Event

PSI Careers Workshop: Peer Support Initiative

Add to:

Date: February 2027 - October 2027
Location: Online via Zoom

Who is this event intended for? This programme is aimed at experienced statisticians, programmers and data scientists who work in the pharmaceutical industry, typically with five or more years’ experience, who are seeking structured peer support, accountability, and development as they progress into more senior stages of their careers.

What is the benefit of attending? Through a combination of coach-led sessions, practical discussion, and ongoing accountability, participants can strengthen their confidence and benefit from sustained support from a trusted peer group over time.

Overview

This peer support initiative is designed for professionals with at least five years of experience who are looking for peer connection, practical support and structured development, as they progress in their careers. The programme will bring together participants at a similar career stage in a consistent small-group format, creating a trusted environment for reflection, discussion, and shared learning.

Participants will attend coach-led sessions every two months, with each session designed to deliver a clear and tangible goal or outcome. Sessions will be led by a coach and include breakout discussions in small groups. Each coach-led session will also include an opportunity to review progress since the previous meeting and reflect on actions taken. Coach-led sessions will cover goal setting, personal brand, feedback, influencing and more.

Between formal sessions, participants will be encouraged to use their breakout groups as accountability and peer support circles, meeting independently to discuss learning from the previous session and, where helpful, to explore additional topics relevant to their own development or current challenges. This flexible structure is intended to support both personal growth and practical problem-solving in a supportive peer setting.

By combining expert input, peer discussion, and ongoing accountability, the programme aims to strengthen confidence, connection, and sustained professional growth.

The 5 coach-led sessions are as follows (specific dates are to be confirmed):

Session 1 – Feb 2026

Coach: Lucy Rowell

Title: Goal setting

Abstract: TBC

Session 2 – April 2026

Coach: Sophie Cliff (The Joyful Coach)

Title: Building your brand

Abstract: TBC

Session 3 – June 2026

Coach: Zoe Kefford

Title: The art of giving and receiving feedback

Abstract: TBC

Session 4 – Aug 2026

Coach: Emma May (The Career Habit)

Title: Influencing for impact

Abstract: This workshop will help analytical professionals move from being right to being persuasive, translating strong analysis into recommendations that land, get adopted, and build long-term credibility. This session builds on an understanding of emotional intelligence and skills used to navigate difficult conversations to become dynamically influential.

Learning Objectives

  • Distinguish influence from authority and identify
  • Diagnose a stakeholder's decision-making style and adapt communication accordingly
  • Structure a recommendation using a clear, persuasive narrative
  • Read real-time signals of resistance or buy-in and adjust approach mid-conversation
  • Identify actions to build long-term proactive influence

The Leadership Network

The Leadership Network is a WhatsApp community hosted by Emma May as part of The Career Habit organisation.  Attendees of the Peer Support Initiative workshop would be eligible to join as an additional and independent way to facilitate ongoing, self-motivated accountability with other ambitious professionals.  The group aims to build leadership habits through mutual support and encouragement. The group receives prompts to share their individual goals each Monday, and to take time out for reflection on Fridays, as well as other focused communications.

Session 5 – Oct 2026

Coach: Jess Davenport (Pepper Coaching)

Title: Imposter Syndrome: Unlocking Authentic Confidence: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome in a Changing Workplace

Abstract: In an era of constant change, rapid innovation, and AI integration, feeling out of your depth or questioning your value is increasingly common. Imposter syndrome (the persistent feeling that you aren’t as capable as others perceive you to be) can hold talented professionals back from taking bold career steps, sharing ideas, and celebrating their achievements.

This 60-minute workshop provides practical tools and fresh perspectives to help attendees redefine success, reframe self-doubt, and show up with authentic confidence.

Registration

Registration is open from 4th September - 30th November.

PSI Members: £120+VAT
Non-PSI Members: £230 +VAT
*Please note: Non-Member rates include PSI membership until 31 Dec. 2027.

Spaces are limited - click here to register now!

Speaker details

SpeakerBiography

Lucy Rowell, Impactful Authenticity

 

 

 

Sophie Cliff, The Joyful Coach

Sophie Cliff (aka The Joyful Coach) is a coach and positive psychology practitioner who uses her expertise to help people flourish and thrive by finding more joy. She is also the author of Choose Joy and The Hustle Cure.

 

Zoe Kefford

 

Emma May, The Career Habit

After 25 years in Biostatistics, Emma is the founder of The Career Habit, offering leadership training based on a framework for intentional career growth through small consistent actions that build habits and behaviour change.

Emma develops and delivers professional development workshops, offering technical SMEs interactive opportunities to learn and improve leadership competencies. She also mentors analytical scientists to develop their understanding and engage in practical strategies to improve professional development skills and become effective leaders.

She uses her experience of building cross-functional teams, developing collaborative client-sponsor relationships, leading individual statisticians, and cross-company governance, to provide relevancy for Biostatisticians of all levels.

An active member of PSI, Emma is chair of the Professional Development Book Club, offering peer-to-peer and expert-led non-technical training.  She volunteers as a mentor and has previously been responsible for university outreach and held the position of Membership Director.

Jess Davenport, Pepper Coaching

Jess is the founder of Pepper Coaching and an ex-corporate senior leader. With a background spanning 15 years across a range of complex, fast-paced teams, Jess helps ambitious professionals navigate career challenges, build authentic confidence, and overcome self-doubt. By combining practical strategies with down-to-earth support, Jess empowers people to recognise their value, speak up, and own their expertise.

 

 

Upcoming Events

PSI Book Club: Change: How organisations achieve hard-to-imagine results in uncertain and volatile times

Organizations have to adapt to the transforming landscape of our industry to ensure they continue to be successful in the future. Many of us are feeling the impact of organizational change. By reading John P Kotter’s book we can understand about organizational change and learn how to thrive, rather than just survive, through change. Change, by John P Kotter (and his team), is a summary of all that he has learned over his decades of research and leading change. His book describes why many current approaches to change are inadequate and explains why new solutions need to give people a voice and a role in a new, change-embracing organization. Develop your understanding of organisational change and become empowered to be part of your organisation’s change, by reading Change by John P Kotter and joining the Sept-Dec 2025 book club. You will be invited to join facilitated discussions of the concepts and ideas and apply knowledge from the book in-between sessions.

AIMS SIG - Open-Source Lunch Bites

Our monthly webinar series allows attendees to gain practical knowledge and skills in open-source coding and tools, with a focus on applications in the pharmaceutical industry.

PSI Career Young Virtual Event (Q3 2026)

This networking event is aimed at statisticians that are new to the pharmaceutical industry who wish to meet colleagues from different companies and backgrounds.

PSI Book Club: Another Door Opens – Book Club Special Event

This is a Book Club Special Event in response to the changes in our industry and as a supportive move to create community and connection for those navigating redundancy and uncertainty. Read the book in advance of the book club session then join the zoom call to discuss ideas. There will be breakout groups to connect with others, exchange experiences of how the book has helped, and offer support.

Joint PSI/EFSPI Visualisation SIG 'Wonderful Wednesday' Webinars

Our monthly webinar explores examples of innovative data visualisations relevant to our day to day work. Each month a new dataset is provided from a clinical trial or other relevant example, and participants are invited to submit a graphic that communicates interesting and relevant characteristics of the data.

PSI Training Course: Propensity Scores: Practical Application in Non-randomised Studies

The course will introduce the topic of propensity scores and the use of external data. Covering the topics of matching and weighting as well as more advance topics of high dimension propensity scores, multi-valued treatments, double robustness and time-varying scenarios. There will be the opportunity to participate in some hands on practical exercises in R.

Making Estimands Work - Practical Approaches with Implementation in Data Standards

This event will discuss the impact of the estimand framework on data flow and data handling for analysis datasets (ADaM). What are the considerations to produce data sets suitable for estimation of estimands and traceability of the occurrence of intercurrent events. This webinar will include tips for best practice, based on the White paper Implementation of ICH E9(R1) Estimands Framework using Data Standards.

PSI/EFSPI Biomarker SIG Webinar: Statistical Methods for ctDNA Data

This webinar will describe what ctDNA is and what the key challenges are for analysing it. We will then summarise and review methods that were published over the last few years for analysing ctDNA data.

PSI Training Course: Adaptive Designs

This two-afternoon virtual course provides a practical introduction to adaptive clinical trials, focusing on the concepts, applications, and regulatory principles outlined in ICH E20 through real-world examples and case studies.

PSI Careers - MEDMathS: Medicine Empowered by Data, Maths and Statistics

Date: Wednesday 4th November 2026 A careers talk about medical statistics and how it plays a crucial role in developing new medicines. Learn about the field of medical statistics and how it plays a crucial role in developing groundbreaking new medicines, vaccines and healthcare products.

PSI Medical Statistics Student Careers Event 2026

Date: 18 November 2026 This is an excellent opportunity for students to find out more about the field of medical statistics, talk to people from different organisations and make contacts for the future. All students currently studying for a mathematics or statistics-related BSc, MSc or PhD are invited to attend, and we welcome interest from exhibitors too.

Aligning Estimation with the Clinical Question of Interest

This webinar will focus on aligning estimation to estimands. How do different strategies for handling intercurrent events and missing data handling influence the choice of estimation method, with illustration using a case study.

PSI Career Young Virtual Event (Q4 2026)

This networking event is aimed at statisticians that are new to the pharmaceutical industry who wish to meet colleagues from different companies and backgrounds.

PSI Careers Workshop: Peer Support Initiative

This 10-month peer support programme is aimed at professionals with five or more years of experience who are seeking structured development and connection with peers at a similar career stage. Through 5 bi-monthly topics, participants will engage in coach-led presentations, small-group discussions, and regular progress reviews focused on achieving tangible outcomes.

Latest Jobs

Amgen - HTA Biostatistics Manager

In this vital role you will generate evidence to meet Health Technology Assessment (HTA) requirements, while ensuring that the analyses performed meet required standards and are robust and valid.

Bristol Myers Squibb - Director, Statistical Methodology and Innovation

Lead the development of innovative statistical methods, provides expert consulting, oversees tools and software, and mentors team members while collaborating cross-functionally to address complex drug development challenges.

MMS Holdings - Senior Biostatistician (UK)

Are you looking to join a company where your contributions truly matter, and where you'll be part of a supportive, innovative team?

Phastar – Associate Director, Statistics – Real World Evidence (RWE)

As an Associate Director, Statistics (RWE) you will focus on supporting one of our key pharmaceutical clients within our FSP function. This will be a hands-on technical role, with oversight responsibilities and cross-functional exposure.

Phastar – Principal Statistician – Real World Evidence (RWE)

We are seeking an experienced Statistician to join our FSP team to support one of our fantastic and well-known global pharmaceutical clients, at Principal level.

Phastar – Senior / Principal Statistician

We are seeking an experienced Statistician to join our FSP team to support one of our fantastic and well-known global pharmaceutical clients, at either Senior or Principal levels.

Viatris - Principal Statistician

This position is deal for a statistician who values ownership, collaboration, and using data to enable confident development decisions and to support regulatory submissions.