Clinical Project Manager: What is the cost of hiring?

What is a Clinical Project Manager?

A Clinical Project Manager oversees planning, execution and monitoring of clinical trials. These professionals must ensure projects and trials meet business budgets, project timelines and strict industry regulatory requirements. They’re responsible for managing study protocols and coordinating with internal and external team members to support optimal research standards and accurate outcomes.

Why hire a Clinical Project Manager

Clinical Project Managers help ensure that research studies are executed efficiently, ethically and in compliance with regulatory guidelines. Their oversight is critical to maintaining trial integrity and meeting timelines, supporting successful drug or device development.

Your business might benefit from hiring a Clinical Project Manager if you manage multiple studies, work in a highly regulated industry or need greater consistency across clinical operations.

Contributions of a great Clinical Project Manager:

• On-time and on-budget clinical trial execution
• Improved coordination between research teams, vendors and sponsors
• Enhanced regulatory and reporting compliance

Defining your hiring needs for a Clinical Project Manager

When hiring a Clinical Project Manager, consider the scale and phase of your clinical research activities. Full-time roles are often best suited for organizations managing multiple studies or long-term trials, while contract-based support may be appropriate for smaller or study-specific workloads.

Clarify whether the role will focus on sponsor communications, site management or overall trial coordination. Related roles to consider include Clinical Trial Manager, Clinical Research Associate or Regulatory Affairs Manager.

What are the types of Clinical Project Manager?

Clinical Project Managers may specialize based on the type, phase or scope of clinical research. Variations of this role include:

• Early-Phase Clinical Project Manager: These professionals focus on managing early-phase trials, which include protocol development, site selection and early safety data.
• Late-Phase Clinical Project Manager: Clinical PMs who focus on later phases typically support patient enrollment, regulatory submission and long-term outcome tracking.
• Outsourced/Contract Clinical Project Manager: These Clinical PMs tend to work as freelance contractors or through clinical resource organizations, managing part or all of a project on behalf of a sponsor organization before moving on to another contract.
• Global Clinical Project Manager: These professionals work on projects that span multiple countries or regions and require special knowledge to ensure logistical and regulatory alignment.

When writing your Clinical Project Manager job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on Clinical Project Manager jobs, according to Indeed data:

• Clinical research
• Project Manager
• Clinical Project Manager
• Clinical Research Associate
• Clinical Trial Manager
• Research
• Project Coordinator
• Clinical Research Coordinator
• Clinical Research Project Manager
• Healthcare Project Manager

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Where to find Clinical Project Managers

Clinical Project Managers can be found through clinical research job boards, pharmaceutical networks, professional associations and academic programs. Partnering with universities that offer degrees in clinical research or life sciences can help you connect with qualified candidates.

To find the right Clinical Project Manager for your team, consider these strategies:

• Internal promotions: Consider experienced Clinical Research Associates or Clinical Trial Coordinators who are ready to take on broader oversight and duties.
• Life sciences or healthcare recruitment firms: Work with firms that focus on connecting you with professionals experienced in clinical research or biotech environments.
• Networking: Reach out through clinical research networks, industry conferences or partnerships with contract research organizations.
• Social Media: Use your social media pages or clinical research group forums to promote openings and attract professionals with credentials relevant to your niche.
• Post your job online: Try posting your Clinical Project Manager job on Indeed to find and attract candidates.

Skills to look for in a Clinical Project Manager

A successful Clinical Project Manager candidate will typically have the following skills and competencies, which may be gained through a variety of experiences, training or education:

• Experience managing clinical trials, including protocol adherence, patient enrollment and milestone tracking
• Familiarity with clinical trial management systems such as Oracle Siebel, Medidata Rave or nQuery
• Understanding of regulatory guidelines and documentation standards, including FDA or EU clinical trial requirements
• Ability to coordinate team members, including Data Managers, Regulatory Specialists and vendors
• Proficiency in management budgets, timelines and risk assessments
• Experience with project management tools such as Smartsheet or MS Project
• Experience preparing for and participating in audits, monitoring visits and sponsor reviews
• Skill in developing and maintaining study documentation, such as investigator site files and trial master files

Writing a Clinical Project Manager job description

Now that you know the key skills, salary expectations, popular job seeker search terms and hiring insights for a Clinical Project Manager, you’re ready to write a job description.

A Clinical Project Manager job description typically includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position. You may also want to include information about your company culture, benefits and perks to attract candidates to your open role.

Interviewing Clinical Project Manager candidates

Strong candidates for Clinical Project Manager positions will be confident answering questions about:

• Managing clinical trial timelines, budgets and deliverables
• Coordinating cross-functional teams and external vendors
• Ensuring compliance with regulatory standards such as ICH-GCP and FDA requirements
• Handling protocol deviations and reporting procedures
• Communicating study progress and issues to sponsors or internal leadership