Medical communications is a specialist world. A publications lead and a medical education lead need different skills, and so do a scientific director and a client services director, even when the job titles look alike. A recruiter who understands those differences sends you a short list of people who genuinely fit. One who doesn't sends you a stack of CVs with “medical” somewhere in them.
This guide is for agency leaders, hiring managers and heads of talent acquisition choosing a recruitment partner. It covers what to look for, how to match the approach to the hire, what it costs, and the questions worth asking before you brief anyone.
Healthcare recruitment covers everything from nursing to pharmaceutical sales. MedComms is a small part of it, with its own roles, career paths and pay. A specialist knows the agencies, the networks and the people, and can tell you what the market pays for a role before you advertise it.
Ask which MedComms roles they fill most often, and whether they can talk credibly about the work itself: publications, medical education, market access, client services, creative and digital.
Different hires need different approaches. A good partner will tell you which one fits, rather than selling you the same thing every time.
We offer each of these: experienced hires, interim & freelance, entry-level hiring and embedded talent solutions.
The best senior people are rarely looking, and the best senior roles are rarely advertised. A good partner maps the whole market, approaches people discreetly, and presents a short, considered shortlist with a clear view of each person's motivations. Confidentiality matters on both sides, especially when you're replacing someone or building a team before it's announced.
Our experienced hires work runs every search like an executive search: built around the brief, mapped across the market, and confidential from first conversation to offer.
Multinational agencies rarely hire in one place. If your teams sit across the UK, Europe, the US or Asia-Pacific, one specialist partner who can recruit wherever the vacancy sits keeps your process, standards and candidate experience consistent, with one point of contact for every office. We support agencies with hubs around the world, including in Europe, the US and Asia-Pacific.
The best partners also improve the way you hire: clearer briefs, fair salary banding, structured interviews and a stronger employer brand. And if you'd like to bring more hiring in-house, a good partner will help you build that function rather than keep you reliant on agency fees.
Our talent acquisition consultancy does exactly that, from building TA teams and employer brands to salary banding, ATS implementation and training for TA teams and interviewers.
Most recruiters charge a fee when a placement is made, usually a percentage of the role's first-year salary. Senior searches are sometimes run on a retained basis, with a setup fee. Interim and freelance placements are usually priced into the day rate. If you hire every month, a subscription can work out better value: our embedded talent solutions combine a monthly fee with reduced placement fees and first refusal on every candidate.
Whatever the role, it helps to know what the market actually pays before you write the offer. That's why we launched the Big MedComms Salary & Careers Survey 2027, an independent, freely accessible salary benchmark for MedComms professionals worldwide.
If you're an experienced MedComms professional thinking about your next move, see our career support. If you're just starting out, MedComms.Jobs has self-service resources, live roles and careers events for new talent. Either way, reputable recruiters never charge candidates: the hiring company pays the fee.
If you're building a team or hiring across regions, we'd love to talk. Start a confidential conversation.
Let's start with a conversation. Confidential, and with no obligation.
