Mother of two and beach lover, Dana Joyner, highlights her limitless career at IQVIA by sharing her path from Clinical Trials Assistant to Business Operations and Capabilities Director.

At IQVIA, we value career exploration so colleagues can experience a flexible career that enables them to achieve their career aspirations.

Dana Joyner’s career journey at IQVIA exemplifies just this. It demonstrates our commitment to development and growth, as well as the diverse career possibilities available here.

Find out how Dana advanced her career from Clinical Trials Assistant to Business Operations and Capabilities Director.

Tell us about yourself

I love spending time with my husband, two kids and dog, Chipper, getting outside, going for walks, traveling to the beach, and reading. I studied political science in college, but I had a friend and mentor who took me under her wing and convinced me to join Quintiles, now IQVIA, in 2005.

Current role at IQVIA

As a Business Operations and Capabilities Director, I play an integral role on the Global Site Management and Centralized Monitoring Services team. I support centralized monitoring services and assist with the management of Risk-Based Monitoring services, from setup to addressing customer queries.

In collaboration with our external Talent and Learning partner, various subject matter experts and governance team, I work to implement updates to IQVIA’s Clinical Research Associate (CRA) Training Program. I am also involved in process improvements and standard operating procedures, CRA oversight initiatives, and work with leadership to map changes to our monitoring quality initiatives.

Career path at IQVIA

When I started at IQVIA, I did not come from a science background nor was I familiar with the clinical research industry. I joined as a Clinical Trials Assistant, gaining experience in regulatory and startup processes, managing clinical documents and systems, assisting CRAs, and was eventually promoted to a CRA. As a CRA, I ensured clinical trial study sites operated within the contracted scope, and tracked and evaluated the quality and integrity of study data and practices as required by regulators.

After five years, I needed to get off the road; I joined the Project Coordination Center, which was my foray into Risk-Based Monitoring. I was quickly promoted to a line manager and oversaw a team of in-house CRAs and then CRAs. From there, I began supporting IQVIA’s CRA training initiatives which led to the role I’m in today.

Key milestones and learnings

Moving out of the CRA role was challenging for me. I was supporting CRA training and had more than 15 direct reports, so I was extremely busy. However, when I was asked to assume greater responsibility for training oversight, it turned into an amazing opportunity for me. Networking, having an internal mentor and volunteering to take on new opportunities really helped.

My advice is to not be afraid to try something new and to step outside your comfort zone. I remember being asked to conduct a weeklong face-to-face training, which was very intimidating, but it went extremely well, and I’m so glad I embraced the challenge.

Best advice

We work in a fast-paced industry. My kids are young and active with school and sports, so I try to block time on my calendar to volunteer at their school and attend their sporting events. I really use my calendar to my benefit. I enjoy “Focus Fridays” and the “IQVIA People Deal,” which encourages us to take time away. As long as deliverables are met, we’re in good shape. I encourage others to do the same – leading by example.

Future success

To be successful at IQVIA, you need to be a go-getter. Someone who can think critically, be willing to learn, and adapt to new technologies. Be open to change and flexible. You also need to be able to communicate change effectively and have difficult conversations. But for me, my favorite part about working at IQVIA is the people.

Explore a career with limitless possibilities. Learn more about our Clinical Research careers at IQVIA and explore our open roles.