Senior Clinical Research Associate

I can't believe it takes that long! I'll never get there at this rate. 😢

once you learn the basic CRA skillset, the quality of your work will always proactively shorten the timeline from CRA1 to Sr. CRA.

senior cras, do you feel that 3-5 years on the job provides you with enough opportunity to truly master the necessary skills?

Wow! I can't believe the dedication required to serve as a Senior CRA for 3-5 years in such a complex field.

i think job changes for Senior Clinical Research Associates could indicate a lack of job satisfaction or bad management situations 😕.

Alot of factors come into play on how long you may want to stay in Sr CRA position. Do you love the company you are working for, do they align to excellent standards, is management supportive of the CRA, how many projects and/or sites assigned, travel demands- travel today is much more stressful than many years ago; work-life balance; and what are your career or purpose for job goals, are all factors impacting length of stay in a current Sr. CRA position.

I can't believe there are no Senior Clinical Research Associates age 60 and above! Is this field not friendly towards older professionals? 🤔

Most Sr. CRA's have moved up the career ladder to Clinical Trial Management at the Pharmaceutical Level by age 60, but that does not deter from anyone WANTING to travel as a Sr. CRA in this age group- in fact, they are the ones usually mentoring the CRA1 and CRA2 team members.

IQVIA excels in this field, but PAREXEL and PPD are worth considering. Look for a company that values work-life balance and employee satisfaction.

Syneos Health; and working directly with a Sponsor [Pharmaceutical Company] are also great options

Geez, it seems like being a Senior Clinical Research Associate demands a high level of attention to detail and organization skills. Is that correct?

Clinical trials should be designed to protect the rights, safety and well-being of participants and assure the reliability of results. I say "should be" because that is exactly what a clinical trial is suppose to do. For great reading, if interested in the role - look up ICH R3 GCP [good clinical practice] and if in US- FDA ICH Guidelines and Form 1572 Section 9 Investigator Commitments, and History of why the current laws are in place to protect subjects, and now, are those laws being implemented from the sponsor level down [or not], and if not, why. The CRA role is an important role no matter your level to ensure clinical study compliance of these GCP guidelines, and to document, report, and escalate if these established safety practices are not being acted upon. You are the hands, feet, eyes and ears making sure in behalf of the Sponsor or CRO who hired you to ensure clinical safety compliance is in place at the investigative site level. Sponsors/CRO management are accountable at the Sponsor level of their decisions made and why toward this compliance as well. No matter your role in clinical research- at site, CRO or Sponsor level it is a very important role to take seriously. This role makes a significant contribution to the health and well-being of the patients [whom you will never meet] to ensure all parties involved, including the subject has met required quality standards, protocol, and required reporting standards. I always encourage the CRA team to never forget how important their role is, and yes, effective time management, organization and documentation is key skill sets to have in this role.