Life Sciences and Biotech Executive Search

Retained life sciences executive search is an engagement model where the client funds the search itself rather than paying a fee only on placement. For a Chief Medical Officer at a Phase 2 biotech, a Chief Scientific Officer at a discovery-stage platform, or a commercial-stage COO ahead of launch, retained structure funds the confidential outreach an off-market operator pool actually requires. The alternative, contingency life sciences recruiting, is paid only on placement and creates the wrong incentive on a role this consequential. See retained vs. contingency executive search.

A retained life sciences executive search typically runs 90 to 120 days from engagement to signed offer. Discovery-through-IND mandates sit at the shorter end where the operator pool is narrower and well-known. IND-through-Phase-2 and commercial-launch mandates trend longer because reference cycles must reach investors, regulators, and prior-company leadership who watched the operator through the same stage transition. The full phase-by-phase timeline is at executive search process timeline.

Advius charges retained life sciences executive search on the standard model: a percentage of the placed executive's first-year total compensation, typically 25 to 35 percent depending on scope, billed in three progress payments of roughly 40 percent at engagement, 35 percent at shortlist, and 25 percent at signed offer. CMO and CSO mandates at pre-revenue biotechs often use equity-adjusted first-year comp in the calculation. Full model at executive search cost guide.

Yes. Life sciences executive search is one of the more geographically clustered practices in the country, with candidate density in Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, Raleigh-Durham, and select secondary hubs. Advius runs national outreach across all of those hubs. The Clarity phase resolves whether the mandate can accept fully remote executive presence, requires hub proximity to investors and clinical partners, or requires physical presence at a specific site.

The life sciences practice runs mandates for biotech CEO, biotech CFO, Chief Medical Officer, Chief Scientific Officer, Chief Commercial Officer, Chief Development Officer, VP Regulatory Affairs, VP Quality Assurance, and Chief People Officer at high-growth biotechs. Medtech mandates cover CEO, COO, and Chief Commercial Officer. Related functional practices are at CEO executive search and CFO executive search.

The Precision phase evaluates operators against the actual mandate defined in Clarity: development stage (discovery, IND, Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, commercial), modality (small molecule, biologic, cell and gene therapy, medtech), therapeutic area, capital structure (VC-backed, PE-backed, public), and regulatory sophistication. Reference cycles verify the operator's actual role in outcomes with peers who watched them across the same stage transition. Investor and board-member references are standard on senior mandates.

Engage retained when the hire is consequential enough that a wrong seat costs a program milestone, an investor confidence event, or a competitive window. Retained fits CMO builds ahead of IND or Phase 2 readouts, CFO succession ahead of financing or IPO, and commercial-stage COO or CCO builds ahead of launch. It fits less well for individual-contributor scientific roles or interim coverage where a specialist firm or interim executive services model is structurally a better match.

Every retained life sciences mandate runs on confidential outreach. Candidates currently senior at competing biotechs, pharma companies, or medtech platforms are approached through channels that protect their current program access and IP obligations. Client identity is disclosed only when the candidate has moved through an initial conversation and both parties intend to advance. Non-disclosure and non-solicitation frameworks are addressed at engagement, before outreach begins.