Senior Director, Regional Pharmacy Operations - Europe

Senior Director, Regional Pharmacy Operations - Europe

The START Center for Cancer Research (“START”) is the world’s largest early-phase oncology clinical research site network. For more than two decades, START has been dedicated exclusively to oncology research, providing cancer patients with access to cutting-edge clinical trials and helping bring innovative therapies to market faster. Through our mission of "Hope Through Access", we deliver world-class research across the United States and Europe.

We are seeking an experienced and visionary Senior Director, Regional Pharmacy Operations to provide executive leadership and strategic oversight of pharmacy services across our European network. This role is responsible for leading Investigational Drug Services (IDS), clinical pharmacy operations, and regulatory compliance while driving operational excellence, standardization, and continuous improvement across multiple countries and sites.

The successful candidate will bring deep expertise in investigational medicinal product (IMP) management, clinical trial pharmacy operations, sterile compounding, and regulatory compliance. As a key member of the leadership team, the Senior Director will play a critical role in shaping the future of pharmacy operations, supporting organizational growth, and ensuring the highest standards of patient safety and quality across the region.

This role requires a strategic and collaborative leader who can successfully drive alignment across geographically distributed sites, balancing operational efficiency and growth with uncompromising regulatory compliance and patient care standards. Success in this position will depend on the ability to build strong partnerships across functions and regions while fostering consistency in pharmacy operations, quality standards, performance metrics, and best practices.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for pharmacy operations across all European sites.
• Drive consistency in pharmacy standards, SOPs, KPIs, quality systems, and compliance practices.
• Oversee investigational medicinal product (IMP) management, including procurement, storage, distribution, accountability, and disposal.
• Ensure compliance with EU Clinical Trial Regulation (CTR), EU GMP, GDP, GDPR, and applicable national regulatory requirements.
• Lead quality, inspection readiness, and audit preparedness initiatives across the region.
• Develop and mentor pharmacy leaders while fostering a high-performing, collaborative, and service-oriented culture.
• Champion operational excellence through process improvement, innovation, and technology adoption.
• Partner with clinical, operational, and executive leadership teams to support strategic growth objectives.
• Establish operational metrics and data-driven decision-making frameworks to improve performance and scalability.
• Support new site integrations, protocol activations, and organizational change initiatives.

Qualifications

Required

• PharmD, MPharm, or equivalent recognized pharmacy degree.
• Current pharmacist registration/licensure within an EU member state.
• 10+ years of progressive pharmacy leadership experience, including investigational or clinical research pharmacy operations.
• Proven experience leading multi-site pharmacy or healthcare operations.
• Deep knowledge of clinical trial pharmacy services, IMP management, GCP, ICH, EU GMP, GDP, and quality management systems.
• Demonstrated success leading organizational change and strategic initiatives.
• Strong leadership, financial management, stakeholder engagement, and team development skills.
• Excellent communication skills and fluency in English.

Preferred

• Board Certified Oncology Pharmacist (BCOP) certification.
• Oncology or Health-System Pharmacy residency training.
• Lean Six Sigma certification.
• Experience supporting early-phase oncology clinical trials.
• Experience working across multiple European countries and regulatory environments.
• Fluency in Spanish, English and/or other European languages.

Travel Requirement: Approximately 50% travel across Europe.

Why Join START?

This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of pharmacy operations within one of the world's leading oncology research organizations. You will work alongside exceptional clinical and operational leaders dedicated to accelerating access to innovative cancer therapies while maintaining the highest standards of quality, compliance, and patient care.

If you are passionate about advancing oncology research, building high-performing teams, and driving operational excellence at scale, we invite you to join START and help transform cancer care across Europe.

Originally posted on Himalayas