The challenge.

A leading CDMO to the pharmaceutical industry was looking to upskill and grow the project management team at their manufacturing facility in North America following a multimillion-pound investment. The initial requirement was to hire a Business Unit Director (BUD) and three Project Managers (PMs), with a further three PMs over the following 12 months. Suitable candidates would need to possess exceptional organisation skills, the ability to prioritise, influence, and delegate effectively, whilst meeting performance, cost, and timescale targets.

The solution.

Chad Harrison International (CHI) proposed a retained search approach, encompassing talent mapping for planned future hires. Our sector specialists drew up a diverse long list of candidates all of which possessed the required skill set, as well as excellent industry and technical knowledge. We provisionally presented this to the client to ensure there were no candidates or companies they did not want us to approach. We then commenced a targeted headhunt on all preferred candidates based on credentials, salary requirements, and motivations.

The result.

Despite the challenges created by the global pandemic, a diverse shortlist of 21 BUD Director and PM candidates were sourced, and all vacancies were filled within four weeks. The hiring process was three stages, including a telephone interview, a panel interview, and an interview with the Site Director (although this was a formality). Interviews were conducted with senior management and multiple key stakeholders.

In addition, we also sourced and placed three further PMs to work closely with the previously hired BUD. All parts of the project were delivered on time and within the outlined budget.