Global Head - IT (CLIMS)

Global Head - IT (CLIMS)

Location(s) - Belgium, Netherlands or France

Are you the kind of IT leader who leads from the front rather than hides behind the technology?

Can you hold a global team accountable, push back when timelines don't stack up, and deliver an honest message to a CIO without flinching?

Do you want to join a business at a genuinely interesting point in its journey - early enough to shape it, established enough to have something real to work with?

At Cerba Research, we are committed to finding the best talent to join our team. We have partnered with Vector Talent to manage the recruitment process for this role. If you're interested in applying, please direct all applications and questions to Vector Talent.

The IT function at Cerba Research is looking for an Global Head - IT (CLIMS) to take ownership of one of the most critical technology domains in the business - the platforms that underpin how Cerba Research runs client trials, manages samples, and reports results. This is a senior leadership role reporting directly to the CIO, sitting at the heart of an IT transformation that is deliberately and consciously underway. The strategic direction is set and the team is in place - but the most consequential decisions are still ahead.

About Cerba Research

With over 40 years of clinical research expertise, Cerba Research has built a unique offering of services, which includes clinical trial management, specialty lab and biomarkers services and medical devices and diagnostics offerings.

Cerba Research supports clients from research and development all the way through clinical studies and commercialization of therapies. We combine the deep therapeutic understanding and agility of a specialist with the capacity, breadth and global reach of a central lab.

Our extensive experience in central and specialty laboratory services is key to our success, allowing us to provide clients with early scientific insights that optimize protocol development.

We provide key laboratory services to biopharma, government and not-for-profit organizations, supporting clinical trials. Our global accredited laboratory network and connected logistical infrastructure covers the US, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Australia and Africa.

Our aim is to transform clinical research to deliver the promise of precision and predictive medicine to help people live healthier lives. It's our passion, expertise, and commitment to quality that drive Cerba Research. We want to change the shape of clinical development, and help patients around the world get access to new treatments faster.

Why Join Us?

• Join at the Right Moment - the strategic direction is set but the big calls are still ahead. You'll have genuine influence over how this function evolves - not inheriting someone else's finished picture, but helping to build it.
• A Seat at the Top Table - Reporting directly to the CIO, this is a role with real authority. You'll be expected to push back when timelines aren't justified, say no when no is the right answer, and pass difficult messages upward without softening them beyond recognition.
• Lead People, Not Just Platforms - This isn't a role for a technologist who manages people on the side. It's a role for a leader who understands technology well enough to govern it, challenge it, and hold teams accountable for delivering it.
• Scale That Tests You - A 50+ person team spanning Belgium, Netherlands and France, plus offshore vendors in multiple delivery models. The complexity is real. So is the opportunity.
• Meaningful Work - The systems you govern directly support the delivery of clinical trials and the reporting of results that matter to patients. It's rare to find that combination of leadership challenge and genuine purpose in one role.

How You Will Add Value

As (IT) Director, CLIMS, you will contribute to:

• Governing the CLIMS landscape - holding accountability for th