The Vice President, Therapeutic Area Leader provides global scientific, strategic, and operational leadership within an assigned Therapeutic Area within the Global Therapeutic Area Expertise & Delivery organisation. This role shapes and executes the global medical strategy within the assigned Therapeutic Area in alignment with enterprise objectives and under the direction of the Global Therapeutic Area Head. The role upholds scientific quality and compliant, risk‑based decision‑making, and leads consistent, high‑quality delivery of therapeutic area activities across clients, regions, and delivery models.
The position serves as a senior scientific partner to clients and supports enterprise and TA leadership in external scientific engagement, representing Fortrea as a delegated and credible TA thought leader. Success is demonstrated through strong, people leadership, execution and governance, high‑performing TA medical leadership, trusted client relationships, and measurable delivery and growth outcomes within the assigned Therapeutic Area scope.
Summary of Responsibilities:
- Contribute to the definition of and lead execution of the global Therapeutic Area strategy, aligned to enterprise objectives and client needs.
- Translate TA science, regulatory trends, and market dynamics into scalable medical service offerings and execution roadmaps.
- Provide TA‑specific insights, analysis, and recommendations to support enterprise decision‑making related to investment priorities, operating model evolution, and growth strategy.
- Serve as a senior scientific partner to clients, participating in senior client interactions and governance forums and engaging with executive stakeholders (e.g., CMO, VP Global Therapeutic Area Expertise & Delivery / Global Therapeutic Area Head, Safety, Data Management, Regulatory, Operations, Project Management and Commercial) to shape strategy and outcomes within assigned programs and accounts.
- Lead or participate in scientific governance forums and provide medical oversight for complex or high‑risk TA activities within assigned scope.
- Serve as a final escalation point for complex medical, scientific, ethical, and regulatory decisions, recommending risk‑appropriate actions and escalating as appropriate to the Global Therapeutic Area Head or enterprise governance.
- Ensure consistent application of established standards for scientific quality, compliance, and integrity, balancing innovation with patient safety and data integrity, and contribute to continuous improvement of process and governance.
- Lead and mentor senior TA medical leaders within the assigned Therapeutic Area, ensuring leadership development, succession planning, and capability continuity.
- Coach, partner with, and advise Regional Heads of the TA medical team to align regional execution to global TA strategy, strengthen leadership capability and collaboration, and drive consistent scientific quality and high performance across geographies in coordination with TA and enterprise leadership.
- Support and lead, as appropriate, enterprise‑wide talent, culture, and organisational effectiveness initiatives (e.g., talent reviews, succession planning, leadership development, and engagement).
- Partner cross‑functionally with Clinical Operations, Regulatory, Commercial, Strategy, and Data teams to embed Therapeutic Area perspectives into delivery and growth initiatives.
- Drive innovation in TA medical services, evidence generation approaches, and engagement models within assigned scope, including areas such as precision medicine, immuno‑oncology, real‑world evidence, and digital health and Advanced Therapeutics.
- Represent Fortrea externally to strengthen the Company’s visibility and position within the contract research organization and broader medical/scientific environment through select strategic industry engagement and TA thought leadership, including publications, presentations, and panel participation at national and international scientific and industry meetings, as appropriate for the role and in alignment with enterprise positioning.
- Support portfolio delivery through oversight of assigned programs, ensuring adherence to established quality and compliance requirements and proactively identifying and escalating risks.
- Support service development and technical positioning within the Therapeutic Area, providing scientific and medical content for Client Engagement activities, proposals, bid defenses, and client solution development.
- Provide clinical and scientific input to due diligence activities as a contributor, as required.
- Own delivery excellence and scientific quality across assigned TA programs and clients, ensuring compliant, consistent execution across portfolio, aligned with global strategy.
- Travel up to 2–3 trips per month (domestic and/or international), as required.
- Perform other duties as needed or assigned.
- Occasional travel to clients/site locations with occasional travel both domestic and international.
Qualifications (Minimum Required):
- MD, PhD, PharmD, or equivalent advanced scientific degree. Fortrea may consider relevant and equivalent experience and successful project outcomes in lieu of educational requirements.
- Deep Therapeutic Area expert with specific, relevant experience in (Oncology, IIGM, RAPT, CVMER, Neuroscience & Ophthalmology fields, as appropriate/required), drug development and medical and scientific services, including global medical portfolio Governance and Delivery and applicable regulatory and compliance frameworks.
- Demonstrated executive-level judgment and decision-making in complex, ambiguous environments.
- Proven ability to lead and develop senior medical/scientific leaders and shape inclusive, high-performing teams.
- Strong stakeholder management and client-facing communication skills with the ability to influence at executive level.
Experience (Minimum Required):
- Typically, 10+ years of progressive experience in one or more of the following medical fields: Oncology, IIGM, RAPT, CVMER, Neuroscience, and/or Ophthalmology - within pharmaceutical, biotech, CRO, and/or related environments.
- Senior leadership experience in Medical and Scientific Services and/or Clinical Development roles within regulated drug development environments, with accountability for strategy execution, medical governance, and high‑quality delivery.
- Demonstrated experience engaging senior client and external stakeholders and contributing to business growth through solution shaping, proposals and bid defenses, and/or program‑ or portfolio‑level development activities.
- Proven ability to lead in global, matrixed organizations, providing oversight across regions and multi‑program portfolios, with strong strategic thinking and problem‑solving skills.
- Deep knowledge of integrated global drug development, including quality, compliance, and risk‑based decision‑making frameworks.
Preferred Qualifications Include:
- Experience leading within a CRO and/or outsourced medical services model.
- Track record of contributing to the build and scale of global Therapeutic Area capabilities, operating models, and governance practices.
- Experience leading complex, matrixed, and geographically distributed medical/scientific organizations.
- Scientific thought leadership evidenced by publications, presentations, and/or industry engagement (as appropriate).
Physical Demands / Work Environment:
Work Environment:
- Work is performed in an office and/or home-based environment with exposure to electrical office equipment (namely standard office equipment and screen-based work).
Physical Requirements:
- Frequently stationary for 6-8 hours per day.
- Repetitive hand movement of both hands with the ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
- Occasional crouching, stooping, with frequent bending and twisting of upper body and neck.
- Ability to access and use a variety of computer software developed both in-house and off-the-shelf.
- Light to moderate lifting and carrying, or moving of objects, including luggage and laptop computer with a maximum lift of 15-20 lbs.
- Regular and consistent attendance.
- Varied hours may be required.
For US Based Candidates:
Pay Range: USD $200,000-$450,000 / annually
Benefits: All job offers will be based on a candidate’s skills and prior relevant experience, applicable degrees/certifications, as well as internal equity and market data. Regular, full-time or part-time employees working 20 or more hours per week are eligible for comprehensive benefits including: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, STD/LTD, 401(K), Paid time off (PTO) or Flexible time off (FTO), Company bonus where applicable.
Application Deadline: 09/30/26
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