Clinical Trial Investigator Grant Forecasting

Work Schedule

Environmental Conditions

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.