Meet Ria Sotiriou - Senior Contracts Associate

1.) What does your role as a Senior Contracts Associate at MRN entail on a day-to-day basis?

As a Senior Contracts Associate, I spend most of my time liaising with the Commercial Development Team, the Client, and the Operational Team to define the scope of clinical studies which then will be incorporated into a budget. My other responsibilities are to make sure that any changes to the scope are reflected on the budget and to negotiate the legal language of clinical agreements that we put in place with our customers by minimizing the risk to business as much as possible.

2.) In your opinion, what makes a great Senior Contracts Associate at MRN?

A great Senior Contracts Associate needs to have very good attention to detail along with great communication skills and an inquisitive mind.

3.) What first attracted you to MRN?

MRN is a highly innovative company having made such massive progress over the course of the 15 years of its existence, being one of the pioneers in Decentralized Clinical Trials. Essentially what attracted me to MRN was its patient centricity and the ability to constantly improve and adapt itself to serve the patient’s need in the best possible way.

4.) What do you enjoy most about your role as a Senior Contracts Associate?

The thing I enjoy the most is getting to know the scope of a clinical study and then trying to translate this into numbers. I also enjoy the combination of knowledge I get in this position, which is clinical, business and legal at the same time.

5.) What 3 words best describe MRN for you?

Innovative – Pioneer – Relevant.

6.) How does MRN support you to achieve your career & personal goals?

I believe it all comes down to the importance MRN gives to the continuous development of its employees. The opportunity to get involved in big projects since the beginning of my career in MRN, and the supportive culture of the company.

7.) What would be your advice to someone looking into entering the Contracts field?

Familiarize yourself with clinical trials regulations, develop a good attention to detail and a curious mind.

8.) What keeps you engaged in your role at MRN?

My role in MRN never gets boring. There is always something new to learn, you never stop challenging yourself partly because of the nature of decentralized trials but mainly because of the progress MRN is making as a company.