Permanent Recruitment Manager - Hays Life Sciences
| Posting date: | 26 February 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £31,400 to £41,400 per year |
| Additional salary information: | Uncapped personal and team commission |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 28 March 2026 |
| Location: | City of London, London, EC2V 6DN |
| Company: | Hays Specialist Recruitment |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 37452_1772124701 |
Summary
Managing Consultant- QA/RA/MA Life Sciences
Location: London Cheapside
Specialism: Leadership of the Permanent Recruitment Team across Quality Assurance (QA), Regulatory Affairs (RA) and Medical Affairs (MA) within the UK Life Sciences sector
About Hays Life Sciences
Hays Life Sciences specialises in placing highly skilled professionals across the discovery, development, regulation, and commercialisation of medicines and healthcare products. We partner with Pharmaceutical, Biotech, CRO, MedTech and CDMO organisations-from high‑growth start‑ups to global leaders.
London remains the UK's most competitive and rapidly expanding Life Sciences hub, with scientific vacancies increasing by 29% and representing almost a third of all UK roles. Within this environment, demand for QA, RA and Medical Affairs talent continues to intensify, driven by regulatory evolution, MHRA reform, AI‑driven technology adoption, and increasing complexity across manufacturing and product lifecycle management.
This creates an exceptional opportunity to lead our Permanent Recruitment team from the heart of our flagship Cheapside office.
The Role
We are seeking a driven individual to lead our Permanent Recruitment offering across:
- Quality Assurance (GMP, GDP, GCP, QMS, Validation, Supplier Quality, QP support)
- Regulatory Affairs (Reg Ops, CMC, Submissions, Post‑Market, Strategy)
- Medical Affairs (Medical Advisors, MSLs, Scientific Advisors, Medical Compliance, Medical Information, Governance)
In this role, you will provide strategic leadership, operational excellence, and specialist subject‑matter credibility across the permanent recruitment desk. You will shape our go‑to‑market approach, elevate our presence in the London Life Sciences sector, and drive the growth of a high‑performing permanent team.
Key Responsibilities
As the Permanent Recruitment Lead, you will:
Team & Market Leadership
- Lead, mentor, and develop consultants within the permanent team, driving performance, capability building and delivery excellence.
- Champion best practice and support the development of a consistent, scalable recruitment methodology across the desk.
- Position yourself as a senior market specialist across the full QA/RA/MA spectrum, contributing to thought leadership and London‑focused market intelligence.
Client Engagement & Business Growth
- Develop and execute business‑development strategies to grow the permanent desk across Pharmaceutical, Biotech, CRO and MedTech clients.
- Strengthen long‑term client partnerships by delivering strategic talent solutions and market insights.
- Represent Hays Life Sciences London as a trusted industry voice on evolving MHRA standards, UK/EU regulatory divergence and AI‑enabled compliance expectations.
Candidate Strategy & Delivery
- Build and maintain deep, permanent‑talent pipelines in markets experiencing acute skills shortages.
- Source, interview, and shortlist high‑quality candidates across all levels of QA, RA and MA.
- Ensure a premium candidate experience and deliver a high‑quality recruitment process from end to end.
Commercial Accountability
- Own sales performance for the permanent desk, consistently achieving and exceeding KPIs and targets.
- Drive revenue growth, new client acquisition and repeat business across the UK Life Sciences landscape.
- Oversee key accounts and support consultants with complex negotiations, client management and closing placements.
What You Need to Succeed
- A track record of success in permanent recruitment, ideally within Life Sciences, or other complex, technical or regulated fields.
- Strong commercial acumen with the ability to drive team performance and build sustainable market share.
- A consultative, credible communication style with influence at senior and scientific leadership level.
- High standards of organisation, professionalism and ethical conduct.
- A proactive, curious mindset with a passion for emerging scientific, regulatory and medical trends.
What You'll Receive
- Uncapped commission and exceptional earning potential.
- A structured career progression pathway with clear milestones and salary advancement.
- Support from a long‑established team with Life Sciences expertise.
- Access to a global Hays network including partners in Switzerland, Germany, and the US.
- Industry‑leading training and cutting‑edge candidate search technology.
- International mobility opportunities, high‑performing incentives and rewards.
- Free and confidential employee mental health support.
Join Us
This is a unique opportunity to lead, shape and grow the permanent recruitment function within the UK's most dynamic Life Sciences hub. Your impact will be visible, strategic, and central to the continued success of our London operation.
Ready to lead our permanent recruitment team and elevate your recruitment career? Apply today.
At Hays, we share a passion for creating a culture where there are opportunities for our people to flourish and succeed, whatever your background. We know that diversity of perspective and an inclusive approach, which encourages those experiences and views to be heard, is great for business and therefore your career with us.