CLINICAL RESEARCH MEDICAL ADVISOR Sintra

CLINICAL RESEARCH MEDICAL ADVISOR – Novartis Pharma Schweiz

As a Clinical Research Medical Advisor (CRMA) you will be accountable for all country clinical/medical aspects associated with development and prioritized research programs/trials by providing clinical strategic and tactical leadership as the Country Clinical Development representative (this may involve work across several countries). The role bridges Study Site Operations (SSO) clinical trials and Medical Affairs, aligning technical, operational and strategic priorities.

The CRMA gathers, informs, and acts on clinical/medical/scientific insights for clinical trial concept sheets, protocols, Informed Consent Forms (ICFs) and other relevant clinical documents to optimize trial implementation. The CRMA also drives the identification and involvement of qualified investigators with greatest recruitment potential, identifies clinical recruitment hurdles and leads recruitment activities to overcome these hurdles.

Major Accountabilities

• Validates study designs and makes the final decision on the feasibility of implementing a clinical trial protocol based on medical/clinical practice and competitive analysis in the country.

• Actively contributes to scientific/clinical/medical aspects of the startup phase to ensure fast site start‑up.

• Provides clinical/medical expertise to clinical trial operations teams and sites for IRB/EC interactions.

• Interacts with external experts such as regulatory authorities, medical experts, advisory boards and patient advocacy groups.

• Develops clinical/medical trial plans that consider the broader ecosystem to ensure successful implementation, including proactive identification of early challenges to recruitment or data quality and development of mitigation plans.

• Builds disease area expertise, especially for new/rare indications.

• Supports internal stakeholders across clinical, regulatory, medical information, marketing, patient access, health economics, and more in decision‑making regarding clinical trials.

• Gathers, informs, and acts on insights from investigators/site staff, medical experts, patients, and payers at the country/cluster level to optimize trial implementation.

• Ensures adherence to safety standards and clinical data quality for the country/cluster, providing general scientific support for safety issues.

Key Performance Indicators

Meets country/cluster‑specific clinical trial operations KPI targets related to trial feasibility and recruitment.

Essential Requirements

• Scientific degree M. D. , Ph. D. , or Pharm. D. (M. D. preferred) with ideally 3 years of clinical development experience in the pharmaceutical industry or clinical practice.
• Sound understanding of the overall clinical development process and ICH/GCP principles.
• Portuguese language proficiency and ability to speak and write in English.
• Ability to manage a study from the scientific/medical/clinical perspective and demonstrate problem‑solving and mediation skills in complex scientific/clinical operational issues.
• Effective leadership, strong communication skills, and ability to motivate and delegate across cross‑functional teams.
• Agility to move quickly across different therapeutic areas and indications.
• Demonstrated problem‑solving skills with comfort in complexity.
• Ability to prepare and deliver high‑quality presentations.

Desirable Requirements

• Sub‑specialty training in relevant therapeutic areas.

Seniority level

Mid‑Senior level

Employment type

Full‑time

Job function

Health Care Provider