A Five-Role Team Build-out for a Leading UK Clinical Research Organisation

A leading UK Clinical Research Organisation came to us needing five roles filled across clinical operations, quality, and patient recruitment. Four months later, all five were in place.

The search was led by Luke Chase, our Clinical Operations Recruitment lead for PI and site network hiring, the same specialism we draw on for CRA recruitment across field-based, home-based and regional roles.

Client Requirement

The roles:

• Clinical Trial Manager
• Associate Director of Patient Recruitment
• Head of Quality
• Clinical Project Manager
• Feasibility Manager

Different seniority levels, different specialisms, and a shared expectation that whoever we found would slot into a working team rather than start in isolation. The Clinical Trial Manager hire in particular would sit directly above the client's CRA and site monitoring function, so getting that appointment right mattered beyond the role itself.

The Challenge

Running five searches at once means none of them can be allowed to drift. The Feasibility Manager and Clinical Project Manager roles in particular hand off to each other day to day, so a gap in one slows the other down. We needed strong shortlists on all five roles at roughly the same pace.

The market made that harder. Across this search we kept running into the same three things holding good candidates back, patterns we see just as often in CRA and site management hiring as we did here. Most were reluctant to leave a secure role, worried about failing probation or being let go before they'd proved themselves somewhere new. Several were waiting on internal promotions their current employer had promised but not yet delivered, enough of a reason to stay put even when unhappy. And flexibility, whether that's remote working, adjustable hours, or just being able to do the school run, had stopped being a bonus and become the thing candidates actually decided on.

None of that gets solved with a bigger number on the offer.

The Solution

Luke Chase ran the five searches in parallel, staying in close contact with the client's hiring managers throughout to keep specs sharp and feedback fast. Where candidates were hesitant for the reasons above, we addressed it head-on: leading with the stability and flexibility of the role rather than leaning on salary to do the convincing.

Five roles, five strong shortlists, four months start to finish. The client now has a fully resourced team across clinical operations, quality, and patient recruitment, with a Clinical Trial Manager in place to lead their CRA and site network function going forward.

Client Feedback

"Thank you so much, this has been a really great experience for us as a customer. You have consistently identified and engaged a really strong slate of candidates for each role and we are delighted with the candidates we have secured.

I'd also like to acknowledge the effort you put in, working weekends and delivering for us with a real sense of urgency. We will definitely be coming back to you when we are looking to fill more roles."

— Chief Executive Officer, Leading UK Clinical Research Organisation

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