ONCOLOGY EXECUTIVE SEARCH
The Leaders Who Will Cure Cancer Why Oncology Requires Specialized Recruiters You can't place a VP Medical Affairs for an ADC biotech if you don't understand bystander killing, linker chemistry, and DAR optimization. You can't recruit a CMO for a CAR-T company if you don't know the difference between autologous vs. allogeneic manufacturing challenges. Generic pharma recruiters send you LinkedIn profiles. We deliver executives who've done it before.
Our Oncology Network
Our Oncology Network 500+ Big Pharma Oncology Executives from: Roche / Genentech Oncology Novartis Oncology AstraZeneca Oncology Bristol Myers Squibb Takeda Oncology Pfizer, Merck, Amgen, Biogen Not general pharma. Oncology divisions specifically.
How We're Different
VP Business Development
Pharma partnership experience ($500M+ deal values)
Licensing expertise (in-licensing oncology assets)
Strategic alliance management
Oncology-specific deal structuring (milestone payments, royalties, co-development)
Chief Medical Officer (CMO)
Successful BLA/MAA submissions in oncology
Phase I-III oncology trial design
FDA/EMA accelerated approval experience
Investor relations and board-level communication
Regulatory strategy for novel mechanisms
VP Medical Affairs
Global KOL network development in oncology
Evidence generation strategy (RWE, publications, medical education)
Launch planning and execution
MSL team leadership
Advisory board management
VP Clinical Development
Phase I-III oncology trial execution
CRO oversight and vendor management
Biomarker-driven trial design
FDA interactions and regulatory submissions
Patient recruitment strategies in oncology
Therapeutic Expertise
Strategic Oncology Talent Acquisition
Checkpoint inhibitors (PD-1/PD-L1, CTLA-4, LAG-3, TIM-3)
Bispecific antibodies and T-cell engagers
CAR-T, TCR, and TIL cell therapies
Novel IO mechanisms (STING agonists, innate immunity)
IO combination therapy development
Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADC):
Next-generation payloads (topoisomerase inhibitors, tubulin inhibitors)
Novel linker technology (cleavable vs. non-cleavable)
Site-specific conjugation and DAR optimization
ADC-specific CMC and manufacturing challenges
Regulatory considerations for ADCs
AI-Driven Drug Discovery:
Machine learning for target identification
Deep learning for protein structure prediction
AI-powered patient stratification
Computational biology and drug design
Predictive biomarker discovery
Precision Oncology:
Biomarker-driven development
Companion diagnostics
Tumor-agnostic approvals
Basket and umbrella trial design
Questions Oncology Biotech CEOs Ask Us
Our ADC has a novel cleavable linker and a next-gen topoisomerase payload. Should we hire a VP Medical Affairs who's an "ADC expert" or someone who deeply understands our specific payload class?
Here's the trap: Most "ADC experts" come from Kadcyla or Enhertu programs—both use different linker chemistry and payloads than yours. If your competitive edge is a novel topoisomerase payload with unique tumor penetration, you need a VP Medical Affairs who understands:
Payload-specific toxicity profiles (topoisomerase vs. tubulin vs. calicheamicin—completely different safety signals)
How linker cleavability affects bystander killing (critical for solid tumors with heterogeneous antigen expression)
DAR optimization (drug-antibody ratio impacts both efficacy and manufacturing—does your candidate understand the trade-offs?)
We've seen biotechs hire "ADC leaders" from programs with non-cleavable linkers who don't understand why your cleavable linker strategy matters for immunogenic tumors. Then they design KOL engagement strategies that miss your differentiation entirely.
Our approach: We screen for executives who've worked on ADCs with similar payload mechanisms (e.g., topoisomerase inhibitor experience from Daiichi Sankyo programs) AND understand linker chemistry trade-offs—not just generic "I worked on an ADC."
The right VP Medical Affairs should be able to explain why your payload + linker combination solves a problem Enhertu doesn't. If they can't articulate that in the first interview, they're not the right hire.
We're developing an IO combination (PD-1 + LAG-3). Every VP Clinical Development we interview says "I've run IO trials." How do we assess if they actually understand combination therapy regulatory strategy vs. single-agent IO?
Single-agent IO trials (Keytruda, Opdivo) are straightforward: dose escalation, single-agent safety, single-agent efficacy, done. IO combinations are a regulatory minefield.
Ask candidates: "Walk me through how you'd design the Phase 1b for our PD-1 + LAG-3 combo. What's your dose escalation strategy when you have two agents? How do you attribute toxicity? What endpoints convince FDA you have synergy vs. just additive benefit?"
Red flags (they don't understand IO combos):
"We'd do standard 3+3 dose escalation" (for which drug? both simultaneously? sequential?)
"We'd show better ORR than monotherapy" (FDA wants PFS/OS, not just response rate)
Can't explain how to de-risk single-agent toxicity before combining
Green flags (they've actually done this):
"We'd establish monotherapy safety profiles first, then use a lead-in design to dose the combo"
"We'd need a biomarker strategy to show mechanistic synergy—LAG-3 blockade evidence on tumor biopsies"
"FDA will want to see benefit in PD-1 resistant patients, not just PD-1 naive—that's our regulatory value story"
The brutal truth: 90% of "IO experts" ran trials for approved single-agent checkpoint inhibitors (easy). Only 5-10% have designed successful IO combination trials that got past FDA's "show me why this isn't just two drugs with overlapping mechanisms" objection.
We find the 5-10%. We ask them to explain their IO combination regulatory strategy in the screening call. If they can't articulate it in 3 minutes, they don't make your shortlist.
Typical Engagement
Discovery Call - Understand your pipeline, funding stage, and hiring urgency
Market Intelligence - Competitive landscape, compensation benchmarks, talent availability
Targeted Outreach - Direct approach to 15-20 highly qualified candidates
Shortlist Delivery - 3-5 vetted candidates within 2-3 weeks
Interview Coordination - Manage process through offer acceptance
Onboarding Support - Ensure successful transition
Elevate Your Oncology Talent
With SSB Search, discover expert guidance to connect with top talent or advance your career in oncology. Benefit from deep market insights and a strategic advisory approach.