For employers
Brief us once. We do the rest properly.
Most of what goes wrong in a GMP hire goes wrong before the first interview: a vague brief, a shortlist nobody has questioned, a start date that slips through a notice period. This page sets out what we need from you, what you get back, and when.
You hear back within one working day, from the person who will run the search.
Send us a vacancy
Two minutes now saves a week later.
The more you tell us about why the role is open, the more accurate our first answer.
The brief
What we will ask you on the first call.
A brief call with the hiring manager. These five questions decide whether the search can succeed; having answers ready shortens everything that follows.
01
What must this person be able to do on day one?
Not the job description, the work. Classify a deviation without help, defend a protocol to an inspector, release a batch under time pressure. Three things they must do unaided from the first week decide who we approach.
02
Which experience is essential, and which is nice to have?
Sterile or non-sterile, biologics or small molecule, a specific system or guideline. We separate the requirements that rule people out from the ones that only help, so you do not lose a strong candidate over a preference.
03
Why is the role open?
A resignation, a promotion, a new line, a finding. Each points to a different profile, and candidates will ask. An honest answer here is the difference between a good hire and a second resignation.
04
What did the last person lack?
Nobody phrases the brief this way, and it is the most useful question we ask. The answer usually reveals the one competency the job description leaves out.
05
What are the deal breakers?
Salary ceiling, notice period, location, language, a competitor you will not hire from. We would rather rule people out before approaching them than have you rule them out after.
The shortlist
What arrives, and what it contains.
A shortlist is not a set of CVs. Each profile comes with a written assessment in a fixed format, so you can compare five people on the same terms in one sitting.
Section one
What was tested
The technical areas we examined in conversation, chosen from your brief: deviation classification, protocol defence, change-control judgement, QP eligibility, whatever the role turns on.
Section two
What the evidence was
Not "strong on validation" but the specific example the candidate gave, and our view of it. If they described closing a CAPA, we say what the CAPA was and whether the reasoning held.
Section three
What remains for you
The gaps we could not close in one conversation, phrased as questions for your interview. Your interview starts where ours stopped.
Section four
The practicalities
Availability, notice period, current package, salary expectation, and anything that could derail an offer: a pending bonus, a partner's relocation, a counter-offer risk we have already discussed with them.
Realistic timing
How long a search actually takes, by role.
Indicative targets, from brief to accepted offer, for a well-defined role at a competitive range. Notice periods add one to three months on top. When a search will take longer than this, we say so on the first call.
| Role | To shortlist | To offer |
|---|---|---|
| QA / QC Officer | 5–8 days | 3–4 weeks |
| Validation / CQV Engineer | 8–10 days | 4–5 weeks |
| QA Manager | 10–15 days | 5–7 weeks |
| Qualified Person | 3–4 weeks | 8–12 weeks |
| Interim (any level) | 2–5 days | 1–2 weeks |
Targets we work to, not a track record: Pharma Recruit is new and reports actual figures once there are enough searches to report on.
Which model fits
Choose by the vacancy, not by habit.
Four engagement models. This is how to pick between them.
Contingency search
If the role is advertised elsewhere
Contingency. You pay only if our candidate starts, and you lose nothing by adding us to the search. Best for QA, QC, validation and MSAT roles where good people exist and the question is who finds them first.
Read moreRetained search
If the person you need is not looking
Retained. Qualified Persons, Heads of Quality and anyone currently holding a role you want to replace will not answer an advertisement. A retained search funds the direct approach and the confidentiality it needs.
Read moreInterim, freelance, secondment
If the need is measured in months
Interim or freelance for a validation campaign, a remediation, or cover during a search. Secondment if you would rather receive one invoice and leave the employment obligations with us.
Read moreTechnical screening only
If you already have the candidates
Screening only. Your panel or your own advertisement has produced applicants; you want each one technically assessed before you spend interview time. We return a written assessment per candidate in the format above.
Read moreEvery permanent placement carries a replacement guarantee: if the candidate leaves within the period stated in your terms, we rerun the search at no additional fee. The period is agreed before the search starts, never after.
Questions
The practical ones.
What hiring managers ask once they have decided to brief us.
Do we have to give you exclusivity?
Not for contingency work. For retained search, yes: a confidential approach cannot run alongside an advertisement without the confidentiality failing. We will tell you on the first call which applies.
Can you work alongside our existing agencies?
Yes, and that is a sensible arrangement: the panel for volume, us for the roles where a wrong hire reaches the inspector. If a candidate has already been submitted by another agency, tell us and we step aside on that person.
What happens if a candidate withdraws after accepting?
We restart the search at no additional fee. It is also why we stay in weekly contact through the notice period: most withdrawals are counter-offers, and most counter-offers can be seen coming.
Can an interim become permanent?
Yes. The conversion terms are stated in the interim contract at the start, so neither side is negotiating under pressure later. Part of the interim fees paid is credited against the placement fee.
Who will we actually deal with?
One named person, from brief to start date. The person who takes your brief conducts the screening, writes the assessments and manages the offer. There is no account manager, and no handover.
Start with one vacancy
The first call costs you a few minutes.
You leave it knowing whether the role can be filled, by when, and on what terms, whether or not you engage us.