Executive Search Success Story: Recruiting a VP of Operations to Lead the Clinical-to-Commercial Transition and Internal Manufacturing Build for a Biologics Company

How JRG Partners executed a confidential North American executive search that equipped a late-stage biologics company with its first VP of Operations and the manufacturing, supply chain, and technical operations leadership required to transition from CDMO-dependent clinical supply to commercial manufacturing, bring an internal drug substance facility online, and support a successful product launch.

The Challenge

A publicly traded late-stage biologics company had completed its pivotal trial and was preparing a BLA submission with commercial launch expected within eighteen months. All clinical supply had been produced by a single CDMO, and the board had approved an internal drug substance facility to secure commercial supply and improve margins. The organization had deep development and clinical expertise but no operations executive and no experience commissioning a GMP facility, transferring a commercial process, or building a launch supply chain. Executive leadership identified several critical vulnerabilities threatening the launch:

• Complete dependence on a single CDMO with capacity constraints and no commercial supply agreement
• An internal drug substance facility under construction with no operations leader to commission and validate it
• No manufacturing science and technology function to lead technology transfer and process validation
• Launch supply chain, cold chain logistics, and inventory strategy undefined
• Pre-approval inspection readiness dependent on operations leadership not yet in place
• Investor expectations for launch readiness and supply security ahead of approval

Recognizing that launch required an experienced biologics operations executive, the CEO and board engaged JRG Partners to recruit the company’s first VP of Operations, supported by a Director of Manufacturing Science & Technology and a Director of Supply Chain & External Manufacturing. The company required an executive search partner with deep biopharma expertise and access to operations leaders who had led clinical-to-commercial transitions and GMP facility startups.

Why They Chose JRG Partners

Biotech and Biopharma Operations Focus

JRG Partners possesses deep recruiting expertise across biologics manufacturers, commercial-stage biotechs, large pharma manufacturing organizations, and CDMOs, including operations, technical operations, and supply chain leadership. This domain knowledge ensured an immediate understanding of technology transfer, process validation, facility commissioning, and launch supply requirements.

VP of Operations Search Specialization

Our firm maintains a dedicated practice for VP of Operations searches in biotech and biopharma, with a proven methodology for evaluating candidates on clinical-to-commercial execution, GMP facility startup, and regulatory inspection readiness.

First-Time Operations Executive Placements

Our team specializes in identifying operations leaders who have built manufacturing and supply chain functions from the ground up in biotech companies approaching their first commercial launch.

Our Executive Search Strategy

Phase 1 — Launch Readiness Review

Our consultants partnered directly with the CEO, Chief Medical Officer, head of quality, CFO, and board to assess the CDMO relationship, facility construction timeline, technology transfer requirements, supply chain gaps, and inspection readiness. This review defined a VP of Operations profile combining biologics facility startup, technology transfer, and launch supply leadership.

Phase 2 — Talent Identification & Mapping

Our research team performed an extensive talent mapping initiative targeting operations leaders at biologics manufacturers, commercial-stage biotechs, large pharma manufacturing organizations, and CDMOs who had led documented clinical-to-commercial transitions and GMP facility startups. Over 265 executives were systematically assessed across these sectors.

Phase 3 — Candidate Engagement

Priority during outreach was given to leaders with a documented history of commissioning and validating biologics facilities, completing technology transfers from CDMOs, passing pre-approval inspections, and building commercial supply chains for launch. Only candidates meeting these strict performance baselines advanced.

Phase 4 — Selection Process

Finalists presented a facility startup, technology transfer, and launch supply plan to the CEO, board, and quality leadership, completed structured leadership assessments, and underwent reference verification focused on quantified startup, validation, and inspection outcomes.

Key Outcomes

• 265+ biologics and biopharma operations leader profiles mapped across North America.
• Placed the company’s first VP of Operations with proven clinical-to-commercial experience in 54 days.
• Commissioned and validated an internal drug substance facility on schedule.
• Completed CDMO-to-internal technology transfer with demonstrated comparability.
• Passed FDA pre-approval inspection with no observations.
• Delivered launch supply on time with dual-source security and improved cost of goods.