Senior Director, FSA Project Management

Senior Director, FSA Project Management - Remote - US

ICON is a global healthcare intelligence and clinical research organisation united by a mission to bring new medicines and treatments to patients faster.

As a values-driven organisation, integrity, collaboration, agility, and inclusion are at the heart of how we work and interact with each other, customers, patients and suppliers.

The Senior Director, FSA Project Management provides strategic and operational leadership across a portfolio of global clinical development programs, with accountability for the successful delivery of site startup activities, including regulatory, contracting, and site activation.

In this role, you will lead and develop FSA Project Management leaders and their teams, driving consistent portfolio performance, client satisfaction, financial delivery, and operational excellence. You will serve as a senior escalation point for startup risks and operational challenges, partnering closely with sponsors, project leadership, and cross-functional stakeholders to develop effective startup strategies and deliver predictable, high-quality outcomes that support study timelines and broader business objectives. The role has portfolio accountability across a mix of large pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients and provides leadership across a broad FSA Project Management organization.

What You Will Do

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight across a portfolio of global clinical development programs, ensuring successful delivery of site startup, regulatory, contracting, and activation activities while driving timelines, quality, financial performance, and client experience.
• Lead, coach, and develop FSA Project Management leaders and their teams, fostering a high-performance culture, building a strong talent pipeline, and ensuring effective resource planning.
• Partner with sponsors, project leadership, and cross-functional stakeholders to develop and execute startup strategies, proactively manage risks, and resolve complex operational escalations.
• Drive operational excellence and continuous improvement by optimizing processes, ways of working, and adoption of innovative technologies to improve efficiency and predictability of delivery.
• Provide effective portfolio governance and strategic oversight, supporting strong customer relationships, financial health, achievement of business objectives, and sustainable portfolio growth.

What You Need

• Significant leadership experience within clinical research, clinical development, or a related life sciences environment, with responsibility for complex global programs or portfolios.
• Strong knowledge of clinical trial startup activities, including site activation, regulatory processes, contracting, and associated operational dependencies.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing people leaders and building high-performing teams within a complex, matrixed organization.
• Proven ability to manage portfolio performance across operational delivery, quality, financial performance, resource planning, and client experience.
• Strong client and stakeholder management capabilities, with experience partnering with pharmaceutical and/or biotechnology sponsors and senior cross-functional leaders.
• Proven ability to anticipate and manage operational risks, resolve complex escalations, and drive effective decision-making in a fast-paced global environment.
• Strategic and continuous-improvement mindset, with demonstrated success optimizing processes, ways of working, and adoption of innovative technologies.
• Live in the US
• Able to travel up to 25%

What ICON can offer you:

Our success depends on the quality of our people. That’s why we’ve made it a priority to build a diverse culture that rewards high performance and nurtures talent.

In addition to your competitive salary, ICON offers a range of additional benefits. Our benefits are designed to be competitive within each country and are focused on well-being and work life balance opportunities for you and your family.

Our benefits examples include:

• Various annual leave entitlements
• A range of health insurance offerings to suit you and your family’s needs.
• Competitive retirement planning offerings to maximize savings and plan with confidence for the years ahead.
• Global Employee Assistance Programme, LifeWorks, offering 24-hour access to a global network of over 80,000 independent specialized professionals who are there to support you and your family’s well-being.
• Life assurance
• Flexible country-specific optional benefits, including childcare vouchers, bike purchase schemes, discounted gym memberships, subsidized travel passes, health assessments, among others.

Visit our careers site to read more about the benefits ICON offers.

At ICON, inclusion & belonging are fundamental to our culture and values. We’re dedicated to providing an inclusive and accessible environment for all candidates. ICON is committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or in order to perform the essential functions of a position, please let us know or submit a request here

Interested in the role, but unsure if you meet all of the requirements? We would encourage you to apply regardless – there’s every chance you’re exactly what we’re looking for here at ICON whether it is for this or other roles.