Job Description

Budget and Contracts Specialist (Clinical Research)

• Full-time, permanent position.
• Friendly and supportive culture.
• Flexible working arrangements hybrid (Melbourne-based) and remote (Australia-wide) consideration.
• $80,000-$83,800 Base Salary + NFP salary packaging benefits.

Join a supportive team to play a key role in facilitating efficient and compliant study start-up across a diverse portfolio of clinical trials. This newly created role, available due to organisational growth, offers the opportunity to build your clinical research career in a purpose-driven organisation.

About Us

Cancer Trials Australia (CTA) is a not-for-profit member-based organisation comprising of 33 clinical sites and 3 medical research institutes across Australia and New Zealand. We support the administration and management of clinical trials across metropolitan and regional hospitals, working closely with clinical research sites, sponsors and Contract Research Organisations (CROs) to help patients access appropriate clinical trials as quickly as possible. CTA is committed to developing internal talent and fostering a workplace culture grounded in compassion and purpose.

CTA is committed to equal employment opportunity and ethical practices. We value the diversity of our people and the contribution this brings to our workplace. We support a culture of equity, inclusion, and respect, and welcome applications from all people.

Employee Benefits

• Enjoy generous leave entitlements including 5 weeks annual leave.
• Increase your take-home pay through salary packaging of up to $15,900, plus up to $2,650 for meals and entertainment each FBT year.
• Benefit from a flexible, hybrid working environment that supports balance and productivity.
• Connect with colleagues through quarterly organisation-wide activity days.
• Access a robust Learning Management System and support toward your personal learning and development goals.
• Receive added wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Access company-paid parental leave as part of our commitment to supporting our families.

About the Role

This role is responsible for reviewing, negotiating and executing clinical trial budget and agreements. You will work closely with research teams, internal site departments, and external stakeholders across the clinical research ecosystem. You will build trusted relationships with Study Coordinators, Principal Investigators, Research Unit Managers, legal counsel, CROs, and leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, while gaining broad exposure to the operational and commercial drivers of successful trial delivery.

This is an excellent opportunity to develop your clinical research career while gaining hands-on experience in clinical trial budgets, contracts and study start-up. Your attention to detail, collaborative approach and stakeholder focus will support the timely progression of agreements and contribute to efficient, compliant study start-up.

Key responsibilities include:

• Prepare, review and negotiate clinical trial budgets with sites, CROs, and pharmaceutical sponsors;
• Review, negotiate and facilitate execution of Clinical Trial Research Agreements (CTRAs);
• Liaise with site departments, service providers, research teams, legal counsel and external stakeholders to support timely study start up;
• Maintain clear, consultative and responsive communication with internal and external stakeholders;
• Manage a portfolio of contracts by monitoring timelines, tracking progress and proactively addressing barriers to execution;
• Maintain accurate records of negotiations, approvals and executed agreements in relevant systems;
• Support compliance with CTA processes, sponsor requirements and applicable site governance expectations throughout budget and contract negotiations;
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives across budget and contract processes.

About You

You will bring strong administrative capability, clear communication skills and a collaborative, stakeholder focused approach, along with a willingness to develop specialist knowledge in clinical trial budgets and contracts.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, life sciences, health administration or a related field, or equivalent experience;
• Relevant experience in a medical, clinical research, health service or related administrative environment, ideally with exposure to budget review and contract administration;
• An understanding of clinical trial start-up processes, or a willingness to develop this knowledge;
• Well-developed written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders;
• Sound negotiation, problem-solving and judgement skills, with a commitment to quality and accuracy;
• Ability to manage multiple contracts, priorities and timelines with strong attention to detail;
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, and confidence working with databases or other systems.

Candidates located beyond our Melbourne office-based region are encouraged to apply, as fully remote arrangements may be considered for this role.

To view the associated position description, please copy and paste the link below into your web browser:

https://cancertrialsaustralia.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Budget-and-Contracts-Specialist-Clinical-Trials-TL-report.pdf

For any further queries about this opportunity email: employment@ctaust.org

Please note, the successful applicant will be required to provide a current National Police Check.  

Closing date for applications: Monday, 28 September 2026 at 5pm 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted within a week of the closing date. 

At CTA, our values guide how we work with each other, our members, and the broader clinical research community.

Shared Purpose | Integrity | Collaboration | Adaptability | Compassion