Director Talent Acquisition - US

Life Sciences WA; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Novotech is seeking a Director of Talent Acquisition to lead a multinational recruitment organization across the United States and Europe, shaping strategies for clinical operations, medical, biometrics, regulatory, and commercial roles.

You will partner with senior leaders to align workforce planning, build a high-performing TA team, and drive process improvements across regions. A minimum 10 years TA experience and full US work rights are required; sponsorship is not available.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Life Sciences, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of Talent Acquisition experience, including at least 5 years in a recruitment leadership role.
• Strong experience recruiting within CROs, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or life sciences organizations.
• Proven success recruiting clinical research professionals throughout the US and Europe.
• Experience leading regional or international Talent Acquisition teams.
• Demonstrated expertise in hiring for clinical development and clinical operations functions.
• Strong executive stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience utilizing recruitment analytics and workforce planning data.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and relationship management capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Talent Acquisition function across the United States and Europe.
• Develop and execute recruitment strategies aligned with regional and global business growth objectives.
• Build, lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of Talent Acquisition professionals.
• Foster a culture of accountability, customer focus, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with executive leaders to understand business priorities and workforce planning requirements.
• Oversee end-to-end recruitment delivery across all functional areas.
• Ensure recruitment processes are efficient, scalable, compliant, and aligned across regions.
• Drive improvements in hiring quality, speed-to-hire, candidate experience, and hiring manager satisfaction.
• Manage recruitment workload, resource planning, and prioritization of critical hiring initiatives.
• Establish service level expectations and ensure consistent delivery across recruitment teams.
• Lead recruitment strategies and hiring activities across Clinical Operations, Medical, Biometrics, Regulatory, Commercial, and Corporate functions.

Skills

Executive leadership

Stakeholder management

Global recruiting

Clinical research recruiting

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR / Life Sciences

Job description

As a leading global Biotechnology Contract Research Organization (CRO), we are seeking an experienced Director, Talent Acquisition to lead and oversee all recruitment operations across the United States and Europe.

This role will be responsible for developing and executing talent acquisition strategies that support the growth of our clinical research business, ensuring the timely hiring of high-quality talent across Clinical Operations, Medical, Biometrics, Regulatory, Commercial, and Corporate functions.

The successful candidate will bring deep expertise in recruiting within the CRO, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or clinical research sectors, along with proven experience leading geographically dispersed recruitment teams across multiple countries. This individual will act as a strategic business partner to senior leaders while driving operational excellence and delivering exceptional hiring outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Talent Acquisition function across the United States and Europe.
• Develop and execute recruitment strategies aligned with regional and global business growth objectives.
• Build, lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of Talent Acquisition professionals.
• Foster a culture of accountability, customer focus, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with executive leaders to understand business priorities and workforce planning requirements.

Recruitment Operations

• Oversee end-to-end recruitment delivery across all functional areas.
• Ensure recruitment processes are efficient, scalable, compliant, and aligned across regions.
• Drive improvements in hiring quality, speed-to-hire, candidate experience, and hiring manager satisfaction.
• Manage recruitment workload, resource planning, and prioritization of critical hiring initiatives.
• Establish service level expectations and ensure consistent delivery across recruitment teams.

Clinical Research Talent Acquisition

Lead recruitment strategies and hiring activities across key CRO functions, including:

• Clinical Operations
• Medical & Scientific Affairs
• Biometrics
• Regulatory Affairs & Pharmacovigilance
• Business Development & Commercial
• Corporate Functions

Strategic Workforce Planning

• Partner with business leaders to anticipate future hiring needs and build proactive talent pipelines.
• Conduct market mapping and competitor intelligence activities across major CROs, pharmaceutical, and biotech organizations.
• Provide insights on talent availability, compensation trends, and hiring challenges within clinical research markets.
• Develop innovative sourcing strategies for hard-to-fill and revenue-generating positions.

Stakeholder Management

• Act as a trusted advisor to senior business leaders across the US and Europe.
• Conduct regular hiring reviews and provide updates on recruitment performance and market conditions.
• Influence hiring decisions through talent intelligence and recruitment expertise.
• Support executive and confidential searches for key leadership positions.

Employer Branding & Talent Attraction

• Strengthen the organization's employer brand within the global clinical research industry.
• Partner with HR and Marketing teams to enhance talent attraction initiatives.
• Promote employee referral programs and strategic sourcing campaigns.
• Represent the organization at industry events, conferences, and networking forums.

Vendor and Search Firm Management

• Manage relationships with executive search firms and recruitment agencies.
• Negotiate contracts and monitor vendor performance.
• Optimize agency utilization while ensuring access to specialized talent pools.
• Control recruitment expenditure and maximize return on investment.

Talent Acquisition Metrics & Analytics

Monitor and report on key recruitment metrics including:

• Quality-of-Hire
• Time-to-Fill
• Offer Acceptance Rate
• Candidate Experience
• Diversity Hiring Outcomes
• Agency Spend

Utilize analytics and market intelligence to drive continuous improvement and inform workforce decisions.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Life Sciences, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of Talent Acquisition experience, including at least 5 years in a recruitment leadership role.
• Strong experience recruiting within:
  • Contract Research Organizations (CROs)
  • Biotechnology companies
  • Pharmaceutical organizations
  • Life Sciences companies
• Proven success recruiting clinical research professionals throughout the US and Europe.
• Experience leading regional or international Talent Acquisition teams.
• Demonstrated expertise in hiring for clinical development and clinical operations functions.
• Strong executive stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience utilizing recruitment analytics and workforce planning data.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and relationship management capabilities.

Preferred

• Experience working within a global CRO environment.
• Knowledge of drug development and clinical trial processes across Phase I-IV studies.
• Executive search and leadership hiring experience.
• Experience supporting rapid organizational growth and international expansion.
• Professional certifications such as SHRM, SPHR, AIRS, or equivalent.

Salary Range: $140K to $180K. The final offer will be determined based on the candidate's skills, experience, and overall alignment with the role requirements.

Novotech is proud to offer a great workplace. We are committed to being an employer of choice for gender equality and providing an inclusive work environment where everyone is treated fairly and with respect.

Our team members are passionate about what we do, but we understand work is only of the things that is important to them. We support our team members with flexible working options, paid parental leave for both parents, flexible leave entitlements, wellness programs and ongoing development programs.

We are looking for people who are passionate about working clinical research and biotech, including people who identify as LGBTIQ+, have a disability or have caring responsibilities.

We are a Circle Back Initiative Employer and commit to respond to every application. We look forward to contacting you regarding your application.

You must have full unrestricted working rights in USA to be considered for this role. We unfortunately cannot provide sponsorship for this role.

About Us

Novotech is a global full-service clinical Contract Research Organization (CRO).

At Novotech, ambition meets opportunity. As a globally recognized leader in clinical research and scientific advisory services, we are proud to combine our position at the forefront of the industry with an award-winning workplace culture that values ambition, innovation, and growth. Named Employer of Choice, Great Place to Work and Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE), we are committed to fostering an environment that reflects the life-changing work we do.

Since 1997, we have expanded our global footprint, now with 30+ offices across Asia-Pacific, the United States, and Europe. This growing network unites professionals from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to advance therapies that improve patient outcomes worldwide.

At Novotech, our employees are at the heart of our success. By offering trust, flexibility, and autonomy through programs like NovoLife, our flexible benefits framework, we empower team members to create an effective work-life balance that delivers professional satisfaction and maximum results for clients.

With access to mentorship opportunities, professional development programs, and a dynamic community, Novotech offers a platform for driven individuals to achieve personal growth while shaping the future of healthcare. Join us to be a part of a team that values your contributions and supports your ambition to make a global impact.