Not every gap is a permanent hire. A trial that just got funded needs monitoring capacity now. A CTM going on leave in three weeks leaves eleven sites without an owner. A permanent VP search that will honestly take three months still leaves a function without a head for three months.
Contract and interim placement covers that, and we run it with the same standard as permanent search: the person actually has to be able to do the job.
What we place on contract
- Interim leadership. Directors and VPs covering a function while the permanent search runs, or steadying a team after an unplanned departure.
- Senior CRAs and Clinical Trial Managers. Sponsor-side monitoring and study management, including startup and rescue work.
- Study and program specialists. Start-up leads, vendor and CRO oversight, TMF and inspection-readiness support.
- Quality and safety cover. GCP QA, audit preparation, and drug safety support during volume spikes.
- Data and biometrics. Clinical data management and biostatistics support on a project basis.
How it runs
Speed without lowering the bar
The reason contract placement can move fast is that the network already exists and the people in it have already been assessed. It is not fast because the screening is thinner. A contractor who cannot do the work costs you more than the empty seat did, because now someone on your team is supervising them.
Engagement structures
W-2 and 1099, short-term coverage through multi-year program support, and contract-to-hire where conversion is the likely outcome. Conversion terms are agreed up front rather than negotiated later.
Interim as a search strategy
On a senior role that has been vacant for months, putting an experienced interim in place is often the single best thing you can do for the permanent search. It stops the team from bleeding, it removes the desperation that leads to a compromise hire, and it frequently sharpens the spec, because after eight weeks of watching someone do the job you know what the job actually needs.
Contract work here is a delivery model, not a discount model. If what you need is the lowest hourly rate available, we are not the right firm and we will say so quickly.
Contract staffing questions
How quickly can a contractor start?
For common clinical profiles, days rather than weeks, because the network is already there. For a specialised interim leader it is closer to two weeks. We will tell you which one your need is on the first call.
W-2 or 1099?
Both, depending on the engagement and the worker. We handle the classification decision properly rather than defaulting to whichever is cheaper.
Can a contract convert to permanent?
Yes, and we structure for it when that is the likely outcome. Conversion terms are agreed at the start so nobody is renegotiating six months in with a person everyone already wants to keep.
Do you place interim leadership?
Yes. An interim Director or VP while the permanent search runs is often the right move on a role that has been vacant a long time, because it takes the pressure off the hiring decision. A team that is drowning will approve almost anyone, and that is how a bad hire happens.
Need someone in the seat sooner?
Tell us the coverage gap, the timeline, and whether it is likely to become permanent.
Let us look at the search
Tell us the role, the level, and how long it has been open. If it is one we can fill, you will know quickly. If it is not, you will hear that too.