United States onlyVitalief is a clinical research consulting firm focused exclusively on the clinical research industry, providing consulting, staffing, and technology-enabled services to academic medical centers, health systems, sponsors, CROs, and site networks. By combining deep subject matter expertise with the experience of senior research practitioners, we help organizations accelerate study activation, optimize operations, improve financial performance, and build scalable workforce solutions that reduce costs, increase efficiency, and advance clinical breakthroughs for patients.
The Role
As part of our growth, we are seeking a hands-on, detail-oriented, client-facing professional with deep clinical trial budgeting expertise to join Vitalief’s Budgeting Outsourcing Services Team. This role is focused on directly supporting Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) and clinical research health systems with day-to-day budgeting, coverage analysis, and billing compliance activities.
Why Join Vitalief?
- Make an Impact: Support leading AMCs and health systems in improving clinical trial financial performance and compliance.
- Innovation-Driven: Help modernize clinical trial budgeting and billing processes using technology and best practices.
- People-First Culture: Thrive in an environment that fosters growth, innovation, and collaboration.
- Comprehensive Benefits: Enjoy 20 PTO days, 9 paid holidays, company-paid life insurance, short- and long-term disability, a 401(k)-retirement plan, and robust healthcare options.
- Flexible & Remote-Friendly: Primarily remote with occasional travel (up to 10%).
- Salary Range: $75,000 to $125,000 – Based on experience level.
Responsibilities
- Develop, build, and finalize clinical trial budgets for industry-sponsored studies (oncology and non-oncology) in collaboration with academic medical center (AMC) and health system stakeholders.
- Perform detailed Medicare Coverage Analyses (MCA) to accurately distinguish routine care from research-related costs in compliance with CMS guidelines.
- Configure and maintain study calendars, budgets, and billing grids within OnCore, ensuring alignment with protocol requirements and institutional billing practices.
- Support clinical trial start-up by ensuring accurate budget setup, billing designations, and downstream readiness for compliant invoicing and revenue capture.
- Lead or support budget negotiations with sponsors and CROs, advocating for fair market value and full cost recovery for AMCs and health systems.
- Partner closely with investigators, study coordinators, finance, and revenue cycle teams to validate assumptions and resolve budget or billing discrepancies.
- Conduct ongoing budget tracking, reconciliation, and variance analysis to ensure financial accuracy throughout the study lifecycle.
- Identify and mitigate billing compliance risks while ensuring adherence to CMS, FDA, NIH, and institutional policies.
- Standardize and improve budgeting and Medicare Coverage Analysis workflows, templates, and tools to increase efficiency and consistency across client engagements.
- Provide hands-on support across multiple client engagements, effectively managing competing priorities while delivering high-quality results.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree required; Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field is preferred.
- 3 to 5+ years of hands-on experience in clinical trial budgeting within an academic medical center or health system.
- Strong expertise in Medicare Coverage Analysis (MCA) and clinical trial billing compliance.
- Experience using a Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS) to build study calendars, budgets, and billing grids; OnCore experience is strongly preferred.
- Proven experience negotiating clinical trial budgets with sponsors and CROs.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills with proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across clinical, financial, operational, and administrative teams.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple studies and deadlines in a fast-paced, client-facing environment.
- Experience with clinical trial financial lifecycle management, including invoicing, reconciliation, and financial reporting, is preferred.
- Knowledge of research billing workflows within academic medical centers and integrated health systems is preferred.
- Previous consulting or professional services experience is a plus.
- Willingness to travel domestically up to 10%.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working at a computer. Standing, walking, visual perception, talking and hearing. Lifting up to 20lbs. Limited travel to various physical locations domestically.