Key takeaway: The 10 best life sciences and biotech recruiting firms for 2026 are: Klein Hersh, Slone Partners, Coulter Partners, True Search, Meet Lifesciences, Barrington James, Kelly Science and Clinical, Actalent, Planet Pharma, and Randstad Life Sciences. Klein Hersh, Slone, Coulter, and True Search lead executive and board searches for biotech, pharma, diagnostics, and medtech companies; Meet and Barrington James cover mid-to-senior scientific, clinical, and commercial roles; Kelly, Actalent, Planet Pharma, and Randstad supply scientists, clinical research staff, and quality and regulatory professionals on contract at scale.
Life sciences recruiting firms place the scientists, clinicians, regulatory and quality professionals, commercial leaders, and executives who run biotechnology, pharmaceutical, diagnostics, and medical device companies. The sector demands recruiters who understand the difference between a discovery biologist and a translational scientist, who know which clinical operations leaders have taken a program through phase three, and who can judge whether a chief medical officer candidate will survive an FDA advisory committee.
The industry is large and its hiring is volatile. The Biotechnology Innovation Organization and TEConomy Partners estimate the US bioscience industry directly employs about 2.3 million people, and the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research approved 50 novel drugs in 2024, one of its most productive years. At the same time, biotech funding cycles drive sharp swings: hundreds of companies cut staff in 2023 and 2024 after the 2021 funding peak, which flooded the market with mid-level talent while leaving experienced clinical, regulatory, and CMC leaders as scarce as ever. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 11% growth for medical scientists from 2023 to 2033.
This list ranks firms that specialize in life sciences hiring at both executive and staffing levels. For hospital and clinical staffing, see our healthcare staffing agencies list; for healthcare leadership searches, see healthcare recruiting firms.
How did we evaluate life sciences recruiting firms?
| Criterion | Weight | What we assessed |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific and clinical depth | 30% | Ability to assess research, clinical development, regulatory, and CMC expertise |
| Executive search record | 20% | Completed C-suite and board searches at biotech, pharma, diagnostics, and medtech companies |
| Investor relationships | 20% | Repeat work with venture and private equity investors building portfolio company teams |
| Staffing scale | 15% | Capacity to supply scientists, clinical research associates, and quality staff on contract |
| Hub coverage | 15% | Presence in Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, Research Triangle, New Jersey, and other life sciences clusters |
The 10 firms at a glance
| # | Firm | Headquarters | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Klein Hersh | Horsham, PA | Venture-backed biotech and pharma companies building C-suite, clinical, and scientific... |
| 2 | Slone Partners | Boston, MA | Diagnostics, precision medicine, and life sciences tools companies hiring executives and board... |
| 3 | Coulter Partners | London, UK | Biotech, pharma, and medtech companies hiring executives and board members across the US and... |
| 4 | True Search | Haverford, PA | Pharma, biotech, and medtech companies hiring commercial, medical, and operational executives |
| 5 | Meet Lifesciences | London, UK | Biotech, pharma, and medtech companies hiring clinical, regulatory, quality, medical affairs... |
| 6 | Barrington James | Crawley, UK | Pharma, biotech, and CRO companies hiring clinical research, medical, regulatory, and... |
| 7 | Kelly Science and Clinical | Troy, MI | Pharma, biotech, and diagnostics companies hiring bench scientists, lab technicians, and... |
| 8 | Actalent | Hanover, MD | Life sciences manufacturers and labs hiring scientists, engineers, and quality staff on... |
| 9 | Planet Pharma | Northbrook, IL | Pharma, biotech, and CRO companies hiring clinical, regulatory, quality, and scientific... |
| 10 | Randstad Life Sciences | Atlanta, GA | Pharma and biotech companies that want scientific and clinical staffing within a global... |
The 10 best life sciences and biotech recruiting firms
1. Klein Hersh
Type: Life sciences and healthcare executive search Headquarters: Horsham, PA Best for: Venture-backed biotech and pharma companies building C-suite, clinical, and scientific leadership teams
Klein Hersh is one of the most active executive search firms in life sciences, placing CEOs, chief medical officers, chief scientific officers, heads of clinical development, regulatory and CMC leaders, and board directors for biotech, pharma, medtech, and healthcare services companies. It works closely with venture firms that use it to build leadership teams for newly funded companies, and it has grown rapidly by combining industry-experienced partners with a research team that maps talent across therapeutic areas.
Strengths:
- High volume of biotech leadership placements
- Strong venture investor relationships
- Covers scientific, clinical, and commercial leadership
Limitations:
- Executive-level focus
- Fast growth has stretched partner attention on some searches
2. Slone Partners
Type: Life sciences, diagnostics, and healthcare executive search Headquarters: Boston, MA Best for: Diagnostics, precision medicine, and life sciences tools companies hiring executives and board members
Slone Partners has focused on executive search for life sciences, diagnostics, precision medicine, and healthcare companies since 2000, placing CEOs, chief commercial officers, chief medical officers, and board directors. It is particularly known in diagnostics, genomics, and life sciences tools, where it has placed leaders at many of the sector's best-known companies, and it also runs a board practice that helps companies add scientific and commercial directors.
Strengths:
- Deep diagnostics, genomics, and tools network
- Board and CEO search experience
- Long client relationships in precision medicine
Limitations:
- Smaller than Klein Hersh
- Less therapeutics clinical development depth
3. Coulter Partners
Type: Global life sciences executive search Headquarters: London, UK Best for: Biotech, pharma, and medtech companies hiring executives and board members across the US and Europe
Coulter Partners is a global executive search firm dedicated to life sciences, with offices in London, Boston, New York, San Francisco, Zurich, and other hubs. It recruits CEOs, chief scientific and medical officers, and functional leaders for biotech, pharma, medtech, diagnostics, and life sciences investors, and it is frequently retained for transatlantic searches where a European biotech needs a US commercial leader or an American company needs European clinical expertise. It also runs a board and investor practice.
Strengths:
- Transatlantic coverage across all life sciences segments
- Board and investor practice
- Partners with scientific and industry backgrounds
Limitations:
- Executive-level only
- Premium retained fees
4. True Search
Type: Executive search platform with a life sciences practice (formerly Hobbs & Towne) Headquarters: Haverford, PA Best for: Pharma, biotech, and medtech companies hiring commercial, medical, and operational executives
True Search's life sciences practice, built on the Hobbs & Towne firm it acquired after decades of independent life sciences search, places commercial, medical affairs, clinical, regulatory, and operational executives at pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and healthcare services companies. It is known for commercial leadership searches around product launches and for working with private-equity-backed healthcare and life sciences services companies, and its partners have long tenures in the sector.
Strengths:
- Strong commercial and launch leadership searches
- Private equity healthcare and life sciences relationships
- Experienced long-tenured partners
Limitations:
- Less early-stage biotech coverage than Klein Hersh
- Smaller team
5. Meet Lifesciences
Type: Life sciences recruiting for mid-to-senior roles Headquarters: London, UK Best for: Biotech, pharma, and medtech companies hiring clinical, regulatory, quality, medical affairs, and commercial professionals
Meet Lifesciences is a specialist life sciences recruiting firm with US offices in New York, Raleigh, San Diego, and San Francisco alongside its London and European operations. It places clinical operations, regulatory affairs, quality, medical affairs, biometrics, and commercial professionals from manager to vice president on permanent and contract terms, and its consultants are organized by function so that each understands the career paths and regulations of their area. It fills the gap between staffing agencies and executive search.
Strengths:
- Strong mid-to-senior functional coverage
- US offices in key life sciences hubs
- Permanent and contract options
Limitations:
- Less C-suite search depth
- Less bench scientist staffing than Kelly or Actalent
6. Barrington James
Type: Life sciences recruiting and staffing Headquarters: Crawley, UK Best for: Pharma, biotech, and CRO companies hiring clinical research, medical, regulatory, and commercial staff on permanent or contract terms
Barrington James recruits across the life sciences from offices in the UK, US, Europe, and Asia, with a US base in Raleigh, placing clinical research, medical affairs, regulatory, pharmacovigilance, biostatistics, and commercial professionals for pharma, biotech, and contract research organizations. It offers permanent, contract, and interim recruiting and has grown a strong practice in clinical trial roles where CROs and sponsors compete for the same experienced staff.
Strengths:
- Strong clinical research and CRO network
- Global offices for multinational trials
- Permanent, contract, and interim options
Limitations:
- Smaller US footprint than Meet
- Less executive search capability
7. Kelly Science and Clinical
Type: Scientific and clinical staffing division of Kelly Headquarters: Troy, MI Best for: Pharma, biotech, and diagnostics companies hiring bench scientists, lab technicians, and clinical research staff at volume
Kelly Science and Clinical is one of the largest providers of scientific and clinical staffing in the US, supplying bench scientists, laboratory technicians, quality control analysts, clinical research associates, and regulatory and quality professionals to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, diagnostics, and consumer health companies. It handles large managed staffing programs at major pharma sites and offers permanent placement alongside contract staffing. Its scale and compliance infrastructure suit regulated manufacturing and laboratory environments.
Strengths:
- Largest scientific staffing footprint in the US
- Managed programs at major pharma sites
- Lab, quality, and clinical research coverage
Limitations:
- Volume model less suited to niche senior roles
- Branch quality varies
8. Actalent
Type: Engineering and sciences staffing and services (part of Allegis Group) Headquarters: Hanover, MD Best for: Life sciences manufacturers and labs hiring scientists, engineers, and quality staff on contract or through managed teams
Actalent is the engineering and sciences arm of Allegis Group and one of the largest providers of scientific and clinical staff in North America, supplying chemists, biologists, laboratory technicians, validation and process engineers, and quality and regulatory professionals to pharma, biotech, medical device, and food science companies. It can deliver managed laboratory and engineering teams as well as individual contractors, and its 150-plus offices give it reach into every life sciences cluster.
Strengths:
- Very large scientific and engineering talent pool
- Contract, direct-hire, and managed team options
- Strong manufacturing, validation, and quality coverage
Limitations:
- Generalist sciences firm rather than life sciences-only
- Less clinical development and executive depth
9. Planet Pharma
Type: Pharmaceutical and life sciences staffing Headquarters: Northbrook, IL Best for: Pharma, biotech, and CRO companies hiring clinical, regulatory, quality, and scientific contractors
Planet Pharma, part of the Planet Group, provides contract and permanent staffing to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and contract research organizations, placing clinical research associates, clinical project managers, regulatory and quality specialists, biostatisticians, and scientists. It operates in the US, UK, and Europe and is known for responsive service on urgent clinical and quality contract needs, where trial timelines leave no room for slow fills.
Strengths:
- Strong clinical and quality contract staffing
- US and European coverage
- Responsive on urgent trial and quality needs
Limitations:
- Less executive search capability
- Mid-size firm with less scale than Kelly or Actalent
10. Randstad Life Sciences
Type: Life sciences staffing division of Randstad Headquarters: Atlanta, GA Best for: Pharma and biotech companies that want scientific and clinical staffing within a global workforce partner
Randstad Life Sciences is the specialist life sciences division of Randstad, the world's largest staffing company, and it supplies scientists, clinical research staff, quality and regulatory professionals, and manufacturing technicians to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies across the US. It offers contract, contract-to-hire, and permanent placements and can integrate with Randstad's managed services and RPO offerings for large sites. It is a strong fit for companies that already use Randstad for other workforce needs.
Strengths:
- Global staffing scale and compliance
- Integration with managed services and RPO
- Broad scientific and clinical coverage
Limitations:
- Division of a generalist staffing company
- Less specialist depth than life sciences-only firms
Executive search, specialist recruiting, or scientific staffing?
Life sciences hiring stacks three distinct markets. Executive search firms such as Klein Hersh, Slone, Coulter, and True Search fill C-suite, board, and vice president roles on retained terms at 30-35% of first-year compensation, often funded by investors at company formation. Specialist recruiters such as Meet and Barrington James fill the manager-to-director roles in clinical, regulatory, quality, and commercial functions at 20-25% contingency fees, which is where most biotech hiring budgets go. Scientific staffing from Kelly, Actalent, Planet Pharma, and Randstad supplies bench, lab, and clinical research contractors at hourly markups, which lets companies flex headcount with program milestones and funding.
Biotech and pharma companies in growth mode hire continuously across all three tiers, and agency spend can reach seven figures a year at a mid-size company. Our cost-per-hire benchmarks and AI agent versus recruiting agency comparison show where an internal sourcing capability pays for itself.
How Noon fits alongside life sciences recruiters
Experienced clinical, regulatory, CMC, and scientific professionals are employed, well paid, and not browsing job boards, which is why specialist recruiters earn their fees. Noon runs autonomous sourcing agents that continuously find and screen candidates across the open web against your actual hiring bar, evaluating therapeutic area experience, program history, and the caliber of companies they have worked for, then run personalized email and SMS outreach so your talent team spends time only with interested, qualified people. It is one flat plan with unlimited roles and seats (see pricing). Biotech and pharma teams use it as the always-on channel for scientific and functional roles while retaining a search firm for executive appointments; our candidate sourcing guide covers the setup.
FAQ
What does a life sciences recruiting firm do? A life sciences recruiting firm identifies, screens, and places scientists, clinical and regulatory professionals, commercial leaders, and executives at biotechnology, pharmaceutical, diagnostics, and medical device companies. Specialist firms understand drug development stages, regulatory requirements, and therapeutic areas well enough to assess candidates technically.
How much do biotech recruiters charge? Contingency fees for manager-to-director roles typically run 20-25% of first-year base salary. Retained executive searches for C-suite and board roles cost 30-35% of first-year compensation. Scientific and clinical contract staffing is billed hourly with a markup of roughly 35-60% on the contractor's pay.
Which firm is best for a chief medical officer search? Klein Hersh, Coulter Partners, and True Search all regularly place chief medical officers at biotech and pharma companies. Slone Partners is a strong choice for diagnostics and precision medicine companies.
Which firms supply contract scientists and clinical research associates? Kelly Science and Clinical, Actalent, Planet Pharma, and Randstad Life Sciences supply bench scientists, lab technicians, quality analysts, and clinical research associates on contract. Meet and Barrington James also offer contract recruiting for clinical and regulatory roles.
How long does a biotech executive search take? Retained searches for C-suite roles typically take four to six months, including talent mapping, candidate assessment, board interviews, and references. Manager and director roles through a specialist recruiter usually fill in six to twelve weeks.
