ECRIN Director General

European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network

Organisation/Company: European Clinical Research Infrastructure NetworkResearch Field: Medical sciencesApplication Deadline: 13 Apr :00 (Europe/London)

Offer Description

The European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (ECRIN-ERIC) is seeking an inspiring and strategic Director General to lead the organisation through its next stage of development and offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of multinational clinical research in Europe.

About ECRIN

ECRIN is a non‑profit European research infrastructure, federating clinical trial units across its member countries, providing operational services to multinational clinical trials in Europe, thus making Europe a single area for clinical research. It is a public health‑oriented organisation as expressed in its vision, “To generate scientific evidence to optimise medical practice”, and mission, “To support the conduct of multinational clinical trials in Europe”. Its network consists of over 130 clinical trial units; its portfolio now counts 75 multinational studies, and it has participated in more than 50 international infrastructure development projects.

ECRIN Values

ECRIN’s values include healthcare optimisation, health innovation, patient involvement, scientific excellence, ethics, transparency, data sharing, high‑quality data, not‑for‑profit focus, and international cooperation.

Structure

The ECRIN headquarters is based in Paris (France), with European correspondents present in all member countries to coordinate the work with national networks of scientific partners. To date, ECRIN has 13 member countries. Observer status, lasting a maximum of three years, grants similar support with no voting rights. Collaboration with countries is achieved through a unique organisation involving the Paris‑based core team, European correspondents (EuCos) in each Member or Observer country, and the national scientific partner, usually a network of clinical trial units.

Governance

ECRIN is governed by the Assembly of Members (AoM), a Network Committee (NC), a Steering Committee (SC), an Advisory Board, and a Scientific Board. The AoM is composed of a representative from the government of each member or observer country. The NC represents scientific partners and advises the AoM and Director General. The SC bridges activities of the AoM and NC, provides advice on budget and scientific matters, and is composed of the Chair and Vice‑Chair of both the AoM and the NC as well as the Director General. The Advisory Board provides input on all matters related to the activities of the infrastructure. The Scientific Board manages independent protocol peer review ensuring ethical, medical and methodological soundness.

European and International Cooperation

ECRIN collaborates with other life‑science and medical research infrastructures, notably BBMRI on biobanking and EATRIS on translational research. It has partnered with the European Patient’s Academy on Therapeutic Innovation (EUPATI) to create improved education and training for patients and representatives, and develops international cooperation through the WHO Global Clinical Trial Forum with countries such as Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Korea and Brazil.

Appointment of the ECRIN Director General

The Director General is the legal representative of ECRIN‑ERIC, reports to the Assembly of Members, and drives further development and adaptation to the evolving clinical research ecosystem. Responsibilities include managing the organisation, fostering relationships across partners, acting as the legal representative, overseeing finance, stewardship of strategic planning, advocacy at European and international levels, building relationships with stakeholders, and ensuring sustainable funding.

Key Accountabilities of the Role

Operations and Organisational Leadership

• Hold overall responsibility for the organisation’s management.
• Foster effective working relationships across Scientific Partners, the Management Office, the Network Committee and the Assembly of Members.
• Attend all meetings of the Assembly of Members (without voting rights) and the Network Committee.
• Act as the legal representative, concluding contracts and overseeing legal and administrative proceedings.

People Leadership

• Lead and line‑manage the organisation, including staff development, talent attraction and people processes.
• Develop and implement ECRIN‑wide people strategies, including equality, diversity and inclusion action plans.

Monitoring, Finance and Reporting

• Establish systems to monitor performance against service level agreements and provide regular management reporting.
• Oversee budget monitoring, income and expenditure.

Strategic, European and International Engagement

• Maintain awareness of scientific, policy and user developments and translate them into strategic planning.
• Act as ECRIN’s ambassador and authoritative voice at European and international levels.
• Build and maintain relationships with key clinical research stakeholders.
• Contribute actively to shaping the European clinical trials landscape.

Stakeholder and Partnership Management

• Build strong relationships with Member countries, ministries, funders, policy makers, Scientific Partners and governance bodies.
• Maintain effective engagement with the Assembly of Members, Steering Committee, Network Committee, Advisory Board, Scientific Board and the wider senior scientific community.
• Lead interactions with other ESFRI research infrastructures, the European Commission, WHO and other European and international institutions.

Funding and Sustainability

• Lead discussions with Member countries on long‑term budgeting.
• Lead pan‑European fundraising through coordination and participation in European projects.
• Support the long‑term sustainability of Member country services.

Person Specification

Education

• PhD degree or equivalent in health or life science.
• Expertise in medical science and clinical research: methods, statistics, designs, data management, data sharing, ethics, regulation, Good Clinical Practice.
• Knowledge of clinical development and market access for health products.

Experience

Essential

• Extensive experience in medical and/or life sciences research.
• Proven experience in multinational clinical research environments.
• Demonstrated management experience in a multinational context.
• Experience in science policy and science diplomacy.
• Experience in the preparation, application, and management of EU‑funded projects.

Desirable

• Medical degree.
• Experience engaging with EU institutions and bodies (e.g., DG RTD, DG Health, EMA, ESFRI, European Parliament).
• Experience with information technology management tools and cybersecurity.
• Strong understanding of research infrastructures.
• Strong knowledge of legal affairs and contracting across multiple jurisdictions.
• Strong understanding of quality management systems and ISO certification.

Personal Skills

• Strong commitment to integrating and strengthening clinical research capacity across Europe.
• Service‑oriented mindset.
• Demonstrated team leadership capabilities.
• International outlook and cross‑cultural awareness.
• Determined yet diplomatic approach.
• Solution‑oriented and pragmatic problem solver.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.

Appointment Process and How to Apply

The Director General is appointed by the ECRIN‑ERIC Assembly of Members for a renewable three‑year mandate. The position is full‑time, based in central Paris, with a competitive salary commensurate with the requirements of the role. ECRIN is an inclusive, equal‑opportunity and non‑discrimination employer with a gender equality plan, offering attractive conditions and benefits appropriate to an international research organisation. The Director General must make a declaration of commitment to act independently, in the public interest, and a declaration on conflicts of interest.

ECRIN is partnering with Perrett Laver in the recruitment to this role. To apply, or to download further information, please visit quoting reference 8238.

The deadline for applications is 09:00 BST on Monday 13th April 2026. Interviews will take place in the second quarter of 2026, with the successful candidate expected to take up the position in January 2027.

To confidentially get in touch about this role, or for advice on your application, please email Lucy Roper on Should you require access to these documents in alternative formats, please contact Esther Elbro on

Privacy policy: Protecting your personal data is of the utmost importance to Perrett Laver and we take this responsibility very seriously. Any information obtained by our trading divisions is held and processed in accordance with the relevant data protection legislation. The data you provide us with is securely stored on our computerised database and transferred to our clients for the purposes of presenting you as a candidate and/or considering your suitability for a role you have registered interest in. Perrett Laver is a Data Controller and a Data Processor, as defined under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Our legal basis for much of our data processing activity is ‘Legitimate Interests’. You have the right to object to us processing your data in this way. For more information about this, your rights, and our approach to Data Protection and Privacy, please visit our website