Retained Executive Search: Delivering the Right Leaders for Your Organization
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The Higgins Group specializes in building leadership teams that transform life sciences organizations
Our retained search approach combines deep industry expertise, a rigorous candidate evaluation process, and an unwavering commitment to secure leaders who drive innovation and long-term value for your organization.
By the numbers
The extensive talent network we have built within our proprietary database
The number of client partnerships we’ve led
Physician searches completed across all functions and therapeutic areas
Almost all of our business comes from returning clients
Retained Vs. Contingent Recruitment
Before beginning a search for your next executive, understand the difference between contingent search and retained search recruitment models.
Contingent Search
A contingent search is pay-on-hire and often involves multiple firms submitting candidates at the same time. The model leads to recruiters prioritizing candidates who are “open to work,” and thus easy to reach, and presenting them to the client in the most positive light possible. Quality often yields to quantity, and organizational fit is under examined if it’s considered at all.
Retained Search with The Higgins Group
In a retained search, you engage a single firm to work exclusively on your behalf. That focused partnership with The Higgins Group allows for a deep understanding of your organization, rigorous market mapping, and careful candidate evaluation. Because we already know and are connected to senior life sciences talent, and are uniquely respected and trusted in that community, top leaders take our calls and share candid insight. The process is strategic, highly personalized, and confidential when needed - designed to secure the right long-term leader, not just the first available one.
Why The Higgins Group for Retained Search?
The most critical hires, from functional leaders to C-Suite executives, demand more than a quick placement. The Higgins Group Retained Search offers:
Dedicated Partnership
We act as an extension of your team, aligning from the start on strategy, culture, and long-term goals.
Exclusivity and Focus
A retained engagement means that your position receives full priority from our dedicated search team, with unmatched focus and commitment.
Access to Top Talent
We engage candidates not actively on the market, using our exclusive networks and research to reach leaders others cannot.
Quality Over Speed
Every candidate undergoes structured interviews, blind reference checks, and cultural alignment assessments to ensure a lasting fit.
THE higgins group advantage
Life Sciences
Only
Our entire focus is biotech and pharma, giving us unparalleled visibility into talent markets.
Commitment to Diversity
By designing our search process to be intentionally inclusive, we highlight leadership talent from many backgrounds and viewpoints – expanding the range of exceptional candidates available to our clients.
Trusted
Partner
Clients value our discretion, transparency, and relentless pursuit of excellence in every engagement.
Results That Last
Our success is measured not only by placements but by the enduring value our leaders bring to your organization. From early-stage biotech startups to global pharmaceutical companies, our retained searches have shaped leadership teams that deliver scientific breakthroughs, scale organizations, and create impact for patients worldwide.
