Clinical Trial Investigator Grant Forecasting

Work Schedule

Standard (Mon-Fri)

Environmental Conditions

Office

Job Description

Position Summary

The Clinical Trial Investigator Grant Forecasting delivers the defined outcomes associated with maintaining and improving forecasts for investigator grants and related site-level clinical trial payments across the global clinical development portfolio. The role partners closely with Clinical Operations, Study Start-Up, R&D Finance, Budgeting and Contracts to ensure accurate, timely, and audit-ready forecasting that supports trial execution and financial planning.

Key Responsibilities

• Delivers the activities associated with the development, continuous improvement, tracking and maintenance of investigator grant forecasting defined process by study, country, site, and milestone/event (e.g., Protocol Synopsis, Final Protocol, SOW and Ongoing)
• Translate protocol assumptions and operational plans (enrollment curves, visit schedules, screen failure rates, dropout rates, timelines) into payment and cash flow forecasts.
• Work with Clinical Operations to reconcile forecast vs. actuals, explain variances, and update assumptions on a regular cadence.
• Monitor and analyze payment drivers (site activation, patient visits, pass-throughs, amendments) to identify forecast risks and opportunities.
• Support the implementation of standardized forecasting methodologies, templates, and controls to improve consistency across studies.
• Ensure alignment between forecasting outputs and financial systems/processes (e.g., accruals, PO coverage, payment schedules, and month-end close needs).
• Support the creation of executive-ready dashboards and reporting (by program, study, region, vendor/CRO) highlighting burn rate, run-rate, and key forecast sensitivities.
• Contribute to scenario planning (e.g., enrollment acceleration/deceleration, country mix changes, protocol amendments) and quantify financial impact.
• Maintain documentation and data traceability to support internal controls, audits, and inspection readiness.
• Identify automation and process improvement opportunities (e.g., data integrations, modeling enhancements) and drive implementation with stakeholders.
• Support technology evaluations and requirements to build a more sustainable IG forecasting capability.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, Business, Life Sciences, Statistics, or related field.
• 3+ years of experience in clinical trial finance, forecasting, budgeting, grants/payments, or CRO financial management (study, program, or portfolio level).
• Demonstrated ability to build forecasts that tie operational assumptions to financial outcomes.
• Excel skills (scenario modeling) and comfort working with large, multi-study datasets.
• Strong communication skills to align cross-functional stakeholders on assumptions, risks, and updates.
• Detail-oriented, deadline-driven, and able to manage multiple studies/priorities simultaneously.
• Strong project management skills to balance assignments and prioritizations of work

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with clinical payment/grant systems and/or clinical finance tools (e.g., investigator payment platforms, EDC/CTMS outputs, finance ERP integrations).
• Experience partnering with CROs on investigator grant processes and forecast updates.
• Power BI (or similar) reporting experience.
• Understanding of investigator grant contract structures and common payment terms (start-up fees, per-visit, milestone-based, pass-through handling).
• Knowledge of accrual concepts and monthly close cadence in a regulated environment.

Core Competencies

• Strong forecasting, modeling, and analytical capability
• Forecasting and financial modeling
• Clinical trial operations understanding (site activation, enrollment, visit schedules)
• Commitment to data integrity, compliance, and transparency
• Enterprise thinking and collaboration across global teams
• Continuous improvement and innovation mindset

Key Deliverables / Success Measures

• Forecast accuracy and timeliness (regular refresh cadence, clear variance explanations)
• Strong alignment between operational plans and financial outlook
• Consistent methodology across studies and regions
• Improved transparency for leadership (dashboards, drivers, scenario impacts)
• Audit-ready documentation and traceability.

Working Relationships

• Internal: Clinical Operations, Study Start-Up, Clinical Trial Management, R&D Finance, Procurement, Contracts/Legal, Portfolio Management
• External: CRO finance teams, investigator payment vendors

Supervision

• All day‑to‑day supervision, resource management, and performance evaluation are the responsibility of the FSP provider

Why Join Us?

When you join Thermo Fisher Scientific, you become part of a global team that values passion, innovation, and a commitment to scientific excellence. You’ll work in an environment where collaboration and development are part of the everyday experience—and where your contributions truly make a difference.

Apply today to help us deliver tomorrow’s breakthroughs.