Meet Miruna, a Senior Manager in Regulatory Affairs at Parexel (Romania) working to develop safe and effective treatment for patients.

What does a day in the life of your role look like?

My day as a Senior Manager in the CORE team, Regulatory and Access requires that I wear multiple hats. I am a Line Manager, and this means I am guiding and supporting the development of my team, having frequent 1:1s and ensuring they have the tools and knowledge to deliver their tasks. My job is to encourage them to be the best version of themselves, take the ownership of everything they do and believe in their talent and skills. Together we build trust, in ourselves, in each other and betwen us and the many stakehoders we interact with, as individuals or as a team.

I am also a Project Lead, Operational Lead and Resource Lead on a EU CTR CTIS platform related partnership, responsible with the oversight but also with all the operational aspects of this partnership, focusing on delighting the customer, ensuring repeated business. It is a journey that is never dull or boring, filed with the satisfaction of seeing the team grow and overcome obstacles and challenges and deliver at their best. I am also lucky to be working alongside an amazing team of Managers. Being part of this team contributed greatly to my growth as we constantly challenge each other to do better and be better. We work hard but we achieve great things together: we are trusted partners for several big clients, who continue to choose to work with Parexel and we are, together with our amazing colleagues, a strong team of Regulatory experts.

What part of your job are you passionate about and would like to share?

It is incredibly rewarding to know that the work we are doing is contributing to the development of safe and effective treatments for patients.

What skills are needed to be successful within your team?

Strong leadership skills, attention to detail, excellent communication abilities, and a deep understanding of regulatory requirements are essential for success. Additionally, the ability to adapt to the constant change of systems, processes and regulations, and navigate the complexities of the regulatory world in the context of EU CTR, is crucial. Last but not least, the ability to connect with people and build and maintain relationships.

How do you work "With Heart" and what does it mean to you?

To me, working with heart means approaching every task with genuine care and passion and going above and beyond to support my team, our clients, and the patients who benefit from our clinical studies. It's about embodying our corporate mission by bringing empathy, dedication, and a genuine desire to make a positive impact to everything I do.

What have you experienced at Parexel but not anywhere else?

I am with Parexel for 18 years, and during this time my colleagues from the Romanian office have become like a second family to me. I do not think I could experience this anywhere else, this emotional bond we created throughout the years.

How has Parexel supported your career growth?

Parexel has been instrumental in my career growth by providing opportunities for professional development, such as training programs, mentorship initiatives, and access to resources to expand my knowledge. I also had the opportunity to have amazing Line Managers who helped me believe in myself and spent time getting to know me and involved me in projects and task where I was able to learn the most and contribute at the higest level in accordance with my skill-set. Additionally, Parexel in general fosters a supportive environment where employees are encouraged to take on new challenges and responsibilities, which has allowed me to continuously grow and advance within the organization, by going through diverse roles and departments and expanding my knowledge, feeling permanently challenged to be at my best in each role I had.

Have you been part of an advancement or learning program at Parexel? If yes, which one, and what did you take from it?

I was part of the WISDOM circle and for me the biggest take away was the how powerful and effective asking questions can be. Asking questions is the first step in finding answers, sometimes we forget this. Our mentor Alberto Grignolo always asked the most amazing questions in our sessions, unlocking some truly unique and new answers (some of them about ourselves).

Has there been a time where you've overcome a challenge within your job and what did you learn from it?

There was a time when a client expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of the deliverables of a project my team was assigned on. I promptly scheduled a meeting with my team to find out the details and also their side of the story and, with all the necessary data at hand, I set up a second meeting, this time with the client, to better understand their concerns, clarify their expectations and to propose an improvement plan . Through open communication and active listening, we identified areas for improvement and implemented necessary changes to meet their requirements. This experience taught me the significance of proactive client engagement, flexibility, and the importance of delivering on promises.

Has there been a project you've worked on that has been rewarding and how?

One project that stands out as particularly rewarding was the launching of an update to a system that we are using to track our regulatory activities . It was challenging to be able to map all the required changes triggered by new legislation, and to ensure the timely implementation. After we launched the updated system and corresponding reports, we received great feedback from the client who is relying heavily on Parexel reporting capabilities. It was rewarding because we were able to see the direct impact of our efforts on the every-day job of several client teams using the reports. Additionally, this special project provided valuable learning opportunities for me and my colleagues and strengthen our team’s cohesion and morale.

How does Parexel/your Line Manager/your team support flexibility and work-life balance?

To support flexibility and work-life balance we encourage open communication and focus on understanding individual needs. We at Parexel offer flexible scheduling options, such as remote work or flexible hours, whenever possible. We promote a culture of trust and autonomy, where team members feel empowered to manage their workload and take time off when needed. Additionally, I am trying to lead by example by prioritizing work-life balance myself and by setting and respecting baundaries.

Why did you choose the Clinical Research industry?

Clinical research chose me 18 years ago when I started as a Research Assistant at Parexel, without knowing much about clinical studies. I understood quickly how rewarding this job can be, because it offers the opportunity to contribute to the advancement of medical science and the development of life-saving treatments for people, and sometimes the people are the ones we love.