From CRA to Clinical Project Management

Lucia Rodriguez shares how she went from clinical research associate to clinical project manager – everything from her path to IQVIA to the passion that drives her work.

At IQVIA, we are always looking for new ways to challenge ourselves, explore new ideas and stretch into new possibilities. We offer flexible careers and visibility to internal opportunities so colleagues can grow their careers here.

Lucia Rodriguez, a clinical project manager in Madrid, Spain, is sharing her career journey from clinical research associate to clinical project manager – everything from her path to IQVIA to the passion that drives her work.

Path to IQVIA

At university, Lucia studied Biology and completed a master’s in clinical trials management. She was always interested in being a human health and disease investigator, starting as a trainee and then landing a job in clinical trial form support.

But Lucia was interested in finding a company that offered stability, career advancement and shared her same passion for making a difference in healthcare.

A close friend mentioned IQVIA’s flexible work environment and ample opportunities for growth. And in January 2017, Lucia joined IQVIA as a senior clinical research associate (CRA), working on two high priority Phase I immune oncology trials.

The role helped her fine-tune her problem solving skills, manage difficult conversations and deliver high quality work to address client objectives... leading to her promotion to Coordinating CRA in 2019, where she worked on eight international studies.

From CRA to Clinical Project Management

While serving as a Coordinating CRA, Lucia learned how to manage large, global teams and improved her vendor management skills… both critical skills to be a successful clinical project manager.

“I was always interested in learning about clinical trial management and raised my hand to get involved in tasks that would give me experience and opportunities to develop new skills in that area,” said Lucia. “Having an open dialogue with my line manager to share my career goals is what helped me make the move from a CRA to clinical project manager.”

As a clinical project manager, Lucia is an integral part of the clinical trial delivery. She manages a team of CRAs and vendors, who are both involved in the study from conducting to the close out phase.

Driven by passion

“My work in clinical research gives me a feeling that I am a part of something bigger,” shared Lucia. “I know it directly contributes to IQVIA’s mission to accelerate innovation for a healthier world and that I am making a positive impact on patient health."

From an internal perspective, Lucia says that IQVIA provides her with the opportunity to learn and freely share ideas and that she feels supported in her professional development… all areas that originally attracted her to the organization.