For more information on our CDMO & CRO services, get in touch with

Robert Hambidge

Director

Hundreds of 'Excellent' reviews

CDMO & CRO Executive Search

Helping CDMO & CRO companies unlock their next stage of growth

Specialisms We Cover

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients ADC ADME Antibodies API Bioanalytical Bioassay Biologics Blending Capsules Cell and Gene Cell Culture Cell Line Development Cell Therapy Clinical Clinical Supply CMO Commercial Manufacturing Contract Development Contract Manufacturing Contract Research Deblistering Discovery DMPK Dosage Forms Drug Product Drug Substance Early Phase Encapsulation Fill/Finish Gene Therapy Injectables Laboratory Services Large Molecule Late Phase Lyophilisation Mass Spectroscopy Organic Chemistry Peptides Preclinical Small Molecule Solid Oral Solid State Sterile Syringes Vaccines Vials Viral Vector

The global CDMO and CRO market is valued at over USD 200 billion, with sustained growth driven by pharmaceutical and biotech outsourcing, increasing pipeline complexity, regulatory intensity, and the need for speed, flexibility, and specialist expertise.

CDMOs and CROs sit at the centre of pharmaceutical, biotech, and life sciences innovation, enabling organisations to accelerate development, scale manufacturing, and navigate increasingly complex regulatory environments. As drug modalities diversify and development timelines compress, the sector faces rising demand for specialised capabilities across discovery, development, clinical research, and commercial-scale manufacturing. Innovation in advanced therapies, digital trials, and flexible manufacturing models continues to reshape the landscape.

Our commitment to the CDMO and CRO market sets us apart from traditional executive search firms. We partner with organisations across the life sciences ecosystem to secure highly specialised scientific, technical, and commercial talent. By aligning expertise with programme objectives and regulatory requirements, we help our clients accelerate development, scale with confidence, and build the leadership and specialist capability required to bring life-changing therapies to market.

CDMO and CRO hiring sits at the intersection of science, service, and execution.

These organizations support critical development and manufacturing programs, where delays, quality issues, or resource gaps can have far-reaching consequences. As pipelines grow and outsourcing models expand, teams must combine technical expertise with strong project delivery and client-facing capability.

Effective recruitment in CDMO and CRO environments requires an understanding of regulated operations and service-driven business models. Working with specialists who know how these organizations function enables faster, more accurate hiring decisions that protect delivery and long-term client relationships.

Case Study

Building out a strategic senior leadership teams to expedite global presence

Our clients were an already well established and respected CDMO due to their capabilities and the quality of service. Their struggle was breaking through into a previously neglected geographical territory and finding the right candidates to do so without losing them to alternate offers. Through Irving Knight’s exceptional candidate relationships, we were able to build out the strategic commercial team, resulting in exponential territory growth this year.

Case Study

Building out a strategic senior leadership teams to expedite global presence

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Learn more about our services, approach and the sectors we operate in.

Did you know?

Hiring the wrong candidate costs more than just time—it can waste salary, training resources, and opportunities. The Department of Labour estimates a bad hire can cost up to 30% of the role’s first-year earnings.

We hire right

Organisations are often reluctant to use external recruiters due the percieved cost. Think about it like this - what financial benefit could a top candidate bring to your business unit? You could make a 100x return on your investment.

97% Placement Rate 1
1.78:1 CVs Sent to Interviews 2
Avg. 32 Day Engagement to Placement 3

1. Based on all roles engaged on by a client on an exclusive basis from Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

2. All CVs Sent from Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

3. From Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

Stats

387 active opportunities

1,908 placements made across 25 sectors

262,736 companies in our CRM

"At Irving Knight, we don't just fill positions; we build lasting partnerships. Our commitment to understanding your unique needs ensures that we deliver leaders who drive success and embody your company's values. When it comes to identifying the high-performers of tomorrow, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Our bespoke approach ensures every search is personal, diverse, and tailored from the ground up — delivering an individual, unrivalled experience for both clients and candidates. "

- Joe Davey, Group CEO of Irving Knight Group

Jon Steele

CFO, US

Grace taught an old dog some new tricks! I had been in my previous position for 30 years. I loved my job for most of...

Grace Smith

Electronic Components & Products

Jamie Mickey

HR - USA

We’ve had a great experience working with Garin at Irving Knight. He consistently brings forward strong, well-qualifi...

Garin Lloyd

Flow Control

Moacyr Pedro

Senior Manager - Brazil

First contact I received from Henry Sears was 6 month ago and since the very beginning he seems to be a very trustful...

Henry Sears

Logistics and Supply Chain

Ricardo Jesus

Commercial Manager - USA

Working with Garin was the best experience. He helped me a lot to find this position . Highly recommended

Garin Lloyd

Flow Control

Matt Engelbrecht

VP Industrial Ops, US

Working with Lily was a phenomenal experience. She was fully transparent, professional, and provided timely communica...

Lily Newton

Animal Health

Michel Cas

Sales Manager, France

Incredibly human oriented executive search, candidates handled with great care and respect, precise and concise infor...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Kaitlin Lammers

Account Manager

Oliver made the hiring process smooth from start to finish. He was consistently responsive, understanding, and suppor...

Oliver Kiddy

Flavors & Fragrances

Jeff Borchardt

Director of Planning, US

Mr. Clay was a wonderful recruiter. He was communicative and helped keep me informed through the process. He also fou...

Christopher Clay

Real Estate & Homebuilding

Keith Parvin

Automation Division Director

I found Joseph to be extremely professional in every way when going through a recent recruitment process, always doin...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Valeria Pozzi

Procurement Category Manager, Italy

Working with Oliver has been a real pleasure!His highly professionalism and transparency made me comfortable to consi...

Oliver Kiddy

Flavors & Fragrances

Georg Springl

Head TrenoLux - Austria

We had a great experience working with Grace Smith to recruit a Sales Account Manager for the French market. The enti...

Grace Smith

Electronic Components & Products

Joerg Schlagmann

Senior Global Manager

Great expert: supportive, challenging and always empowered for his customers and his work! Not more to say: just exce...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Sandeep Kulshrestha

Formulation Director, US

Oliver is very good in matching skills of the candidates with the company’s requirements. I personally got benefits o...

Oliver Kiddy

Flavors & Fragrances

Keith P

Director - USA

The attention to detail and follow up were amazing. The truly distinguishing part was the complete transparency &hone...

Lily Newton

Animal Health

Andreia Sa

Director, Italy

I would like to sincerely thank Evan Ball for all the support throughout the process. He provided assistance at diffe...

Ewan Ball

Food Ingredients & Biotechnology

Daniel Gustafsson

Sales Enginerr - Sweden

Grace has been an exceptional professional throughout the entire recruitment process, from our very first conversatio...

Grace Smith

Electronic Components & Products

Dipen Shah

Account Manager, Canada

I was assisted by Aiden Kerr on getting a new job in the chemical industry. He was fantastic in terms of timing, comm...

Aidan Kerr

Chemicals

Carlos Chavez

Director - USA

Truly enjoyed working with Christopher Clay with Irving Knight Group. He made the process enjoyable and more than any...

Christopher Clay

Real Estate & Homebuilding

Julian Arroyo David

Engineer - USA

Sam went above and beyond throughout the entire process. He did not just help find the right fit, he was genuinely he...

Samuel Frisby

CASE, Paper, and Water Treatment

Rania Metwall

Head of Sales, France

Would highly recommend working with Luca Dowdell. He helped me find the perfect job. Very professional, friendly and ...

Luca Dowdell

Lubricants, Oil & Gas