Who are we?
We're Avance Clinical a Contract Research Organisation. We offer specialised services supporting drug development for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. We have a rich history in this area with our founding roots dating back to the 1980's. If you already work in this industry you'll know that we are experts in our field.
Why should you join Avance Clinical?
We appreciate that our most important asset is our people. We offer a fun, friendly work environment and a culture that values honesty and respect. We have a strong sense of team. We genuinely appreciate each individual but recognise the collective when achieving success.
We are committed to creating a flexible work environment for our people by supporting them to balance their work commitments and personal needs, both now and into the future.
The Senior Vice President, Oncology Centre of Excellence (SVP OCoE) is accountable for the strategic leadership, growth, and overall performance of Avance's Oncology Centre of Excellence, with end‑to‑end responsibility for oncology clinical development services delivered through the Centre. This role provides senior oversight of oncology clinical strategy, operational delivery, scientific excellence, and client engagement, ensuring that oncology clinical trials are designed and conducted efficiently, compliantly, and in line with the strategic objectives of Avance and its clients. The SVP OCoE will lead multidisciplinary oncology teams, drive innovation and process optimization, and ensure the highest standards of quality, regulatory compliance, and client satisfaction across all oncology programs.
Core Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Vision
- Contribute to and execute the strategic vision for the Oncology Centre of Excellence, aligning service offerings, capability development, and growth initiatives with Avance's corporate strategy.
- Develop and refine the oncology portfolio strategy, including focus indications, innovative trial designs (e.g. early‑phase, biomarker‑enriched, adaptive designs), and value‑added services.
- Provide strategic input into corporate business planning, investment decisions, and partnerships related to oncology.
Oncology Clinical Development & Scientific Excellence
- Provide senior leadership and oversight for clinical development strategy across oncology programs, including protocol concepting, endpoint strategy, and early‑phase development pathways.
- Champion scientific and medical excellence in oncology, working closely with medical, scientific affairs, biostatistics, and regulatory teams to ensure robust, innovative study designs and development plans.
- Represent Avance's oncology expertise in external scientific and medical forums, supporting thought leadership and visibility in key oncology areas.
Operational Leadership & Delivery
- Oversee the operational leadership, execution, and delivery of all oncology clinical projects within the Centre of Excellence, ensuring timely, on‑budget, and high‑quality project delivery.
- Ensure that operational processes, SOPs, and best practices for oncology trials are developed, implemented, and continuously optimized across regions.
- Provide senior oversight to cross‑functional oncology teams (clinical operations, data management, safety/pharmacovigilance, regulatory, medical writing, biostatistics, etc.) to enable seamless project delivery.
Project, Portfolio & Resource Management
- Provide portfolio‑level oversight of all oncology programs, ensuring appropriate prioritisation, resource allocation, and risk management across projects.
- Monitor project and portfolio milestones, deliverables, and budgets, proactively identifying and resolving strategic or systemic risks and bottlenecks.
- Ensure that staffing levels, competency mix, and geographic deployment are optimized to support current and projected oncology workload.
Quality, Compliance & Continuous Improvement
- Ensure all oncology projects comply with ICH/GCP, applicable regulatory requirements, and internal quality standards.
- Oversee quality assurance activities and inspection readiness for the Oncology Centre of Excellence, including audit responses and implementation of corrective and preventive actions.
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives using metrics and feedback to enhance operational efficiency, quality, patient safety, and overall trial outcomes.
Client, Stakeholder & Vendor Management
- Serve as the senior management point of contact for key oncology sponsors and strategic partners, supporting business retention and expansion.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with investigators, key opinion leaders, vendors, and alliance partners to support scientific and operational success.
- Oversee vendor strategy, selection, and performance management for oncology‑relevant outsourced services (e.g. central labs, imaging, biomarker vendors).
Financial Oversight
- Oversee financial performance for the Oncology Centre of Excellence, developing and managing budgets, revenue forecasts, and margin improvement plans.
- Track and report on financial performance, identifying opportunities for cost efficiency, service differentiation, and sustainable growth.
- Partner with finance and business development to support pricing strategies, bids, and long‑term commercial planning for oncology services.
Reporting, Insights & Communication
- Provide regular senior‑level reporting on oncology portfolio status, risk, operational performance metrics, and strategic initiatives to Avance senior leadership.
- Drive transparent, effective communication across oncology project teams, executive stakeholders, and clients to ensure alignment and timely decision‑making.
- Utilize operational and portfolio metrics to generate insights that inform strategic decisions and continuous improvement.
Talent, Culture & Capability Development
- Lead, mentor, and develop senior leaders and high‑performing teams within the Oncology Centre of Excellence, including succession planning for critical roles.
- Oversee onboarding, training, and ongoing professional development of oncology operations and scientific staff, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and accountability.
- Champion diversity, inclusion, and a learning mindset within the Oncology Centre of Excellence.
Other
- Perform other duties of a strategic or technical nature as directed by the CSO or delegate, in line with skills, experience and/or qualifications.
Departmental Responsibilities
- Ensure the provision of high‑quality, scientifically robust, and operationally excellent oncology clinical development services to Avance's clients.
- Contribute to the design and execution of Avance's broader strategic growth plan, ensuring that oncology capabilities and infrastructure are scalable, sustainable, and differentiated.
- Identify, assess, and mitigate scientific, operational, regulatory, and financial risks associated with the oncology portfolio.
- Establish and monitor relevant KPIs and performance metrics across oncology operations (e.g. recruitment performance, on‑time delivery, quality metrics, financial indicators) and act on insights.
- Ensure that processes, systems, and tools within the Oncology Centre of Excellence are fit‑for‑purpose and harmonized with corporate standards where appropriate.
Qualifications, Skills And Experience
Education & Training
- Bachelor's degree in life sciences, medicine, pharmacy, nursing, or a related field is required.
- Advanced degree (e.g. MD, PhD, PharmD, Master's in a relevant discipline) is highly desirable.
- Additional certifications in clinical research, oncology, project management, or GCP are advantageous.
Professional Experience
- Extensive experience (typically ≥10 years) in oncology clinical development and/or clinical operations within a CRO, pharmaceutical, or academic research environment, including a strong focus on early‑ to mid‑phase oncology trials.
- Demonstrated success in leading complex, global oncology clinical programs and cross‑functional teams, with a proven track record of delivering high‑quality projects on time and on budget.
- Significant experience in strategic portfolio oversight, including resource planning, risk management, and financial accountability for oncology programs.
- Experience in vendor management, contract negotiation, and senior‑level sponsor relationship management.
- Familiarity with both investigator‑initiated and sponsor‑driven oncology trials and diverse operational models.
Core Competencies & Skills
- Deep understanding of oncology clinical trial operations, design, and conduct, including protocol development, site selection and management, patient recruitment and retention, and relevant regulatory requirements (e.g. ICH/GCP, FDA, EMA, other major agencies).
- Strong strategic thinking, analytical, and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to interpret operational and portfolio metrics and drive data‑informed decisions and improvements.
- Excellent leadership and people‑management skills, with the ability to inspire, influence, and develop senior leaders and multidisciplinary teams in a matrixed, global environment.
- Highly effective communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships with clients, investigators, KOLs, and internal stakeholders.
- Skilled in risk assessment, issue management, and implementation of corrective and preventive actions at both project and portfolio levels.
- Proficiency with clinical trial technologies (e.g. CTMS, EDC, eTMF) and comfort with data‑driven performance management.
Desirable Attributes
- High level of organizational and time‑management skills, with the ability to oversee multiple complex initiatives and competing priorities.
- Strong client focus and commitment to delivering high‑quality, patient‑centric outcomes.
- Ability to work collaboratively and effectively in a fast‑paced, matrixed, and global environment.
- Commitment to ongoing professional development and to fostering a culture of innovation and operational excellence in oncology clinical research.
What We Offer
- Stimulating work
- Project diversity
- An intellectual challenge
- An agile & flexible workplace
- Opportunity to progress
- Stability
- Sense of community
- A leadership team that are working together on a common goal
- Flexible work options
- Great tools / tech to do your job
What next?
As a growing business we're looking for likeminded people to join us - we hope that's you.
- To join our team please submit your CV & cover letter as one Microsoft Word document
- You must have full US working rights to be considered
