Ipsen Biopharm Ltd Posted September 16, 2026

Clinical Program Oncology Director

London (UK), United Kingdom Full time
Clinical Development Oncology Director
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Ipsen Biopharm Ltd is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

Title:

Clinical Program Oncology Director

Company:

Ipsen Biopharm Ltd

About Ipsen:

Ipsen is a mid-sized global biopharmaceutical company with a focus on transformative medicines in three therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Disease and Neuroscience. Supported by nearly 100 years of development experience, with global hubs in the U.S., France and the U.K, we tackle areas of high unmet medical need through research and innovation.

Our passionate teams in more than 40 countries are focused on what matters and endeavor every day to bring medicines to patients in 88 countries. We build a workplace that champions human-centric leadership and fosters a culture of collaboration, excellence and impact. At Ipsen, every individual is empowered to be their true selves, grow and thrive alongside the company’s success. Join us on our journey towards sustainable growth, creating real impact on patients and society!

For more information, visit us at https://www.ipsen.com/   and follow our latest news on LinkedIn and Instagram .

Job Description:

WHAT - Summary & Purpose of the Position

The Clinical Program Director (CPD) holds full accountability for the global clinical development program(s) in scope, leading and developing a team of Clinical Project Managers (CPMs), Clinical Monitoring Leads (CMLs) and CTAs

He/she drives excellence in external stakeholder management and leads the clinical partnerships for the programs and studies in scope, ensuring that Ipsen is seen as a partner of choice for external stakeholders and that any issues are addressed in a timely manner

The CPD is responsible for the clinical development plan and leads all clinical development operations aspects for the assets in scope at Asset Team level, ensuring cross-functional oversight of all program and study related activities

The CPD leverages market/industry insights to drive innovation and shape the company processes and programs to increase efficiency and collaboration

CPD could manage 1-2 program or multiple indications in a program

WHAT - Main Responsibilities & Technical Competencies

Team Management responsibilities:

Accountable for forecasting/managing resources and for driving one-team, transparency, accountability and collaboration behaviors within his/her team and transversally within the organisation:

Recruits, manages, develops, mentors and trains Clinical Project Managers (CPMs), Clinical Monitoring Leads (CMLs) and Clinical Trial Assistants (CTAs) as applicable, within area of responsibility,

Fosters a culture of collaboration, accountability, continues improvement, and operational excellence

Clinical Program Management responsibilities

Provides clinical and operational expertise and guidance for the design, implementation strategy, resourcing and budgetary planning for clinical programs. Works closely with the Therapeutic area Clinical Development Managers, Biostats and cross-functional team members on the programs to outline the design of the Clinical Development Plan (CDP); Target product profiles (TPP) etc

Accountable for forecasting CDO resources (internal/external), timelines and budgets needed on the clinical programs to deliver on the milestones. Sits on the Clinical Development teams and represents clinical operations on the Asset team

Accountable and responsible for outlining the clinical operations strategy to deliver on the clinical development plans. This includes CRO selection, country/site selection strategy, recruitment rates etc

Ensures that the timelines and all key deliverables for the clinical study clinical are followed and appropriately shared and aligned at AT level, and with her/his line manager, TA CDO Head and Head of CDO in order to support the delivery of clinical development objectives and achieve Clinical Excellence.

Responsible and accountable for managing relationships with Service Providers (SP). Responsible for issue escalation, timely resolution of issues and supporting the CPMs in the SP oversight and the delivery on the clinical studies

Responsible and accountable for ensuring all the clinical studies within the program are delivering on time and within budget

Provides expertise as required as a contributing author in the development of clinical documents (e.g. study concept, annual updates of the Investigator Brochures, IND, Briefing documents etc…), and to ensure that the assigned dedicated CPMs are providing an expert/functional review of study documents (e.g. Protocol, Reporting and Analysing Plan, Clinical Study Reports and other key documents) during the course of the clinical program

Contributes as required to advisory boards, expert scientific committees, and on submission teams

Brings in the industry insights into Ipsen to ensure we are building the organization to the future state

Analyse and recommend solutions to his/her line manager and other Heads of Department within CDO and R&D on the organisation and participation in effective clinical trial programs.

Drives changes in processes for continuous improvement, trainings and adaptation to business model changes.

Ensures all program activities within the framework are in compliance with Global SOPs, and other documentation in force within the Ipsen Group, ensuring timely reading and understanding of relevant SOPs.

Performs any other activity as may reasonably be required by his/her line manager from time to time

HOW - Behavioural Competencies Required

Competency

Behavioural Markers

Explanation of Choice

References to Job Description

Drive Vision and Strategy (2)

• Paints a compelling picture of the vision (future status quo) and strategy that motivates others to action.

The CPD must lead clinical development programs and shape company processes. Strategic vision is essential to guide teams and align with long-term goals.

§ The CPD is responsible for the clinical development plan and leads all clinical development operations aspects for the assets in scope at Asset Team level.

§ Leverages market/industry insights to drive innovation and shape the company processes and programs to increase efficiency and collaboration.

§ CPD could manage 1-2 program or multiple indications in a program.

Ensures Accountability (26)

• Ensures single accountable referents per task/project/outcome (independent of organizational context or multi-team projects);

• Builds and anchors an environment where people have the skills and habits to ask for clarification when accountabilities are unclear;

• Consults/seeks relevant stakeholder views/expertise and coaches/ensures decisions are made by consent vs. consensus;

• Takes personal accountability for decisions, actions, successes and failures, and fosters the same for others;

• Follows through on commitment and makes sure others do the same;

Accountability is critical for managing complex clinical programs and ensuring deliverables are met across cross-functional teams.

§ The Clinical Program Director holds full accountability for the global clinical development program(s) in scope.

§ Ensures cross-functional oversight of all program and study related activities.

§ Leads all clinical development operations aspects for the assets in scope.

HOW - Knowledge & Experience

Knowledge & Experience (essential):

10+ years of Clinical Operations experience in Pharma, Biotech or CRO organization in managing Ph1-3 global clinical studies/programs in Oncology Therapeutic Area.

Experience in managing pivotal filing studies and global submissions

A good understanding of the drug development process. Experience in preparation and review of clinical study documents including the Investigator Brochure, Investigational New Drug Applications (IND), study protocols, clinical study reports, applicable sections of New Drug Applications (NDA) and or Marketing Authorization Application (MAA), updates to the IND, NDA and other safety reports.

Thorough knowledge of Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA), and other applicable national regulations, International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) guidelines, Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and key Clinical Operations principles, concepts, practices, standards, processes and tools

Experience in outlining Clinical operations strategy and ensuring effective delivery. Organisational strategic awareness and proven ability of developing strategic solutions. Effectively transitions between strategy and operational execution, with the adaptability to modify plans as required based on changes in priority with strong diagnostic, analytical and process improvement skills

Experience of managing and developing relationships with Service Providers (SPs).

Proficient in risk management to prevent and overcome complex safety and compliance related issues during clinical program implementation

Experience of preparing and managing clinical study budgets

Excellent organisational and management skills

Strong leadership and line management capability and experience

Is an effective Team leader, experienced in building high performing teams through talent development and coaching, developing honest relationships, and generating trust by demonstrating consistency between words and actions

Excellent communication skills, strong interpersonal skills, and cross-cultural understanding and sensitivity / interact at all levels within the business and with external partners. Ability to represent the company in a highly professional manner.

Experience of working with multidisciplinary groups and ability to work within a team environment.

Ability to see the big picture, while keeping an eye on the detail.

Ability to take initiative with a positive attitude in all circumstances.

Flexible; independent problem solving and self-direction.

Excellent IT and Microsoft Office skills

Knowledge & Experience (preferred):

Experience in First-in-human studies in oncology strongly preferred.

Education / Certifications (essential):

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant life sciences discipline is required.

Education / Certifications (preferred):

Advanced degree (Master or PhD level) or equivalent advanced qualification(s) is preferred

Language(s) (essential):

Fluent in English.

#LI-MM1 #LI-hybrid

We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels heard, valued, and supported; where we embrace “The Real Us”. The value we place on different perspectives and experiences drives our commitment to inclusion and equal opportunities. When we include diverse ways of thinking, we make more thoughtful decisions and discover more innovative solutions. Together we strive to better understand the communities we serve. This means we also want to help you perform at your best when applying for a role with us. If you require any adjustments or support during the application process, please let the recruitment team know. This information will be handled with care and will not affect the outcome of your application.

Job details

Seniority
Director
Function
Clinical Development
Therapeutic area
Oncology
Location
London (UK), United Kingdom
Employment type
Full time

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Clinical Development role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 241 comparable Director Clinical Development roles across 48 biopharma companies.

241Comparable roles tracked
231Currently active
48Companies hiring similar roles
18Countries represented

Salary context

109 of 241 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function and a matching or adjacent seniority level -- not necessarily the same therapeutic area or country.

This roleSubject Not listed on this posting
Peer group range $0 – $392,100 (median $264,000)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 241 comparable roles

United States183
United Kingdom14
India10
Spain9
Switzerland6
Ireland3

+ 12 more countries

Seniority mix

241 of 241 peers have a known seniority level

Director182
Senior Director38
Principal21

Therapeutic area mix

75 of 241 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology43
Neuroscience10
Immunology8
Cardiovascular / CVRM5
Ophthalmology4
Dermatology & Aesthetics3
Respiratory1
Rare Disease1

Similar opportunities

The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.

100%similar
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Same function Same therapeutic area Same seniority Same country
100%similar
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Same function Same therapeutic area Same seniority Same country
90%similar
Gilead Sciences, Inc. Uxbridge, United Kingdom Senior Director
Same function Same therapeutic area Adjacent seniority Same country
85%similar
AstraZeneca Director
Same function Same therapeutic area Same seniority

Open in 2 locations

Barcelona, SpainGaithersburg, United States
85%similar
AstraZeneca Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America Director
Same function Same therapeutic area Same seniority
85%similar
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Same function Same therapeutic area Same seniority

Notify me about similar jobs

Get an email when we spot other openings like this one – same job function, comparable seniority, roles you'd actually want to see.

How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

100%
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Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
85%
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AstraZeneca · Barcelona, Spain · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
85%
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Amgen Inc. · United States, Spain · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
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Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc (USA) · Tarrytown, United States · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.