Recruiting for clinical trials: CRAs, study coordinators and project management

Clinical trials are where a medicine or medical device meets reality – and where delays are most expensive. The Norwegian authorities have a stated ambition to bring more clinical trials to Norway, and sponsors, CROs and hospitals all need people who can get trials started and keep them on track. Experienced CRAs and project managers are therefore attractive candidates with many options.

Here we go through the roles in Clinical Operations, the experience that counts, and how to win the candidates.

The roles in Clinical Operations

• Clinical Research Associate (CRA) / monitor. Follows up trial sites, carries out monitoring visits, checks that data and documentation are correct, and ensures the trial follows the protocol and GCP.
• Study coordinator / study nurse. Works at the hospital or trial site with patient enrolment, follow-up, sampling and data entry.
• Clinical Trial Assistant (CTA). Administrative support, document handling and maintenance of the trial master file (TMF).
• Clinical Project Manager / Clinical Trial Manager. Responsible for progress, budget, vendors and quality in one or more trials.
• Study start-up and feasibility. Selects sites, prepares applications and contracts, and gets the trial running quickly.

Sponsor, CRO or hospital – three different working lives

Working as a CRA for a pharmaceutical company (sponsor), for a contract research organisation (CRO) or at a hospital are very different things:

• At a sponsor there are often fewer trials, a closer link to the product and more strategic responsibility.
• At a CRO the candidate gains breadth: many therapeutic areas, many sponsors and a high pace.
• At a hospital proximity to patients and clinicians is greatest.

Candidates often choose deliberately between these. Understand what you offer, and why it appeals to the profile you are looking for.

The regulations candidates must know

• ICH GCP. The foundation of all clinical research with medicinal products. Ask whether the candidate knows the current version (E6(R3)) and the risk-based approach to quality and monitoring.
• The EU Clinical Trials Regulation (CTR). From 31 January 2025, all ongoing clinical trials of medicinal products in the EU/EEA must follow the CTR, with applications and documentation in CTIS. CTIS experience is a plus for both CRAs and study start-up roles.
• Medical devices. Clinical investigations of medical devices are governed by the MDR and ISO 14155. This is a distinct skill set.
• Data protection and health research. Knowledge of how health data is handled in trials.

What makes a good CRA?

• Relationships with sites. A good CRA builds trust with site staff and investigators, and gets sites to prioritise the trial.
• Quality without becoming a bottleneck. Finds errors and deviations early, and helps sites correct them.
• Independence. Much of the job is done alone, often while travelling.
• Therapeutic areas. Experience in oncology, rare diseases or advanced therapies can be decisive for some trials.
• Language. For Norwegian sites, Norwegian or another Scandinavian language is often important.

How to win the candidates

Experienced CRAs and project managers are approached often. What makes them choose you is rarely pay alone:

• Travel. Be specific about how much travel the role involves, and where.
• Workload. How many sites and trials will the person follow up?
• Career development. Is there a path to project management or leadership roles?
• Flexibility. Working from home between visits is common and expected.
• The trials themselves. Interesting therapeutic areas and early phases are attractive.

Use this actively in both adverts and direct search.

How Oslo Life Sciences can help

Oslo Life Sciences recruits for Clinical Operations: CRAs, study coordinators, Clinical Project Managers and Clinical Trial Managers – for sponsors, CROs and research communities. We know what separates a strong CRA from one who simply has the right title, and we search in Norway, the Nordics and DACH. One adviser follows the assignment from start to finish.

Planning your first trial? Read about the first hires in a biotech company, or about Regulatory Affairs recruitment for the regulatory side of the trial.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a CRA and a study coordinator?

A CRA works for the sponsor or CRO and follows up the trial sites. A study coordinator works at the trial site, often a hospital, and has daily contact with the patients.

Does a CRA need a healthcare background?

Many have a background as nurses, biomedical laboratory scientists, pharmacists or in the life sciences. Experience with GCP and monitoring is nevertheless what matters most.

How much does a CRA travel?

It varies with the number of sites and where they are. Clarify expectations early, because travel is one of the most common reasons candidates say no.

Can you recruit CRAs to cover several Nordic countries?

Yes. Many trials have sites in several Nordic countries, and we search for candidates who can cover the Nordics as a whole.