Global Clinical Operations Budget Manager

Job Description Summary

#LI-Hybrid

Primary Location: London, United Kingdom - Hybrid or Remote
Other Locations: Dublin, Ireland - Hybrid

The office location for the the role is Westworks, London, UK and can be either a Hybrid or Remote. Remote working can be considered, subject to eligibility criteria, and can be discussed at interview stage.

This role is also available in Dublin, Ireland. If you are based in this location please apply to the Dublin advertisement.

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

Join a team where your financial insight directly enables the success of life-changing clinical trials. As a Global Clinical Operations Budget Manager, you will sit at the intersection of clinical operations and finance—translating complex study assumptions into clear, actionable financial insights that guide decision-making. You will take ownership of budget planning, rolling forecast, and performance across a portfolio of clinical trials, working closely with Clinical Trial Teams and finance stakeholders to ensure transparency and accuracy at every stage. This role offers the opportunity to combine analytical expertise with real influence—partnering across a global, matrix environment to drive smarter decisions, optimize trial delivery, and ultimately accelerate the development of innovative medicines for patients.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

• Understand and translate study assumptions into clear financial forecasts and explain drivers to clinical teams and finance partners.

• Analyze variances between actuals and forecasts, provide root-cause rationale, and drive actions to reduce volatility.

• Update clinical work packages and financial data in source systems to ensure accuracy and audit readiness.

• Manage scope changes to endorsed budgets, document rationale, and prepare materials for governance reviews.

• Ensure compliance with Development operational and forecasting processes.

• Identify cost-avoidance opportunities and partner with stakeholders to optimise trial-level financial performance.

• Partner with Clinical Trial Teams and Finance to align on reporting and decision-making.

• Act as subject matter expert for budgeting tools, analytics, and reporting, driving process improvements.

• Support training, implementation, and compliance with operational and financial governance standards.

Essential Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in life sciences, finance, business, or related discipline.

• Experience in clinical trial budget management, project management, or financial planning within pharmaceutical or contract research organization environments.

• Strong financial analysis capability, with ability to interpret, forecast, and clearly explain budget performance.

• Understanding of clinical trial processes and ability to translate study assumptions into financial outputs.

• Proven ability to operate effectively in a global matrix environment and manage diverse stakeholders.

• Ability to communicate complex financial concepts clearly to both clinical teams and finance partners.

• Experience working with financial systems, dashboards, or reporting tools to support accurate forecasting and tracking.

• Strong learning agility, enabling independent management of a clinical trial portfolio after onboarding.

Desirable Requirements

• Curiosity and openness to adopting new tools, including artificial intelligence, to optimise processes and ways of working.

Skills Desired

Budget Management, Clinical Trials, Negotiation Skills, Process Improvement, Project Planning, Vendor Management, Waterfall Model