Case Study: Hiring a senior pharmacovigilance lead without breaking a very strict budget

The situation

We worked closely with a Swedish pharmaceutical company.

Their mission is to deliver high-quality, cost-efficient medicines to pharmacies and hospitals, primarily in the Nordic region. Specifically, they target niche medicines where few generics are made to help bring these to patients in a more cost-effective way.

They aimed to reduce expenditure and bring their PV team in-house but were struggling to hire a pharmacovigilance specialist with their limited network. With many projects requiring this expertise, they needed to find the right person to join their business in a way that didn’t break their budget. They approached Hobson Prior to help them find an EU Qualified Person for Pharmacovigilance (QPPV).

The solution

Budget was a primary concern for this client, so we came to the initial meeting well-prepared. As global life sciences recruitment specialists, we provided them with market insights, including salary benchmarks, candidate expectations, and industry trends, which allowed us to identify the client's essential candidate requirements and craft a strategy that aligned with their budget constraints.

It quickly became clear that hiring within Sweden while staying within budget would be challenging, so Hobson Prior promptly provided high-quality candidates from our extensive international talent pool. Our consultants dedicate many hours each week exclusively to connecting with candidates globally and adding them to targeted hotlists. This ensures we know precisely which experienced and relevant candidates to approach for specific roles at short notice.

The result

Due to our connections and market knowledge, we were able to source several senior PV candidates who fit within budget and were willing to travel to Sweden on an ad hoc basis. The hiring process consisted of three interview stages, and a candidate was placed just two weeks after the initial conversation.

Our client was thrilled that we were able to find someone within budget with minimal compromise, and we continue to support them in building out their PV team.