Senior Site Contract Specialist / Contract Manager (Sponsor Dedicated/ Remote- US Only)
Syneos Health® is a leading fully-integrated life sciences services organization built to accelerate customer success. We partner with innovators at every point across the drug development and commercialization continuum, helping them navigate complexity, anticipate change and accelerate progress.
Our Clinical Solutions team members act with a drug development mindset, applying their years of experience and deep expertise to truly understand customer needs and represent those in the solutions we shape.
Whether you join us in a Functional Service Provider partnership or a Full-Service environment, you’ll collaborate with passionate problem solvers, innovating as a team to help our customers achieve their goals. We are agile and driven to deliver – for one another, our customers, and, most importantly, for those in need.
Discover what your 25,000 future colleagues already know:
Why Syneos Health
• We are passionate about developing our people, through career development and progression; supportive and engaged line management; technical and therapeutic area training; peer recognition and total rewards program.
• We are committed to building an inclusive culture – where you can authentically be yourself. Central to this is our purpose – Driven to Deliver – which captures the passion of our colleagues to show up each day and shape solutions that have the ability to dramatically impact someone’s life.
• We are continuously building the company we all want to work for and our customers want to work with. Why? Because we know that when we bring together smart colleagues from across the world, we can shape the future of healthcare, driving impact for customers and defining the pace of patient progress.
Job Responsibilities
Senior Site Contract Specialist / Contract Manager (CM) - Sponsor DedicatedRemote-U.S. OnlyAre you an experienced clinical trial contracts professional who enjoys negotiating complex agreements, partnering directly with investigative sites, and driving study start-up success? If so, we'd love to hear from you.
We are seeking a Senior Site Contracts Specialist to join a high-performing, Sponsor-Dedicated team supporting a leading global biopharmaceutical company. In this highly visible role, you will independently manage U.S. site contract and budget negotiations, partnering with cross-functional teams to help bring innovative therapies to patients faster.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone who thrives in a collaborative, fast-paced environment and can confidently manage Clinical Trial Agreements (CTAs) and budgets with minimal oversight.
WHO YOU ARE:Required Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Business, Public Health, Life Sciences, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
Demonstrated experience independently managing:
Clinical Trial Agreements (CTAs)
CTA Amendments
Site budget negotiations
Contract lifecycle management with minimal oversight
Strong understanding of:
CTA drafting and negotiation
Contract templates and fallback language
Budget development and negotiation strategies
Clinical trial start-up processes
Experience maintaining negotiation status and documentation within Sponsor clinical trial tracking systems.
Excellent understanding of Phase II-IV clinical trials, ICH-GCP, and clinical development processes.
Strong project management, organization, and prioritization skills.
Exceptional negotiation, communication, and relationship-building abilities.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
Previous experience supporting a Sponsor-Dedicated/FSP model.
Leadership or mentoring experience (Senior level).
CRO experience.
Experience supporting process improvement initiatives within Site Start-Up or Site Contracts.
Experience-Leveling:
SCS-II/Contract Manager 2: Minimum of one (1) year of direct site contract and budget negotiations within CRO, site or pharma company required.
Sr. SCS/Contract Manager 3: Minimum of two (2) years of direct site contract and budget negotiation required. Demonstrates strong skillset in overall contract and budget management/oversight and has a minimum of one (1) year of progressive experience leading site contract negotiations as client-facing point of contact within an industry sponsored clinical trial setting.
Review contract language and study budgets for completeness and accuracy, ensuring all revisions are properly incorporated and documented.
Maintain internal project trackers with accurate, timely updates to support transparency and project oversight.
Utilize sponsor-approved fallback language to negotiate site contract terms effectively and efficiently.
Negotiate study budgets within approved parameters, following established escalation pathways when required.
Attend weekly internal and external progress meetings, providing status updates, next steps, and insights on active contract negotiations.
Partner with key stakeholders to align priorities related to contract execution and site activation timelines.
Build and maintain positive working relationships with both internal teams and external stakeholders throughout the negotiation process.
Identify contractual and operational risks early and proactively drive resolution strategies.
Prepare contract and budget escalation packages as needed.
Draft and finalize study start-up documentation, including templates, start-up plans, and related materials.
Prepare for and lead Study Team Kick-Off Meetings.
Coordinate and facilitate contract and budget preparation and overview meetings.
Prepare final contract documentation following completion of negotiations and approval of escalations.
Participate in pilot programs and stretch assignments that support sponsor initiatives and role development.
This is more than a site contracts role—you'll become a trusted partner helping drive clinical studies from start-up to activation. You'll work alongside experienced legal, finance, and clinical operations professionals while supporting one dedicated Sponsor, allowing you to develop deep expertise and build lasting collaborative relationships.
If you enjoy owning negotiations, solving complex challenges, and making a meaningful impact on clinical research, we'd love to speak with you.
Salary Range
$56,400 – $95,900
At Syneos Health, we believe in providing an environment and culture in which Our People can thrive, develop and advance. We reward and recognize our people by providing valuable benefits and a quality-of-life balance. The benefits for this position may include a company car or car allowance, Health benefits to include Medical, Dental and Vision, Company match 401k, eligibility to participate in Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Eligibility to earn commissions/bonus based on company and individual performance, and flexible paid time off (PTO) and sick time. Because certain states and municipalities have regulated paid sick time requirements, eligibility for paid sick time may vary depending on where you work. Syneos complies with all applicable federal, state, and municipal paid sick time requirements.
Salary Range:
$56,400.00 - $95,900.00The base salary range represents the anticipated low and high of the Syneos Health range for this position. Actual salary will vary based on various factors such as the candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and proficiency for the role.
Get to know Syneos Health
Over the past 5 years, we have worked with 94% of all Novel FDA Approved Drugs, 95% of EMA Authorized Products and over 200 Studies across 73,000 Sites and 675,000+ Trial patients.
No matter what your role is, you’ll take the initiative and challenge the status quo with us in a highly competitive and ever-changing environment. Learn more about Syneos Health.
http://www.syneoshealth.com
Additional Information
Tasks, duties, and responsibilities as listed in this job description are not exhaustive. The Company, at its sole discretion and with no prior notice, may assign other tasks, duties, and job responsibilities. Equivalent experience, skills, and/or education will also be considered so qualifications of incumbents may differ from those listed in the Job Description. The Company, at its sole discretion, will determine what constitutes as equivalent to the qualifications described above. Further, nothing contained herein should be construed to create an employment contract. Occasionally, required skills/experiences for jobs are expressed in brief terms. Any language contained herein is intended to fully comply with all obligations imposed by the legislation of each country in which it operates, including the implementation of the EU Equality Directive, in relation to the recruitment and employment of its employees. The Company is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, including the provision of reasonable accommodations, when appropriate, to assist employees or applicants to perform the essential functions of the job.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Public Health, Life Sciences, or related field (or equivalent experience)
- Independently manage Clinical Trial Agreements (CTAs) and CTA amendments
- Site budget development and negotiation within approved parameters
- Contract lifecycle management with minimal oversight
- Understanding of CTA drafting, negotiation, contract templates, and fallback language
- Maintain negotiation status and documentation in sponsor clinical trial tracking systems
- Excellent understanding of Phase II-IV clinical trials, ICH-GCP, and clinical development processes
- Strong project management, organization, and prioritization skills
- Exceptional negotiation, communication, and relationship-building abilities
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite
- Minimum of 1-2 years of direct site contract and budget negotiation experience; Senior level expects minimum 2 years with at least 1 year leading site contract negotiations
- Previous experience supporting a Sponsor-Dedicated/FSP model
- Leadership or mentoring experience
- CRO experience
- Experience supporting process improvement initiatives within Site Start-Up or Site Contracts
Syneos Health Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Syneos Health and has not been reviewed or approved by Syneos Health.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Unlimited PTO for managers and flexible time‑off options make time away accessible and support work‑life balance. Day‑to‑day usability can depend on team and workload, but the policy breadth is a clear strength.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with company match is frequently highlighted as a strong component of the package. Despite vesting details to confirm, the retirement offering adds meaningful long‑term value.
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Parental & Family Support — Partnership with Maven provides fertility, adoption support, parental‑leave guidance, and women’s health resources across multiple regions. This family‑building support enhances the overall total rewards appeal.
Syneos Health Insights
What We Do
Syneos Health® is a leading fully integrated biopharmaceutical solutions organization built to accelerate customer success. We translate unique clinical, medical affairs and commercial insights into outcomes to address modern market realities. We bring together a talented team of professionals, who work across more than 110 countries, with a deep understanding of patient and physician behaviors and market dynamics. Together we share insights, use the latest technologies and apply advanced business practices to speed our customers’ delivery of important therapies to patients. Syneos Health supports a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture that cares for colleagues, customers, patients, communities and the environment.







