Advancing life sciences through exceptional talent Biotech · Pharma · MedTech

Science-driven careers,
precisely matched.

A specialized life sciences executive search and staffing consultancy serving distinguished professionals and the organizations advancing human health. Nine offices spanning the country, with every engagement managed internally — across biotech, pharma, medical devices, CROs, and digital health.

Explore Your Options Our Methodology

2,300+

Engagements Completed

27 days

Median to Signed Offer

93%

Client Approval

Alden Search · Placement Record

Confidential · Issued 02 / 2026

№ 2,401

Candidate · Anonymized

Sandra L.

Previously · VP Clinical Operations at a mid-cap CRO

Placed as

Chief Operating Officer

Biotech New York, NY Phase III biotech

Compensation

$370K

↑ +34% base + equity

Time to offer

21 days

vs. 27d median

Search type

Retained

executive search

Recruiter

V. Ashford

Managing Partner

Search Timeline 21 days total

Intro

Day 1

Discovery

Day 2

Shortlist

Day 6

Interviews

Day 11

Signed

Day 21

Across all 2026 engagements

+24%

avg comp uplift

27d

median time-to-hire

85%

still placed @ 18mo

Valued Alliances

Organizations that rely on us
to secure their strongest talent.

From global pharma leaders to clinical-stage biotechs — a sampling of the life sciences teams we have assembled.

Performance Benchmarks

Since 2022. Quantifiable outcomes.

Talent acquisition is measured by deliverables — not intentions. These are ours.

01 / Engagements

Senior-level life sciences engagements fulfilled since our founding in 2022

02 / Network

Active partner organizations — from Fortune 500 to Series A

03 / Velocity

0 days

Median duration from initial dialogue to an executed offer letter

04 / Excellence

93%

Candidate approval rating across 2025 engagements (n=395)

Our Methodology

Three phases. One destination.

Streamlined, individualized, and perpetually complimentary for candidates. Share your background when the timing suits you — or leave your coordinates and we will initiate contact when a compelling fit surfaces.

You apply Active job seekers

We reach out When a role fits

You reach out — or we approach you

Outline your trajectory and aspirations through our concise, encrypted intake form. Or simply register your details — the majority of our candidates begin passively, and we make contact only when a compelling alignment emerges.

Acknowledgment within 24 business hours

In-Depth Consultation

A principal-level recruiter dedicates 45 minutes to mapping your capabilities, ambitions, non-negotiables, and compensation benchmarks. No template. No sales agenda.

Principal recruiter, never a junior coordinator

Secure Your Position

We introduce hand-selected, thoroughly evaluated opportunities. Your recruiter guides you through interviews, compensation negotiation, and offer analysis — through to execution.

Median 27 days to executed offer

Sector Specialization

Granular knowledge.
Every discipline.

Dedicated practitioners with substantive tenure across the disciplines that advance human health and scientific discovery.

Biotechnology

Therapeutics, Gene Therapy, mRNA

Pharmaceuticals

Big Pharma, Specialty & Generics

Medical Devices

Implants, Diagnostics, Surgical

Clinical Research & CROs

Trials, Regulatory, Data Management

Digital Health & HealthTech

AI Diagnostics, Telehealth, SaMD

Executive & Commercial

C-Suite, Sales, Marketing, Market Access

Our Capabilities

Four pathways
we advance professional trajectories.

Select the track that aligns with your current situation. Or open a dialogue and we will chart the course together.

Most requested · 68% of engagements

Permanent Placement

For seasoned life sciences professionals prepared to commit to their next chapter. We pair you with the ideal full-time position at one of our 295+ partner organizations — calibrated to your scientific expertise, leadership disposition, compensation targets, and personal priorities.

27d

Median to executed offer

85%

Still in role 18mo later

Cost to candidates

Initiate a permanent placement dialogue

Flexible

Contract & Interim Staffing

Project-driven, interim, or temp-to-permanent arrangements with US employers — structured around your availability.

C-Suite

Retained Executive Search

Discreet, retained mandates for VP-tier and C-suite principals. Rigorously assessed, introduced with precision.

Strategy

Career Advisory

One-on-one counsel from veteran HR strategists — narrative positioning, negotiation tactics, and interview preparation that converts.

Current Opportunities

Curated. Not broadcast.

Positions we are actively staffing for our partner clients — the majority never publicized externally.

Clinical

VP of Clinical Operations New

Boston, MA Full-time · On-site 📅 10+ years $195K – $260K + bonus

VP Level

R&D

Director of Bioanalytical Sciences

📍 San Francisco, CA ⏰ Full-time · Hybrid 📅 8+ years $175K – $225K

Director

Commercial

Regional Sales Manager — Oncology New

📍 Philadelphia, PA / Field ⏰ Full-time 📅 5+ years $130K – $170K base + commission

Senior

Executive

Chief Medical Officer (CMO)

📍 New York, NY ⏰ Full-time 📅 15+ years $380K – $520K + equity

C-Suite

R&D

Head of Regulatory Affairs New

📍 Chicago, IL ⏰ Full-time · Hybrid 📅 8+ years $165K – $210K

Director

Commercial

Medical Science Liaison — Immunology

📍 Miami, FL / Field ⏰ Full-time 📅 3+ years $140K – $185K + bonus

Mid-Senior

Clinical

Senior Clinical Research Associate New

📍 Austin, TX / Remote ⏰ Full-time 📅 4+ years $95K – $125K

Senior

Executive

VP of Manufacturing & Supply Chain

📍 Seattle, WA ⏰ Full-time · On-site 📅 12+ years $240K – $330K + equity

VP / Exec

Nothing ideal yet? Share your background

Why Alden Search

A trusted advisor.
Not a transaction engine.

When you engage with us, you are an individual — not a record in a pipeline. Six reasons our candidates consistently recommend us to their peers.

Principal recruiters,
not gatekeepers.

Every candidate is managed by a principal consultant with 9+ years of sector-specific talent acquisition experience. No delegation to junior staff.

9+ yrs median experience

Positions absent
from job boards.

More than 60% of our engagements involve searches that are never publicly listed — confidential mandates from our partner organizations.

60%+ unposted roles

Zero cost
to candidates. Ever.

No charges, no obligations, no hidden clauses. Our partner organizations absorb our fee — you never owe us anything, before or after placement.

$0 candidate cost

Continental scope.
Regional roots.

We position candidates across all 50 states. Nine offices — NYC, SF, Austin, Miami, Chicago, Seattle, Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia — provide ground-level intelligence in every major US market.

50 states 9 office cities

Under four weeks,
median.

From initial dialogue to an executed offer letter, our median timeline is 27 days. Swifter than most internal hiring workflows.

27 days median to offer

SOC 2 certified.
CCPA adherent.

Your information and your career exploration remain strictly confidential. We furnish our SOC 2 Type II audit documentation and CCPA protocols upon request.

SOC 2 Type II audited

Candidate Perspectives

What our professionals report.

More than 2,300 life sciences professionals have engaged with us since 2022. Here are three of their accounts.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Glassdoor

"Methodical, rapid, and entirely confidential. Alden Search positioned me in a Head of Regulatory Affairs role within weeks — at a biotech I never would have discovered on my own."

Sandra L.

Director, Regulatory Affairs · San Francisco · Biotech · 2024

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Trustpilot

"After a dozen years at one pharma company I craved a pivot but lacked a roadmap. The Alden Search team didn't merely identify a VP opportunity at a clinical-stage biotech — they shepherded me through every phase of the transition."

William C.

VP R&D · Philadelphia · Pharma to Biotech · 2025

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

"I harbored deep reservations about recruiting firms — too many disappointing encounters. Alden Search earned my confidence within 48 hours. No coercion, no misalignments, just a consultant who genuinely understood the nuances of medtech hiring."

Nicole T.

Director, Quality Assurance · Seattle · Medical Devices · 2026

Our People

The individuals driving the mandate.

Veteran life sciences talent professionals who understand the regulatory, clinical, and commercial landscape at a granular level — and have invested their careers cultivating the relationships that unlock the right opportunities.

Co-Founder

Victoria Ashford

Managing Partner

17 years of talent acquisition in life sciences & pharma. Previously Head of Talent at a top-10 global biopharma company. Wharton MBA with a focus on healthcare management.

victoria.ashford@aldensearch.com

Co-Founder

Jonathan Mercer

Managing Partner

Digital health & healthtech specialist with 14 years positioning technology leaders across biotech platforms, clinical data systems, and AI-driven diagnostics. Stanford CS, Stanford Bio-X affiliate.

jonathan.mercer@aldensearch.com

West Coast Lead

Elena Vasquez

Senior Partner

11 years in commercial & medical affairs talent acquisition across biotech, pharma, and CROs. Formerly at Korn Ferry Life Sciences; currently directing our San Francisco practice.

elena.vasquez@aldensearch.com

+147

Discover the full roster

152+ recruiters, consultants & operations professionals spanning nine offices

For Hiring Partners

Exceptional talent.
Precisely when it counts.

As your dedicated talent acquisition partner, we orchestrate the complete recruiting lifecycle — from specification development to confirmed placement.

Rigorous Pre-Qualification

We present only meticulously evaluated candidates who correspond to your specifications exactly — never an indiscriminate deluge of applications.

Proactive Talent Identification

We deliberately engage passive professionals — the top performers who are not scanning job boards but will transition for the right proposition.

Continental Network

295+ partner organizations and a curated reservoir of 34,000+ pre-assessed senior professionals across the US.

Outcome-Driven Pricing

No placement, no invoice. We stand behind every match we deliver — reinforced by a transparent 90-day replacement guarantee.

Now accepting Q2 2026 search mandates

Become a hiring partner.

Describe your open position and we will respond within 24 business hours with three pre-qualified candidate profiles prepared for evaluation.

27d

Median days to hire

88%

Fill rate (retained search)

295+

Active partner organizations

34k+

Pre-assessed professionals

90-day replacement guarantee. If a permanent hire does not succeed, we will re-staff the position at no supplementary expense.

Arrange a complimentary consultation

Zero risk · No concealed charges · Outcome-driven

Open a Dialogue

Tell us what you're
focused on.

Whether you are charting your next professional chapter or staffing a pivotal role — begin wherever feels most natural. We reply personally within 24 business hours.

Rather speak directly?

+1 (347) 609-6473

Direct line · directed to the appropriate office · Mon–Fri 8 AM – 7 PM EST

SOC 2 Type II

CCPA

ASA

NAPS

EEO

Where shall we begin?

Choose what applies — the form below adjusts accordingly.

I'm a candidate

Seeking my next position

I'm hiring

Staffing a vacant position

General inquiry

Career counsel, market intelligence

Full Name *

Email Address *

Phone

Current Job Title Company Name Your Title (optional)

Years of Experience *

Preferred Location

Seniority Level *

Industry

What's on your mind?

What's next for you? Tell us about the role Anything else?

Confidential per CCPA · Perpetually complimentary for candidates · 24-hour response from a principal recruiter

Our Locations

Nine offices.
Continental coverage.

Select any pulsing marker to inspect the office. Or call our direct line — we will direct you to the appropriate team.

Headquarters

Regional office · click to view

One direct number, directed to the appropriate office +1 (347) 609-6473

9 active offices

Select any marker
to inspect the office.

Each pulsing dot denotes one of our offices in a principal US business market. New York serves as our headquarters — the larger marker bearing the star. Select any city to view the address and reach the local team.

Headquarters

New York, NY

BioPharma · Regulatory · Executive Search

520 Fifth Avenue, 20th Floor
New York, NY 10036

team members

BioPharma

primary focus

2021

opened

Get directions Call this office

Science-driven careers, precisely matched.

Sandra L.

Organizations that rely on usto secure their strongest talent.

Since 2022. Quantifiable outcomes.

Three phases. One destination.

You reach out — or we approach you

In-Depth Consultation

Secure Your Position

Granular knowledge.Every discipline.

Biotechnology

Pharmaceuticals

Medical Devices

Clinical Research & CROs

Digital Health & HealthTech

Executive & Commercial

Four pathwayswe advance professional trajectories.

Permanent Placement

Contract & Interim Staffing

Retained Executive Search

Career Advisory

Curated. Not broadcast.

A trusted advisor.Not a transaction engine.

Principal recruiters,not gatekeepers.

Positions absentfrom job boards.

Zero costto candidates. Ever.

Continental scope.Regional roots.

Under four weeks,median.

SOC 2 certified.CCPA adherent.

What our professionals report.

The individuals driving the mandate.

Exceptional talent.Precisely when it counts.

Rigorous Pre-Qualification

Proactive Talent Identification

Continental Network

Outcome-Driven Pricing

Become a hiring partner.

Tell us what you'refocused on.

You're all set.

Nine offices.Continental coverage.

Select any markerto inspect the office.

New York, NY

Science-driven careers,
precisely matched.

Organizations that rely on us
to secure their strongest talent.

Granular knowledge.
Every discipline.

Four pathways
we advance professional trajectories.

A trusted advisor.
Not a transaction engine.

Principal recruiters,
not gatekeepers.

Positions absent
from job boards.

Zero cost
to candidates. Ever.

Continental scope.
Regional roots.

Under four weeks,
median.

SOC 2 certified.
CCPA adherent.

Exceptional talent.
Precisely when it counts.

Tell us what you're
focused on.

Nine offices.
Continental coverage.

Select any marker
to inspect the office.