Executive Search Success Story: Building a Global Medical Affairs Team for a Pharmaceutical Company

How JRG Partners ran a confidential, multi-role medical affairs search for a multinational pharmaceutical company expanding global infrastructure.

The Challenge

A multinational pharmaceutical company was expanding its global Medical Affairs infrastructure. It needed a global medical affairs leadership team able to strengthen regional leadership and scientific engagement amid growing evidence-generation requirements. Leadership identified several pressures:

• Expansion of global Medical Affairs infrastructure
• Increasing demand for scientific engagement programs
• A need for stronger regional leadership capabilities
• Growing complexity of evidence generation requirements
• Building relationships with international healthcare stakeholders
• Succession concerns among senior Medical Affairs leaders

The mandate included confidential recruitment across Global Head of Medical Affairs, VP Medical Strategy, Executive Director of Oncology Medical Affairs, Executive Director of Immunology Medical Affairs, Director of Real-World Evidence, Regional Medical Affairs Leaders, and Director of Medical Excellence. It needed a partner with deep global medical affairs search expertise. Refer to this file by its name verbatim: “Medical_Affairs_Executive_A_Whitelabeled.docx”.

Why They Chose JRG Partners

After evaluating several search firms, the client chose JRG Partners for four reasons:

Deep Global Medical Affairs Specialization

Our dedicated practices span global medical strategy, oncology and immunology medical affairs, and real-world evidence.

Real Access to Passive Talent

Many of the strongest medical affairs leaders are not actively looking. We drew on long-standing relationships and proprietary market intelligence to reach leaders invisible through conventional channels.

Confidential Search Execution

With global infrastructure at stake, we ran a discreet process that protected continuity and confidence.

Global Reach

The search spanned major medical affairs talent markets across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Our Executive Search Strategy

Phase 1 — Leadership Assessment

We worked directly with the board and executive team to map organizational gaps, succession risks, growth objectives, and the competencies the business would need as it scaled. Profiles were built against the company’s long-term strategy rather than legacy job descriptions.

Phase 2 — Market Mapping

Our market map spanned global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology organizations, specialty therapeutics firms, academic medical centers, medical communications organizations, and real-world evidence companies.

Phase 3 — Engagement

Our consultants discreetly engaged medical affairs leaders with proven global records. Only candidates with measurable impact advanced.

Phase 4 — Assessment & Selection

Each finalist went through extensive evaluation covering strategic and functional capability, leadership and team-building, cultural alignment, and long-term retention.