Veramed is a leading specialist biostatistics and programming Contract Research Organisation (CRO) serving pharmaceutical and biotech clients across the UK, Europe and US.

Veramed was founded in 2012 by husband and wife team Matthew and Emma Jones. Matthew and Emma have spent the majority of their careers working for both large pharma and CROs and founded Veramed with the mission to build an organisation dedicated to achieving and maintaining an unparalleled reputation for quality and service, whilst fostering a collaborative environment.

Veramed provides statistical consulting, programming and study reporting, and market launch and commercialisation services to clients globally. The business is headquartered in London and has scaled both nationally and internationally through establishing offices in multiple locations across the UK and international offices in mainland Europe, the Ukraine and the US. Alongside this, investments in new services and continuing to build a high performing team with a collaborative culture have led to the business deliver market-leading-organic growth.

Unlike full-service CROs, which plan and execute clinical studies from start to finish, Veramed focuses on Statistical Programming, and Statistical Analysis. Biostatistics services are required at all stages of clinical development from Phase I to III and include:

• Assisting in the trial design, e.g., by helping determine the required sample size for a study.
• Provision of statistical programming support to perform unblinded statistical analysis on interim data and independent experienced statisticians to support data monitoring committees
• Performing statistical analysis required for trial reporting and submission of results to agencies.
• Launch and commercialization activities including evaluations of clinical effectiveness of health technologies on patient health and the health care system

Services are provided either on a time and materials or project basis and are segmented as follows:

1. Functional Service Provider (FSP) Services – Provides a broad spectrum of statistics and programming services through dedicated continuous resourcing as an extension to the client’s in-house team.
2. Study Reporting & Analysis – Provides project-based clinical study reporting statistics and programming services, including DMCs. Fixed price contracts on an individual work order basis – typically for biotech’s whose size and lack of maturity of procurement processes could not support and FSP.
3. Other – Mainly ad hoc expert statistical consulting and targeted contingent worker recruitment services. More recently Veramed has also invested in new service lines including Launch and Commercialisation.

Veramed’s proposition is focused on the ability to recruit, deploy, and manage biostatistical resource (programmers and statisticians) while ensuring consistently high-quality work. Compared to smaller players the business has scale, reputation and an infrastructure that gives clients the confidence Veramed can take on meaningful business and deliver quality consistently. Compared to full-service CROs the business provides a greater depth of talent and specialist expertise, and a level of client focus and attention that the CROs aren’t setup to deliver – particularly into smaller biotech’s. This is all underpinned by a focus on people and culture which enables the business to recruit and retain high quality talent.

Founders Matthew and Emma are highly ambitious about Veramed’s potential to continue to grow and expand into new geographies. Veramed’s mission to have an unparalleled reputation for quality by supporting clients’ needs, developing staff and building off the core values of Integrity, Collaboration and Excellence. Veramed is a certified B Corp, has received a 3-star employee rating by Best Companies demonstrating world class levels of employee engagement and is ranked as the 5^th best consultancy to work for in the UK.

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are looking to appoint a Head of Operational Excellence to the senior leadership team, reporting into the COO. The Head of Operational Excellence will provide management, leadership, and vision to ensure Veramed meets its short-term and long-term operational objectives. This includes leading the overall programming delivery and strategy. As we grow our delivery across clients and Veramed systems, this role will be increasingly important to support and nurture the systems and processes to help us deliver effectively. Knowledge and experience of having worked in a Statistical programming environment previously is a prerequisite for this role. 

Key responsibilities / objectives will include:

• Project Delivery:
  • Ensuring delivery of the pipeline of the work to time and budget whilst maintaining the highest levels of quality
  • Driving efficiency and optimising the analysis of clinical trials through using the best of technology and automation whilst maintaining quality
• Technology, Efficiency and Automation:
  • Develop the strategy for ensuring Veramed is at the forefront of current market trends and using appropriate technology and automation that leads to operational efficiency gains across the business
• Project Management & Business Information:
  • Utilise technology and automation within project resourcing to supercharge project management to become industry leading
  • Ensuring the business has the right processes to capture, track and report on metrics related to quality, timelines, budget, utilisation to demonstrate control to enable effective and timely business decisions

ROLE SCOPE

Project Delivery

• Oversee the daily operations of the project-based delivery business unit.
• Ensure visibility of upcoming pipeline work and that workload is balanced with resource capacity/recruitment needs
• Ensure assignment and allocation of appropriate resources to ensure projects are delivered on time and to the highest standard

Project Management, Technology & Business Information

• Enhance the efficiency of operational processes via leadership of the project management and technology functions
• Ensure the business has the right processes to capture, track and report on metrics related to quality, timelines, budget, utilisation to demonstrate control to enable effective and timely business decisions
• Evaluate operational performance, provide management reporting, and recommend strategies to improve productivity

Strategy & Planning

• Work with the COO to formulate and promote the company’s operating strategy linking technology, efficiency and automation with project management and project delivery
• Translate strategy into actionable performance and growth goals for business unit heads, and implement objective setting and performance management
• Shape and oversee the systems, processes, and people needed to support business operations

Commercial

• Support conversion and resourcing of new commercial opportunities, including generating proposals, leading (technical) sales meetings and bid-defence meetings
• Maintain and establish trusting relationships with key customers, partners, and stakeholders. Act as Executive member for key client relationships. Implement/oversee governance structures across all customer accounts as required
• Manage client expectations and facilitate issue resolution
• Ensure customer satisfaction is maintained as evidenced by client satisfaction surveys

People & Culture

• Build a high-quality team needed to facilitate growth and support the business needs
• Work with the whole senior leadership team to establish policies that improve and promote company vision/culture and enhance employee engagement / help minimise employee turnover
• Line management of the business unit heads (project management, programming, technology & automation)
• Identify training and development needs of team. Work with the training team to ensure training programmes are implemented and that there are development opportunities at all levels
• Work closely with the recruitment function to connect into the operational recruitment process
• Set and cascade operational objectives in line with organisational objectives. Lead and motivate staff to achieve these

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

Veramed is looking for an experienced individual with a demonstrable track record across the Pharma Services sector. The Head of Operational Excellence will have deep experience leading and growing a people centric services business. They will develop and implement robust processes to allow the business to scale rapidly.

Knowledge of Pharma Services is essential. The ideal candidate will have a strong network across the Pharmaceutical sector, be familiar with professional service operations and experience in leading teams, resourcing and project delivery, particularly in a Statistical programming environment.

The ideal candidate will be analytical, data-driven and commercial with a structured problem-solving approach.

Some important factors for success in the role are:

• Proactivity, impact and the ability to build relationships quickly in order to get things done.
• Strength of character to make hard decisions.
• Willingness to roll up their sleeves. Veramed is a ‘hands on’ environment. The execution of the business demands energy and tenacity from leaders.
• Ability to inspire and set strategic direction
• Commercial mind set. Ability to understand the strategy of the business and translate it into operational excellence
• Influencing skills. Ability to build effective relationships with the senior team and people across the company.
• Self-management skills with a focus on results for timely and accurate completion of competing deliverables
• Ability to make informed and appropriate decisions
• Demonstrated ability to lead and deliver through others
• Appropriate personal characteristics, including pragmatism, diplomacy, empathy, resilience, determination, numeracy, flexibility and proactivity.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES AND ATTRIBUTES

• LEADERSHIP – Will be a strong, inspiring leader and communicator, able to present a vision as well as take people on a journey. Will have a proven track record leading and developing high performing teams.
• COMMUNICATION AND INFLUENCING SKILLS – Will be highly effective at cross-functional stakeholder management across the US and UK, able to influence and add value to all levels of the organisation. Will be strong and credible contributor to senior team decision-making.
• STRATEGIC / HANDS-ON – Will have a strategic mind-set, with exceptional clarity of thought. Will also adopt a hands-on approach and be close to the detail, as needed. Will understand how to strike that balance.
• COMMERCIAL: Unwavering focus on delivering sustainable and meaningful growth, through understanding and driving the key operational levers in the busines
• DECISION MAKING AND PROBLEM SOLVER: Able to make decisions in a timely and effective way. Is able to deconstruct complex problems and solve them.
• CULTURE FIT – Will be high-energy with a hands-on approach. Will have an entrepreneurial mind-set and be comfortable working in a high-growth environment.