As the Vice President, Site Activation Project Management and Global Regulatory Oversight at ICON, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for our global study start-up organization, ensuring the timely, compliant, and efficient initiation of clinical trials across diverse customer portfolios.

Operating within a harmonized model supporting both large pharmaceutical and biotech clients, you will lead teams responsible for site activation and regulatory oversight while serving as a key executive sponsor for study start-up delivery excellence. You will drive consistent execution, operational innovation, and client satisfaction across all study start-up activities.

What You Will Do

Your leadership will shape global site activation and regulatory strategy, build organizational capability, and ensure delivery excellence at scale.

Key Responsibilities:

• Developing and implementing comprehensive strategies for study start-up, site activation, and regulatory delivery that align with organizational goals, client expectations, and evolving industry requirements.

• Leading a global organization of site activation and regulatory professionals to drive efficiency, collaboration, accountability, and high-quality project outcomes.

• Overseeing the harmonized FSA operating model supporting both large pharma and biotech customers, ensuring consistency, scalability, and operational excellence across client portfolios.

• Serving as the executive leader for sponsor-facing study start-up delivery, with FSA teams acting as the primary client interface coordinating execution across Site Selection, Regulatory Affairs, Contracts, Site Activation, and other key functional areas.

• Providing leadership and oversight of the Global Regulatory Partner team, ensuring strategic regulatory guidance, study-level regulatory oversight, and effective management of global submission activities.

• Partnering closely with Clinical Operations, Project Management, Business Development, and other cross-functional leaders to proactively identify and resolve study start-up challenges and risks.

• Establishing, monitoring, and improving key performance indicators, cycle times, quality measures, and operational metrics to drive continuous improvement and predictable delivery.

• Building and maintaining trusted relationships with sponsors and external stakeholders, serving as an executive escalation point and strategic advisor throughout study start-up and activation activities.

• Driving organizational transformation, process harmonization, and innovation to enhance the customer experience and improve study start-up performance globally.

• Fostering a culture of collaboration, inclusion, accountability, and talent development across geographically distributed teams.

Your Profile:

• Bachelor's degree in a scientific, healthcare, life sciences, or related field; advanced degree preferred.

• Extensive experience in clinical study start-up, site activation, and regulatory operations within a Contract Research Organization (CRO) environment, with a proven track record of leading successful study launches across global programs.

• Significant leadership experience managing large, geographically dispersed teams and developing high-performing leaders.

• Demonstrated success overseeing sponsor-facing delivery organizations and building strong strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients.

• Deep understanding of global regulatory requirements, submission processes, and study activation activities across multiple regions.

• Proven ability to lead cross-functional organizations and influence outcomes across Site Selection, Regulatory Affairs, Contracts, Activation, Clinical Operations, and Project Management functions.

• Strong strategic thinking, operational excellence, and change leadership capabilities with experience driving process improvement and organizational transformation.

• Exceptional communication, executive presence, and relationship-management skills, with the ability to effectively engage internal and external stakeholders at all levels.

• Commitment to fostering diversity, inclusion, collaboration, and continuous learning within teams and across the organization.

• Prefer candidates who live in the US, but candidates in Europe will also be considered

• Able to travel domestically and internationally up to 25%

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Rewards & Benefits

ICON offers a competitive and comprehensive total rewards package designed to support your health, wellbeing, and career development.

Benefits may include:

• Competitive base salary and performance related incentives
• Health and wellbeing programmes including medical, dental, and vision coverage where applicable
• Retirement and pension plans
• Life assurance and disability coverage
• Employee assistance programmes and wellbeing resources
• Learning and development opportunities through structured training and career pathways

Benefits may vary depending on role and location.

Visit our to read more about the benefits ICON offers.