Senior Scientist - Clinical Development, Animal Health

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!

As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco , we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.

At Elanco , we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.

Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!

Job Description

Position Description This is not a bench research, laboratory, or basic discovery role. This is a high-visibility, execution-focused Clinical Operations leadership role .

The Senior Scientist – Clinical Operations is fully responsible for the operational planning, vendor oversight, and hands-on execution of Target Animal Safety (TAS) and effectiveness studies. You will act as the primary Study Director or Sponsor Monitor, ensuring that trials conducted through external Contract Research Organizations (CROs) and field sites are delivered on time, within budget, and in strict compliance with regulatory standards. If your background is strictly in data analysis, lab work, or academic research without direct clinical trial project management and vendor oversight, this role is not aligned.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Study Ownership: Lead the operational end-to-end execution of TAS and effectiveness studies, moving trials seamlessly from concept protocol to final study report.

Vendor & CRO Management: Serve as the primary point of contact for CROs, university research sites, and private investigators. Manage site selection, study timelines, protocol deviations, and vendor accountability.

Protocol & Document Management: Author, review, and refine clinical study protocols, amendments, and data collection forms ensuring operational feasibility.

Compliance & Quality: Ensure all study activities rigidly adhere to FDA-CVM, VICH, GLP, and GCP guidelines. Monitor data integrity and troubleshoot field execution issues in real-time.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner directly with Regulatory Affairs, Biostatistics, and Formulation R&D to translate scientific strategy into flawless operational execution.

Minimum Qualifications

Ph.D., DVM, or Master’s/Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, Toxicology, Pharmacology, Physiology, or a related scientific/clinical discipline with equivalent years of direct trial management experience.

Experience: 5+ years of hands-on clinical trial