Success Story
Search: Director, Preclinical & Clinical Operations
Story background
A commercial-stage pharmaceutical company engaged Mix to lead the search for a strategic leadership hire to oversee its preclinical and clinical research activities. This role was mission-critical to the organization’s future success and required a partner capable of navigating complex technical requirements with strict confidentiality.
The client needed support with:
Deep technical expertise
Cultural alignment
Finding a leader with a "roll-up-the-sleeves" mindset – someone capable of driving a sense of urgency and garnering buy-in from the existing team.
Trustworthy collaboration
Working with a recruitment partner who could provide honest, ethical, and transparent communication.
Our approach
Mix implemented a customized recruitment strategy that blended deep R&D expertise with a high-touch, consultative communication model:
The team
Mix assembled a specialized group led by our R&D vertical leader and PhD-trained scientists with hands-on preclinical and clinical research and IND submission experience.
The strategy
We mapped organizations utilizing similar drug delivery technologies to target specific operations leaders while casting a wider net for candidates meeting the ideal leadership profile. Our team of behavioral scientists developed customized interview guides and conducted separate leadership reviews to assess candidate style and organizational fit.
The care
To maintain strict confidentiality, Mix worked closely with the CEO and Head of HR to execute a high-touch communication plan. This included an average of three conversations weekly and detailed reports on recruitment activity to ensure leadership remained fully informed and confident in the process.
The results
By combining technical rigor with an agile search process, Mix delivered a high-impact leadership hire while exceeding the client’s expectations for speed and transparency.
49 business days
from kickoff to accepted offer.
252 candidates
contacted, resulting in 40 potential candidates engaged. 12 leadership interviews were conducted by Mix to assess style and experience, 6 of whom were presented to the client and interviewed by their team.
1 offer accepted on the spot
after the final pool was narrowed to two finalists.
Additional searches added:
The client expanded our partnership by awarding Mix two additional high-priority leadership searches immediately following the candidate’s start date.