trials Hub team, other Business Development staff in Australia & India and relevant functional area heads to develop processes, templates and trackers to streamline costing processes.

Project Management

• Work with the TGI legal team to develop CDAs/NDAs (where applicable) and contract agreements for new work and understanding TGI legal obligations (including intellectual property).  
• Undertake initial project management activities following funding award, including project planning, budget setup, early protocol development and setup of appropriate committees prior to handover to project-specific staff.
• Continue liaison and relationship management with vendors & external stakeholders and implementation of appropriate contracting arrangements
• Work with the Operations Manager, Clinical Trials to submit resourcing requests to Project Operations, Data Management and Statistics teams once new work is confirmed.
• Support new project operations teams to develop understanding of how to review, track and report on their project budgets.
• Support project operations teams working within the Innovative Trials Hub on a range of project management tasks where required.

As a Team Member:

• Participate in special projects to improve processes, tools, systems and organisation;
• Take responsibility for personal learning and development and for setting achievable and meaningful work objectives and managing personal targets, meeting obligations of The George Institute’s Performance Management and Development Policy;
• Demonstrate commitment to The George Institute’s organisational values, including performing to an exceptionally high ethical standard and focus on integrity, collaboration and teamwork in all efforts.

As a Team Manager (as applies)

• Ensure direct reports understand and comply with The George Institute’s Policies and procedures, standard operating practices, ethical practice (with respect to research) and the legislative environment.
• Be responsible for managing performance of direct reports, including the completion of plans and agreeing on work and personal objectives and reviewing such plans and objectives, in accordance with TGI’s Performance Management and Development Policy.

• Act as a role model and ensure the team’s commitment to GI’s values, ensuring direct reports perform to a high ethical standard and focus on integrity, collaboration and teamwork in all efforts.

Work, Health and Safety

• Comply with Work Health and Safety legislation and operate in accordance with established Occupational Health and Safety practice and procedures at The George Institute.
• Promote and contribute to a safe, secure environment for staff and visitors.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Extensive experience in Project Operations positions within an academic/research/CRO or similar environment
• Significant experience in non-commercial and commercial clinical trial budget development and in managing and tracking budgets; including an understanding of Full Economic Costing and Accord principles.
• Experience in multiple therapeutic research areas and varied phase clinical/intervention trials
• Experience in working collaboratively with stakeholders and vendors to assess potential collaborations and partnerships
• Significant experience leading project teams
• Demonstrated capability to produce outcomes and achieve objectives within agreed time periods
• Demonstrated strong problem solving, analytical skills, and proven strategic thinking
• Demonstrated resourcefulness, with ability to influence others to achieve common goals
• Demonstrated strong leadership and mentoring skills and capability of motivating and energising a team to perform at a high level
• Ability to make considered decisions in ambiguous situations
• Demonstrated success in seeking project opportunity areas, initiating process improvements, and developing guidelines and procedures
• Outstanding interpersonal, oral and written communication skills

How to apply:

Please send your CV and cover letter explaining why you would be suited to, and successful in this role to Anna Willis (recruitment@georgeinstitute.org.uk) by 5pm GMT on Wednesday 13 November 2024.

Please note that applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.

About The George Institute

The George Institute for Global Health was established in 1999 with a mission to improve the health of millions of people worldwide, particularly underserved populations, by challenging the status quo and using innovative approaches to prevent and treat the world’s biggest killers: non-communicable diseases and injury.

With offices in Australia, China, India and the UK, our 700+ people support 245+ active projects and clinical trials across 50+ countries, with 400+ more staff across our social enterprises. We focus on the global health challenges that cause the greatest loss of life, the greatest impairment of life quality and the most substantial economic burden, particularly in resource-poor settings.

Together with our academic partners, UNSW Sydney in Australia, Manipal Academy of Higher Education in India and Imperial College London in the United Kingdom, we work with a global network of collaborators, undertaking clinical, population and health systems research.

What we do

• Lead world-class, large-scale clinical trials, epidemiological studies and health systems research to transform treatments and healthcare delivery
• Look beyond single diseases, across the life course, to identify patient-centred approaches to care that can be implemented at scale
• Develop low-cost, innovative solutions to global unmet needs
• Drive our global impact through a program of research, advocacy, thought leadership and disruptive social entrepreneurship

For more information about The George Institute, visit www.georgeinstitute.org.