Job Title: Senior Manager, Clinical Portfolio
Location: London
Job Type: Permanent with hybrid working (3 days in the office required)
Closing date: 16 September 2026
Agencies: We will only work with recruitment partners on our preferred supplier list and will not engage with speculative CVs submitted.
Are you passionate about making life science life changing and delivering impact for patients? We want to hear from you.
This role uses deep clinical development subject matter expertise to lead clinical diligence and assessment activities, supporting robust, evidence-based decision-making to ensure clinical projects are appropriately selected, designed and set up for success across the clinical portfolio.
The post-holder is responsible for oversight and management of a defined set of clinical projects within the clinical portfolio, working with external delivery partners to ensure projects are delivered in line with agreed plans, milestones, and contractual requirements, and that risks are identified and managed proactively.
Key responsibilities include:
Clinical Diligence & Assessment:
Lead clinical assessment of new opportunities, partnerships and strategic initiatives
Review clinical proposals, protocols, development plans and study designs
Evaluate feasibility, risks and likelihood of clinical success
Support investment and portfolio decision-making
Provide ongoing clinical oversight and periodic project reviews
Ensure clinical projects are well designed, clearly scoped and positioned for successful delivery
Portfolio Oversight & Performance:
Manage a portfolio of clinical projects, ensuring delivery against agreed objectives and plans
Monitor project progress, milestones, risks and dependencies, escalating issues as needed
Contribute to portfolio reporting and governance updates for senior stakeholders
Identify, assess and mitigate project risks
Collaborate with internal and external partners to support successful project delivery
Support portfolio prioritisation and resource allocation through clinical and project insights
Governance, Reporting & Decision Support:
Apply clinical governance and assessment standards across projects
Prepare clear, high-quality materials for governance and leadership reviews
Translate complex clinical information into actionable insights for decision-making
Support continuous improvement of clinical diligence processes and frameworks
Collaboration and Leadership:
Act as a clinical expert, supporting stakeholders and partners in decision-making and delivery
Contribute to Clinical pillar priorities, cross-functional initiatives and process improvements
Provide team leadership, including performance management and development support
Coach and mentor colleagues to build clinical capability and consistency
Essential experience required:
Significant experience in clinical development, clinical trials, or clinical research delivery in industry, academia, or not-for-profit settings
Experience leading or contributing to clinical diligence, assessment, or evaluation of clinical projects, proposals, or assets
Experience managing complex clinical studies, projects, or portfolios, including oversight of delivery, risks, and milestones
Strong understanding of clinical trial design, phases, and development pathways across therapeutics, diagnostics, or devices
Experience operating within clinical research governance frameworks and regulatory environments (e.g. ethics and clinical practice standards, CTA/IND processes)
Demonstrated experience working in cross-functional and matrix teams, including leadership, coordination, or line management responsibility
Strong stakeholder engagement experience, including working with academic, clinical, and/or industry partners
Desirable:
Experience supporting funding or investment decision-making processes (e.g. panels, governance committees)
Experience in rare disease, global health, or priority disease areas relevant to the organisation
Experience working within multi-partner collaborations or complex external partnerships
Education:
Degree in life sciences or a related discipline (minimum BSc or equivalent experience
Postgraduate qualification (e.g. MSc, PhD) or equivalent experience desirable
Clinical judgement and critical thinking with the ability to interrogate complex information, connect disparate data, and form clear, evidence-based insights and recommendations
Project oversight and delivery assurance with the ability to oversee multiple projects while maintaining focus on prioritisation, risk, and delivery outcomes
Stakeholder engagement and influencing with the ability to build effective relationships and influence across cross-functional and external stakeholders
Communication with the ability to convey complex clinical information clearly and concisely to a range of audiences
Collaboration and leadership with the ability to work effectively in a matrix environment, take ownership, and support delivery
Adaptability with the ability to operate effectively in a dynamic environment with evolving priorities
LifeArc is a not-for-profit life science organisation, leading the way for change in rare diseases in the UK and supporting promising initiatives in global health. We seek out research in areas of unmet need that has great potential, providing support to help it become breakthroughs that change lives.
Focused on finding life changing solutions for underserved patients, our people thrive in an inclusive, and supportive environment that prioritises their health and wellbeing. Our multidisciplinary approach guarantees our people growth opportunities, while our culture of innovation and collaboration drives the impact we make delivering on our purpose of ‘putting patients at the centre of everything we do’.
LifeArc is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences. As a Disability Confident Employer, we guarantee an interview to candidates with a disability or long-term health condition who meet the essential criteria for the role.
Please note that in certain situations, such as high volumes of applications, it may not be practical to interview all eligible candidates. In these cases, we may need to select those who best meet the essential criteria. (At LifeArc, the Disability Confident Scheme’s ‘minimum criteria’ is referred to as ‘essential criteria’).
Salary will be determined by qualifications and experience along with other exceptional benefits. Because we understand everyone has different requirements, our flexible benefits allow you to choose those which are important to you. Our pension scheme offers employer contributions of up to 12%, private health insurance, and annual leave of 31 days PLUS bank holidays.
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people from minority ethnic backgrounds, for example, are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At LifeArc we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so whatever your background or lived experience, if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. Our top priority is finding the best candidate, and you may be just right for this or other roles.
We all have potential. At LifeArc, you’ll discover what you can really do with it.
