Key Facts

Remote From:

Bulgaria , Poland , Spain , United Kingdom

Full time

Senior (5-10 years)

English

Hard Skills

Clinical Trial Management Systems Electronic Trial Master File Government Contracting Enrollment Management Vendor Management Milestones (Project Management) Project Management Stakeholder Communications

Other Skills

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People Management
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Team Leadership
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Collaboration
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Planning
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Communication
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Accountability
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Time Management
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Detail Oriented
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Quality Assurance
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Problem Solving

Roles & Responsibilities

Right to work in UK, Spain, Poland or Bulgaria
Experience in a similar SSU role, preferably in a senior capacity
Experience in Clinical Research, Biotech or Pharmaceutical industry
Available to start in May 2026

Requirements:

Lead global SSU planning and execution, contributing to the trial Operational Execution Plan and aligning SSU activities with the Study Leader/CTT; configure and set up SSU systems (e.g., eTMF, CTMS, milestones, vendors, translations, ICF templates, budgeting tools).
Direct the SSU Team and Global Activation from kick-off through completion across all countries/sites, ensuring timely document readiness and eTMF submission for HA/Ethics Committee approvals and site activation (targeting defined enrollment).
Ensure Protocol and ICF global templates are ready for country use (including translations), support Vendor Program Manager to activate vendors and finalize country site budgets and contracts.
Maintain global TMF integrity and inspection readiness, ensuring accurate, timely TMF documents; oversee timelines and quality in study start-up and collaboration with the Study Grants Expert for investigator grants.

ICON plc

Pharmaceuticals

About ICON plc

Since our foundation in Dublin, Ireland in 1990, our mission has been to help our clients to accelerate the development of drugs and devices that save lives and improve quality of life. We do this by delivering best in class information, solutions and performance, with an unyielding focus on quality at all times. We offer a full range of consulting, development and commercialisation services from a global network of offices in 53 countries. We focus our innovation on the factors that are critical to our clients – reducing time to market, reducing cost, and increasing quality – and our global team of experts has extensive experience in a broad range of therapeutic areas.

Company type: XLarge

Industry: Pharmaceuticals

Founded: 2018

Company size: 10001

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Job description

Study Start Up Lead

ICON plc is a world-leading healthcare intelligence and clinical research organization. We’re proud to foster an inclusive environment driving innovation and excellence, and we welcome you to join us on our mission to shape the future of clinical development

Job title - Study Start-Up Lead

Location - UK, Spain, Bulgaria or Poland (Remote)

Fully sponsor dedicated

Working fully embedded within a growing, top 5 Pharmaceutical company, you will be responsible for executing global SSU activities to ensure timely trial document and task completion to enable country HA (Health Authorities) and Ethics Committee submissions and site activation to meet ambitious recruitment plans.

What you will be doing:

Early Planning and Team Leadership:

Contributes SSU insights to the development of the trial Operational Execution Plan (OEP) and aligns the SSU plan and strategy accordingly as reflected in SSU systems, milestones and dashboards with Study Leader/Clinical Trial Team (CTT).
Configures and ensures proper trial-specific set-up of SSU systems (e.g., Expected Document Lists, eTMF, milestones, tasks, personnel, vendors, languages/translations, confirmed and back-up countries, CTMS (Clinical Trial Management System), enrollment plan, vendor management tool, site contracting and budgeting tool, ICF template tool, etc.)
Prepares global SSU planning and leads SSU Team (CTT sub-team) from kick-off through completion of SSU (all countries and 95% sites enrolling or as defined per trial)

Leads Global SSU Activation:

Ensures timely collection global trial level document readiness (including vendor and IMP (INVESTIGATIONAL MEDICINAL PRODUCT)) and collection into eTMF as necessary for country health authority and Ethics Committee submission and site activation.
Supports the Vendor Program Manager (VPM) as needed to ensure timely global vendor activation and HA submission documents.
Ensures Protocol and ICF (Informed Consent Form) global trial template is ready for country usage as necessary including translations.
Directs the Study Grants Expert for investigator grant plan/fair market value assessment initiation and finalization of country site budget and contract template readiness in conjunction with protocol timelines Global accountability of timelines, accuracy, and quality of global TMF (Trial Master File) documents in study start-up to ensure TMF inspection readiness.

You are:

Must have right to work in any of these countries - UK, Spain, Poland or Bulgaria
Must have relevant experience in a similar role, ideally within a senior SSU role
Must have experience working within either the Clinical Research, Biotech or Pharmaceutical industry
Be able to start a new role in May 2026 (highly advantageous)

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, TELUS Health, offering 24-hour access to a global network of over 80,000 independent specialised 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, subsidised 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.

Are you a current ICON Employee? Please click here to apply