I

IQVIA

Runs drug trials and sells health data to pharma

Head of Patient and Instrument Science and Thought Leadership - Instrument Development & Thought Leadership

Full-Time
No salary listed
Expert
Master's, PhD
Reading, UK
In Person
Biology & BiotechTranslational Research & Bench Biology, Clinical Research Operations

About the job

Requirements
  • Education: Advanced degree (PhD, Master’s, or equivalent) in Psychology, Behavioral measurement, Health Services Research, Epidemiology, Pharmacy, Public Health, or a related discipline.
  • Experience: 10+ years of professional experience in COA/outcomes research within pharmaceutical, CRO, or consultancy settings, with a strong track record of publications.
  • Technical Knowledge: Deep understanding of COA methodology, psychometrics, FDA/EMA regulatory guidelines on patient-focused drug development, and qualitative research methods.
  • Communication: Excellent scientific writing and verbal skills, with the ability to communicate complex data to regulatory bodies and internal senior leadership.
  • Influencing & Relationship Development: Proven influencing skills at the senior management level, have the presence and credibility to engage and influence senior leaders across multi-geographies and functions. Demonstrated success building effective relationships with a broad spectrum of global stakeholders (e.g., senior leaders, business and technical teams, GTM, and customers)
  • Leadership: Proven experience in managing high-performing teams, building talent, and influencing cross-functional stakeholders. Promotes information sharing and demonstrates flexibility to work in a fast paced, dynamic environment and effectively manage change.
Responsibilities
  • Strategic Leadership: Define instrument development strategies across therapeutic areas, ensuring alignment with Instrument Licensing & Services, R&DS Therapeutic Area Priorities and R&DS goals, FDA/EMA guidance on patient-focused drug development (PFDD), and HTA requirements.
  • Scientific Excellence: Lead the development, validation, and implementation of new and existing COA instruments, including psychometric evaluation, qualitative research, and endpoint definition. Support the Scientific & Strategic Research Consulting team in their client facing COA endpoint strategy projects as needed.
  • Regulatory Engagement: Lead interactions with regulatory bodies (FDA, EMA) regarding newly developed COAs designed to replace older declining in relevance COAs.
  • Methodological Expertise: Direct the use of advanced methodologies, with a heavy focus on Domains of Health, including Digital Measurement Plans, eCOA (electronic COA) strategies, and Patient Experience Data (PED) analytics.
  • Cross-functional Collaboration: Partner with Instrument Licensing & Services (IQVIA Quality Metric), Strategic & Scientific Research, R&DS Design & Delivery Innovation including the TSSU/Therapeutic Area COE, clinical operations, biometrics, regulatory, and commercial teams build, expand and enhance COA utility in measuring meaningful change in health.
  • Team Leadership: Mentor and build a team of experienced and burgeoning scientists, guiding them in COA methodologies and scientific best practices. Participate in acquisition science and staff integration as relates to COA assets and scientific SME’s.
  • External Representation: Act as a recognized expert in the field, representing the company at scientific conferences (e.g., ISPOR, ISOQOL, CPATH, etc) and in industry consortia.

About the company

IQVIA runs clinical trials for drug, biotech and medical device companies and sells them the health data, software and analytics they use to develop and market treatments. Its research arm designs studies, recruits trial sites and patients, and manages trials through to regulatory filing. Its commercial arm sells market data, consulting and software that pharma sales and marketing teams use to plan product launches. Clients pay through multi-year service contracts and data and software subscriptions. IQVIA was formed in 2016 when clinical research firm Quintiles merged with health data company IMS Health, and it is based in Durham, North Carolina.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Durham, North Carolina

Founded

1998

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Research work is booked years ahead: IQVIA held a $34.2 billion contracted trial backlog in June 2026.
  • Big pharma is adopting its AI: 19 of the top 20 drugmakers began using IQVIA's AI agents by March 2026.
  • Headcount keeps rising: IQVIA grew from about 88,000 employees in February 2025 to 93,000 by March 2026.

What critics are saying

  • Debt limits room to invest: IQVIA carried $16 billion of debt against $1.9 billion of cash at June 30, 2026.
  • Privacy rules bite: Italy fined IQVIA's Italian unit €7 million in September 2026 for unlawfully processing 1 million patients' records.
  • Role cuts continue: IQVIA spent $105 million on restructuring, mostly severance, in 2025 and said in February 2026 cuts continue.

What makes IQVIA unique

  • Its data doubles as industry research: the IQVIA Institute publishes Global R&D Trends and Global Medicine Use Trends reports.
  • Its data reaches almost every medicine: IQVIA tracks about 90% of the world's pharmaceuticals, measured by 2024 sales.
  • A Supreme Court ruling backs its data trade: predecessor IMS Health overturned Vermont's prescriber data limits in 2011.

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • Flexible Work Hours
  • Paid Vacation
  • Wellness Program
  • 401(k) Retirement Plan

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

1%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

0%
BioPharma Watch
Oct 7th, 2026
IQVIA launches IQVIA Explorer to help life sciences companies make better commercial decisions.

IQVIA launches IQVIA Explorer to help life sciences companies make better commercial decisions. Key Takeaway: IQVIA has launched IQVIA Explorer at TechIQ 2026, aimed at assisting life sciences companies in making informed commercial decisions. This new tool enables users to convert complex analytics projects into a continuous commercial intelligence resource. It allows for the application of external indicators to address business questions effectively. Market sentiment analysis. Positive factors. * Launch of IQVIA Explorer enhances decision-making for life sciences companies. * Provides an always-on commercial intelligence capability. * Transforms complex analytics into user-friendly insights. RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.-(BUSINESS WIRE)-IQVIA (NYSE:IQV), a leading global provider of clinical research services, commercial insights and healthcare intelligence to the life sciences and healthcare industries, today at TechIQ 2026 introduced IQVIA Explorer(TM) to help customers make better-informed commercial decisions. IQVIA Explorer turns complex, one-time analytics projects into an always-on commercial intelligence capability. Users can apply external indicators and ask business questio Frequently asked questions. What is IQVIA Explorer? IQVIA Explorer is a new tool designed to help life sciences companies make informed commercial decisions. When was IQVIA Explorer launched? IQVIA Explorer was launched at TechIQ 2026. How does IQVIA Explorer assist users? It transforms complex analytics projects into an always-on commercial intelligence capability. What industries does IQVIA serve? IQVIA provides services to the life sciences and healthcare industries.

BioPharma Watch
Oct 7th, 2026
IQVIA launches IQVIA Life Science Models to help life sciences companies predict clinical trial outcomes.

IQVIA launches IQVIA Life Science Models to help life sciences companies predict clinical trial outcomes. Key Takeaway: IQVIA has launched the IQVIA Life Science Models at TechIQ 2026, designed to assist life sciences companies in predicting clinical trial outcomes. This suite of models integrates proprietary content and extensive regulatory knowledge, aiming to improve decision-making in clinical research. The initiative reflects IQVIA's commitment to advancing healthcare intelligence. Market sentiment analysis. Positive factors. * Launch of innovative IQVIA Life Science Models. * Models aim to enhance prediction of clinical trial outcomes. * Combines expert content and regulatory knowledge. RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.-(BUSINESS WIRE)-IQVIA (NYSE:IQV), a leading global provider of clinical research services, commercial insights and healthcare intelligence to the life sciences and healthcare industries, today at TechIQ 2026 introduced IQVIA Life Science ModelsTM to help predict clinical trial outcomes. IQVIA Life Science Models are a suite of purpose-built models for life sciences, combining IQVIA's proprietary expert content, deep domain knowledge and established regulatory, com Frequently asked questions. What are IQVIA Life Science Models? IQVIA Life Science Models are a suite of models designed to predict clinical trial outcomes. When were the IQVIA Life Science Models launched? The models were launched at TechIQ 2026. What does the IQVIA Life Science Models integrate? They combine proprietary expert content and deep regulatory knowledge. Who can benefit from IQVIA Life Science Models? Life sciences companies looking to enhance their clinical trial predictions can benefit.

IQVIA Holdings Inc.
Oct 7th, 2026
IQVIA launches IQVIA Life Science Models to help life sciences companies predict clinical trial outcomes.

IQVIA launches IQVIA Life Science Models to help life sciences companies predict clinical trial outcomes. 10/07/2026 RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.-(BUSINESS WIRE)- IQVIA (NYSE:IQV), a leading global provider of clinical research services, commercial insights and healthcare intelligence to the life sciences and healthcare industries, today at TechIQ 2026 introduced IQVIA Life Science Models(TM) to help predict clinical trial outcomes. IQVIA Life Science Models are a suite of purpose-built models for life sciences, combining IQVIA's proprietary expert content, deep domain knowledge and established regulatory, compliance and privacy frameworks. Built using technologies including NVIDIA Nemotron(TM) and supported by Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure, the models connect molecular and treatment information with patient journeys and clinical outcomes to enable predictive applications across clinical development. * Clinical study simulation and protocol optimization, including endpoint selection, patient eligibility criteria, dose selection and sample size planning, helping teams identify risks before trials begin. In initial evaluation across 50 trials and 270 endpoints, 85% of predictions were on target or clinically close. * Digital twins and synthetic controls that support more efficient study designs. * Leverage clinical study predictions to inform better real-world planning and access. In clinical development, Life Science Models extend IQVIA's Predictive Clinical Development approach, enabling sponsors to simulate studies and test key assumptions before execution, helping optimize study design and identify potential risks earlier. About IQVIA IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) is a leading global provider of clinical research services, commercial insights and healthcare intelligence to the life sciences and healthcare industries. IQVIA's portfolio of solutions are powered by IQVIA Connected Intelligence(TM) to deliver actionable insights and services built on high-quality health data, Healthcare-grade AI(R), advanced analytics, the latest technologies and extensive domain expertise. IQVIA is committed to using AI responsibly, with AI-powered capabilities built on best-in-class approaches to privacy, regulatory compliance and patient safety, and delivering AI to the high standards of trust, scalability and precision demanded by the industry. With approximately 94,000 employees in over 100 countries, including experts in healthcare, life sciences, data science, technology and operational excellence, IQVIA is dedicated to accelerating the development and commercialization of innovative medical treatments to help improve patient outcomes and population health worldwide. IQVIA is a global leader in protecting individual patient privacy. The company uses a wide variety of privacy-enhancing technologies and safeguards to protect individual privacy while generating and analyzing information on a scale that helps healthcare stakeholders identify disease patterns and correlate with the precise treatment path and therapy needed for better outcomes. IQVIA's insights and execution capabilities help biotech, medical device and pharmaceutical companies, medical researchers, government agencies, payers and other healthcare stakeholders tap into a deeper understanding of diseases, human behaviors and scientific advances, in an effort to advance their path toward cures. To learn more, visit www.iqvia.com. Kerri Joseph, IQVIA Investor Relations ([email protected]) +1.973.541.3558 Multimedia Files: Company's logo

Daily AI Tools
Oct 5th, 2026
IQVIA fined $7.8 million for failing to properly anonymize health data.

IQVIA fined $7.8 million for failing to properly anonymize health data. By Bill Toulas Monday, October 5, 2026 BleepingComputer Italy's data regulator fined IQVIA $7.8 million for failing to properly anonymize the medical records of one million patients. This enforcement highlights a critical flaw in health-tech security: "pseudonymized" data often remains identifiable. For the industry, it serves as a stark warning that GDPR compliance require BleepingComputer

Malware.News
Oct 3rd, 2026
The Italian Italy's Data Protection Authority fines IQVIA €7 million over data protection breach.

The Italian Italy's Data Protection Authority fines IQVIA €7 million over data protection breach. The following is a machine translation of a press release by Italy's privacy guarantor: Healthcare data: The Privacy Guarantor fines IQVIA 7 million euros. The data of one million patients of 800 family doctors are not anonymous. The Italian Data Protection Authority has fined IQVIA Solutions Italy Srl €7 million. The company, part of a... Introduction to Malware Binary Triage (IMBT) Course Looking to level up your skills? Get 10% off using coupon code: MWNEWS10 for any flavor. Enroll Now and Save 10%: Coupon Code MWNEWS10 Note: Affiliate link - your enrollment helps support this platform at no extra cost to you. New & unread topics.