Executive Director, Medical & Participant Strategy - #2194680

Summary

The Executive Director, Medical and Participant Strategy is accountable for how Civia Health finds, engages, recruits and retains participants across the UK and US, and for every participant’s experience with Civia. The role knows participant pathways and indications in depth, and how to reach and engage participants within UK and US healthcare infrastructure, and turns that knowledge into practical plans that assess and use Civia’s infrastructure. This is not a theory role: it is strategy with accountability for execution to time, cost and quality, as an individual contributor or supported by a team.

The role leads the continual evolution of one of the fastest-moving spaces in the industry, and is an expert in applying AI to participant recruitment, engagement and experience. The role’s team covers feasibility, all aspects of recruitment (digital, creatives, community and call centre), engagement and Civia Health Membership, and it works in a highly matrixed way through multidisciplinary teams, involved earlier than a traditional site network.

The role is accountable for the success of Civia Health Membership, Civia’s differentiated digital and in-person membership, measured by engagement, a lower cost of acquiring participants into trials and delighted participants, and for co-building capabilities with Boots as a partner, not a vendor. Civia is not like any other site network: participant excellence is expected at all times, and the role travels to sites and hosts country meetings to make sure it is delivered.

Key Responsibilities

Participant Pathways & Indication Strategy (UK & US)

• Bring deep knowledge of participant pathways and indications, and of how participants move through UK and US healthcare systems, to every study Civia takes on.
• Translate that knowledge into practical recruitment, retention and engagement plans for each study and indication, assessed against Civia’s sites, capacity, systems and partners, and lead them through to execution, to time, cost and quality.
  
  

AI in Participant Recruitment, Engagement & Experience

• Lead the continual evolution of Civia’s recruitment, engagement and participant experience in one of the fastest-moving spaces in the industry.
• Identify where AI can improve Civia’s offering, and write business plans that set out how Civia implements it and keeps improving it, with costs, benefits and measures.
• Put those plans into practice with the relevant teams, and measure their impact.
  
  

Feasibility & Recruitment Delivery

• Build and lead an effective feasibility organisation that gives clients and Civia realistic, evidence-based recruitment commitments, grounded in real pathway, population and site data.
• Lead all aspects of recruitment, including digital, creatives, community and call centre, and build the infrastructure, process and tools that keep recruitment contract, forecast and actual clear at all times, at study, site and country level.
• Make sure Recruitment Project Managers have the plans, tools and data to deliver to forecast, and act quickly when actual falls behind.
  
  

Civia Health Membership & Engagement

• Own the success of Civia Health Membership, Civia’s digital and in-person membership and a differentiated advantage over other site networks.
• Lead engagement activities and plans, digital and in person across all Civia sites, that grow engagement, delight participants and reduce the cost of acquiring participants into trials.
  
  

Participant Experience & Retention

• Be accountable for each participant’s full experience with Civia, including every Civia visit: set the standard, measure it and act to keep it excellent at every site.
• Measure and assess retention, and put frameworks in place so Civia meets the highest industry standards.
• Travel to sites and host country meetings to see the participant experience first hand.
  
  

Boots Partnership

• Co-build capabilities with Boots as a partner, not a vendor: involve Boots early, understand their capabilities, and run joint plans, shared measures and regular joint reviews.
  
  

KPIs, Data & Reporting

• Create the KPIs, data, dashboards and reports that demonstrate excellence across feasibility, recruitment, membership, participant experience and retention.
• Provide concise executive briefings to the COO, SLT and Board, and clear reporting to clients.
  
  

Team Leadership & Matrix Working

• Lead the team across feasibility, recruitment (digital, creatives, community and call centre), engagement and Civia Health Membership.
• Work in a highly matrixed way through multidisciplinary teams, earlier than a traditional site network, on study design, proposals and commercial projects, with mutual as well as individual accountability.
  
  

Required Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in a clinical or life sciences discipline.
• Deep knowledge of participant pathways and therapeutic indications, and of UK (NHS) and US healthcare infrastructure.
• Senior experience in participant recruitment, feasibility or medical strategy at a CRO, SMO, site network or sponsor.
• Expert in applying AI to participant recruitment, engagement and experience, with AI business plans that were implemented and delivered results.
• Proven record of turning strategy into executed plans, to time, cost and quality.
• Experience building a feasibility function, or recruitment infrastructure that reports contract, forecast and actual.
• Experience running participant engagement or membership programmes, digital and in person, with measurable reductions in cost of acquisition.
• Track record of leading in a matrix and building partnerships with retail, healthcare or community partners.
• Data driven: builds and uses KPIs, dashboards and reports.
• Sound understanding of ICH GCP, GDPR and participant-facing regulatory requirements.
• Willing to travel regularly to UK and US sites.
  
  

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Advanced clinical or scientific degree (e.g. MD, PhD, PharmD or nursing).
• Participant or customer experience leadership in healthcare or retail.
• Experience with HubSpot, CRIO and digital marketing platforms.
• Experience presenting to executive leadership, clients and the Board.