Future in clinical project manager : CPM Jobs

CPM jobs involve planning and managing all aspects of a clinical trial. The goal of clinical trials is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, or in-vitro diagnostic devices to support regulatory submissions or marketing claims. To successfully conduct a clinical trial, CPMs manage a team of CRAs and Clinical Specialists, and act as a liaison between the study sponsor and the clinical trial site. As a CPM, it is imperative to understand project management methodologies, to allow you to effectively lead a cross-functional team.

CPMs must also demonstrate a capacity for leadership since responsibilities include training team members, evaluating staff performance and leading the resolution of issues with the clinical study. In addition, CPMs must have excellent communication skills to enable them to build and maintain relationships with sponsors, investigators, and research staff. The analytical and writing skills gained as a CRA are also crucial a CPM job will involve developing documents such as protocols, informed consent documents, contracts and grants. A skilled CPM should also be familiar with the financial aspects of a clinical study, including reviewing invoices, performing daily accounting tasks, and preparing budgets. In some scenarios, clinical project manager jobs may include contributing to the statistical analysis and data reporting documentation used to support a marketing clearance, approval or registration.There is a great demand for CPMs as increased global regulations are requiring more extensive clinical studies to support the safety and effectiveness claims of health-care products. CPMs may work for pharmaceutical, medical device, or in-vitro diagnostic device companies, managing the clinical studies to support the company’s product portfolio. CPMs may also work for contract research organisations (CROs)- an organisation that is hired to execute clinical trials or perform other clinical research support. There are also opportunities for CPMs working for a non-profit or academic institution, to structure and lead clinical research.

CPM come from a variety of educational backgrounds and fields. Most have at a minimum bachelor’s degree in a sciences field such as biology, health, life sciences or bioengineering. Those with advanced degrees such as MS, MBA, PhD or MD will find it easier to quickly reach the CPM level, with relevant clinical trial and project management experience.

QUALIFICATIONS :

It is also necessary to have experience writing study protocols or other scientific documents. Project management experience is also beneficial, even if it is as a general project manager since this demonstrates your ability to lead and coordinate a cross-functional team. As a CPM, you will be working in a highly regulated environment and should have an expert understanding of Good Clinical Practice and other relevant regulatory requirements. You should also have exposure working with institutional review boards (IRBs) or ethics committees (ECs). Generally, a principle CRA with about 7-9 years of experience would be a strong candidate for a CPM position. A position as a clinical team lead, clinical team manager, or clinical operation leader would also serve as an excellent transition towards becoming a CPM. These positions offer valuable clinical leadership and management experience without some financial management responsibilities, such as budgeting.

Tips for applying to CPM Positions:

When applying to CPM positions, make sure that your CV shows how your experience relates to the posted job description. Be sure to highlight your actual relevant experience and how you directly contributed to achieving company or clinical study objectives. As a CPM, attention to detail is crucial and can be demonstrated by an error-free and organised CV.

If you are unable to find applicable CPM positions, try proactively contacting Human Resource departments at companies with which you have interest. Additionally, use your network to find contacts at these target companies, even if these contacts are not in the clinical affairs department. Finally, do not apply to senior CRA or CPM positions if you do not have the required amount of experience. Focus on roles for which you meet the minimum experience requirements.

Clinical Project Manager Job Duties:

Clinical project managers share precisely the same job description. However, some continuity exists among their duties, largely due to the technology and applications that IS clinical project managers oversee. Most projects involve medical research, necessitating leadership with an equal measure of project management and technological expertise. A typical IS clinical project manager’s career summary might include:

• Communicate effectively with clients and end-users in order to evaluate needs and establish project outcomes and scope
• Assess, select and implement software systems appropriate to each project
• Design and develop project plans and timelines
• Coordinate resources and supervise project team members
• Collect and interpret health and medical data according to project design
• Document project, quality assurance and/or research protocol, procedures and outcomes
• Create and disseminate budgetary, financial, status and/or change order reports
• Liaise with IT and clinic managers and staff members
• Engage with stakeholders and ensure end-user satisfaction

IS clinical project managers share a customized skill set. They leverage a combination of hard and soft skills, often simultaneously, while achieving their duties. For instance, interpreting complex medical data before an administrative panel requires interpersonal intelligence and analytical ability, not to mention technological savvy. Motivating IT/IS project team members demands leadership infused with technical knowledge.

 Clinical Project Manager Salary:

Given the relative youth of the field, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has yet to publish employment and salary data for IS clinical project managers, but Indeed.com suggests that annual compensation for the related position of Information Systems Manager averages approximately $76,000 across the United States. The site further estimates that information system managers earn 21% more than the national average across all posted positions. Glassdoor.com reports an attractive nationwide salary range of about $61,000 - $131,000, with a median annual wage of roughly $90,000.

Salary and employment data may vary according to location and employer, and the figures above may not reflect conditions in any specific region. Local resources will provide more accurate information about prospects for IS information systems clinical project managers in your specific area.