Building a Dedicated Medical Writing Function in Under 30 Days

A leading global dermatology company was relying heavily on external CROs and medical writing consultancies to deliver critical clinical, regulatory and non-clinical documentation. The model had supported the business historically, but growing concerns around communication, delivery speed and document quality were beginning to impact project timelines and operational efficiency.

As a specialist life science recruitment partner, Barrington James was engaged for the first time to design and build a dedicated external medical writing function, giving the client direct access to experienced consultants who could support the organisation across multiple document types while improving quality, responsiveness and cost efficiency.

The Challenge

This wasn't a single-vacancy brief. The client needed a long-term fix for a structural problem: too many layers between the business and the people actually writing its documents.

Every additional consultancy layer in the existing outsourced model slowed communication, reduced visibility and chipped away at delivery quality on projects that couldn't afford delay. Costs were climbing as the fragmented structure multiplied handoffs rather than removing them.

Barrington James needed to solve for more than headcount. The brief was to build a flexible external team of highly experienced consultants who could support every stage of the medical writing lifecycle, from clinical to regulatory to non-clinical, and become a genuine extension of the client's internal capability.

Our Approach

The client's core concern was reliability: could a partner actually deliver technical expertise consistently, not just on paper. So rather than opening with a broad market search, we started with our own bench of proven contract consultants we already knew could perform, which cut risk and compressed time-to-placement significantly.

We selected specifically for consultants who combined:

• Deep experience within dermatology and related therapeutic areas
• A track record delivering clinical, regulatory and non-clinical documentation
• Exposure to both large pharmaceutical organisations and independent consultancy environments
• The communication skills to embed seamlessly within the client's internal project teams

That gave the client dedicated expertise across a wide range of document types, including:

Clinical Study Reports (CSRs)

• Clinical Protocols
• Investigator Brochures
• First-in-Human Protocols
• Regulatory submissions including MAAs, INDs and NDAs
• Non-clinical documentation including Module 2.4 and 2.6 summaries

Instead of supplying isolated contractors, we built a flexible medical writing capability the client could deploy against virtually any documentation need.

Results & Client Impact

The partnership delivered immediate operational gains and turned a previously untapped account into a long-term relationship.

• First two consultants placed in under one month from initial engagement
• Four candidates shortlisted across multiple medical writing disciplines, with all four ultimately placed across the engagement
• Dedicated capability established across clinical, regulatory and non-clinical medical writing
• Multiple critical documents, including narratives, Clinical Study Reports and a First-in-Human protocol, successfully approved following consultant delivery
• Communication delays fell as fragmented consultancy layers were replaced with direct, embedded expertise
• Lower overall delivery costs through a leaner, more effective contractor model

The engagement grew fast. Two further consultant placements followed, extending support across regulatory and non-clinical functions, and the relationship has since progressed into a global strategic solutions agreement, with Barrington James now supporting additional functions across the wider organisation.

Summary

What started as a single operational fix became a case study in what a life sciences hiring partnership can deliver when it's built around the client's actual problem, not just their open roles. By redesigning the client's external medical writing model, Barrington James improved communication, lifted document quality, reduced delivery costs and built a scalable consultant network ready for future growth, turning an introductory conversation into a global strategic partnership.

Facing similar challenges in your medical writing function?

Get in touch with our team to discuss how a dedicated consultant network could work for you.