Senior Consultant - R&D Costing - Pharma/MedTech Sector - Consulting Firm - Contractual

Our client is a global top-tier consulting firm supporting a leading public sector organisation in India, who is undertaking a high-impact initiative in the pharma space focused on strengthening capabilities across the end-to-end R&D lifecycle. This is a live project requiring deep domain expertise across multiple stages of the product development journey.

The role requires experience with strong scientific grounding in Pharma and/or MedTech R&D, with hands-on expertise in costing across the TRL 19 journey. The consultant will play a critical role in bringing clarity to R&D cost structures, from early-stage discovery and lab validation through toxicology and clinical trial phases, supporting strategic and operational decision-making at the highest levels.

Key Responsibilities:

- Provide expert guidance on R&D processes across discovery, pre-clinical, and clinical development stages (TRL 19)

- Develop and validate detailed cost estimates for various R&D activities (e.g., Phase I clinical trials, toxicology studies, lab infrastructure, equipment requirements)

- Advise on regulatory, operational, and infrastructure requirements associated with drug discovery and clinical trial design

- Support discussions and decision-making with senior public sector stakeholders

- Contribute expertise on funding structures, grant mechanisms, and committee-level evaluations (including exposure to bodies such as BIRAC being advantageous)

- Collaborate closely with project leadership to shape recommendations grounded in real-world R&D economics

Your Background:

- 10 - 15 years of experience in Pharma and/or MedTech R&D, ideally within scientific (not purely business) roles

- Strong expertise in R&D costing across the full TRL journey, including clinical trial costing and drug discovery economics

- Experience in drug discovery and clinical trial design (costing focus essential).

- Exposure to CRO environments is highly preferred

- Prior engagement with public sector clients, government grant processes, or expert committees is advantageous (not mandatory)

- PhD preferred, flexibility for strong candidates with relevant scientific credentials

Other Details:

- This is a contractual role with an initial duration of 6 months, extendable based on project requirements and performance (Total project duration - 1 year)

- The position is based in Delhi, and the consultant will be required to be full-time on-site throughout the engagement