Budget & Contracts Specialist

Your impact begins here

You will own clinical trial finance for Oceania studies across Australia and New Zealand, from the first country budget to the final site payment. By building fair budgets, negotiating clear agreements with sites and keeping payments accurate and on time, you help studies start smoothly and keep moving. That matters because every trial that progresses brings new treatments closer to people living with serious chronic diseases.

What you’ll bring

You combine commercial judgement with a sharp eye for detail, and you know how to reach a fair outcome while keeping site relationships strong.

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent in life sciences, health sciences, business administration, finance, law or a related discipline. Relevant clinical research, pharmaceutical, finance or contract management experience may be considered in lieu of formal education.


• 2+ years’ experience in clinical research budgeting and contracting, site payment management or a similar role in the pharmaceutical industry.


• Experience negotiating budgets or contracts with clinical trial sites or institutions, in a cross-functional, regulated environment.


• Strong knowledge of clinical trial budgeting, contracting and site payment processes, including costing models and Fair Market Value (FMV) principles.


• The ability to interpret a protocol and translate it into a budget.


• Strong negotiation, analytical and problem-solving skills, with high attention to detail.


• Excellent written and verbal communication.


• Ability to manage multiple studies, priorities and deadlines, independently and as part of a team.


• A curious, innovative mindset and confidence with digital tools.

What you’ll do

• You will take a study from budget to final payment, working with trial and start-up colleagues from the study allocation onwards so sites can begin without delay.


• Develop country and site budgets with CDC Trial Managers and Therapeutic Area Leads, in line with the protocol, FMV and global requirements, and assess the budget impact of protocol changes.


• Negotiate site budgets and Clinical Trial Research Agreements (CTRAs) directly with sites within agreed parameters and escalate anything outside them to the right approver.


• Manage CTRAs, amendments and addenda through to signature, filing and storage, working with local Legal and Compliance, and keep status reports up to date.


• Execute investigator, site and participant payments in line with executed CTRAs, set up purchase orders and payment schedules, and reconcile payments against budgets.


• Act as the go-to contact for site budget, contract and payment questions.


• Find ways to save cost and time, and pilot new technologies and AI-enabled tools that simplify, automate or speed up budgeting, contracting and payment work.

Who you’ll work with

You will be part of Clinical Operation Excellence within the Oceania CDC, reporting to the Senior Manager, COE Lead. You will have primary responsibility for country and site budgets, CTRAs and site payments across Australia and New Zealand, and provide Global and International Operations support when needed.

Day to day, your closest partners are CDC Trial Managers, Therapeutic Area Leads, assigned CRAs and the Study Start-up team, including the SSU Manager, SSU Specialist. You will also work with the Oceania affiliate’s Finance, Legal, Ethics & Compliance, Procurement and Global Business Services colleagues, as well as global budgeting and contracting teams.

Outside Novo, you will build trusted relationships with investigators, study coordinators, hospital administration, site contracts and finance teams.

What you can expect here

You will be trusted to own your work and make your voice heard, with clear expectations and support to perform at your best. We value curiosity, so you are encouraged to follow industry trends in clinical trial finance and share ideas that strengthen clinical operations.

In addition to being part of a collaborative and authentic culture, our employees are rewarded with Health and Wellbeing days, gifted leave between Christmas and New Year, extensive learning and development opportunities, and regular team and company offsite events.

Start now

Your impact begins today. If you are ready to turn budgets and agreements into faster, smoother clinical trials across Australia and New Zealand, apply for the Budget & Contract Specialist role by November 26.

We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants. First nation's people are encouraged to apply.