Our client is a leading European speciality pharmaceutical group focused on prescription drugs that address rare and life-threatening diseases. The organisation sought a senior medical director to play a key role within future global strategic plans.   

After searching for 10 months, receiving over 35 CVs and interviewing over 16 candidates using other agencies unsuccessfully, Pharma-Partners was engaged exclusively to search for a medical director for their EMEA region.

• MD qualification. 
• Experience within medical devices and oncology highly desirable.  
• Significant industry experience at an above country and ideally director level within medical affairs.  
• Multi-layered line management experience essential. 
• UK-based with willingness to travel globally 30% of the time.

• The presented candidates did not meet the all the above requirements. 
• Identical candidates were presented on multiple occasions by agencies indicating that only highly active candidates were interested. 
• Candidates who were interviewed were unsuitable mainly due to lack of therapy area and suitable line management experience.
• Candidates’ expectations around role, salary and interview process were poorly managed by existing agencies.
• Agencies demonstrated a lack of understanding regarding pharmaceutical physicians and were therefore unable to search effectively.  

• Our team engaged with relevant stakeholders and talent acquisition to understand the challenges to date.
• We provided the client with a full and detailed re-briefing on the assignment. 
• We conducted pre-assignment market intelligence to align client requirements with current market conditions.
• We agreed timelines and milestones with the client, and created a communication plan regarding sourcing progress.
• We reached an agreement with the client regarding interview process to ensure efficiency.

• Via our existing extensive network, market mapping and referrals, we identified 44 potential candidates in total. 35 of these candidates were not actively seeking a new opportunity. 
• We identified, briefed and met a total of five candidates, one of whom was actively looking. 
• Four candidates were submitted.  
• Four candidates were interviewed at the first stage, and two candidates moved to final stages. One candidate selected and offered. 
• We were able to deliver on all of the above within a period of 12 weeks.