Client background
This commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company is based in China and the United States. They are developing innovative treatments for oncology, infectious disease, neuroscience, and autoimmune disorders. This company has five approved products in China and 50 ongoing clinical trials.
Challenge
Our client was seeking a US Regulatory Affairs Director who could lead the development and implementation of Regulatory strategies for their oncology programs in the United States. This was their first Regulatory hire in the US, reporting into the SVP of Regulatory in China. They wanted somebody with strong experience working with FDA and also with a background in oncology programs. They ideally wanted somebody local to the SF Bay Area who could come into their new South San Francisco office regularly.
Approach
Dennis Partners conducted an Engaged Search to find the best possible candidates for our client. We kicked off the search in mid-July, initially focusing our search on Regulatory Associate Director and Director level candidates in the Bay Area with oncology backgrounds. Shortly after we started the search, the client decided to elevate the level of this role from Director up to Executive Director as they wanted somebody more senior who could establish the US Regulatory function and advise leadership on risks. Therefore, we adjusted our search to look at more senior candidates who were currently at the Senior Director or Executive Director levels.
Result
We submitted a new batch of Senior Director level candidates who were local to the Bay Area in mid-August. The client conducted initial interviews with each candidate and then advanced their top candidate to meet with senior leaders in R&D, Clinical Operations, Medical, and HR. Once they unanimously agreed to hire their top candidate, Dennis Partners helped to check references and negotiate the offer. The candidate accepted the offer within 50 days of our re-starting the search at the Executive Director level (and just 69 days from the start of the original Director search). The candidate joined the company the first week of October and the client is delighted!