Role: Operations Director

Industry: Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing (Animal Health / Sterile Injectables)

Location: China

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Discovery

A biopharmaceutical organisation in China required an Operations Director to lead production, engineering, quality, and EHS. The role was critical to supporting operations within a highly regulated sterile injectables environment.

The assignment had been previously unsuccessful through other search providers, highlighting challenges in role positioning, talent availability, and candidate engagement.

Key challenges included:

• Misalignment between role title and scope, combined with the need for multi-disciplinary expertise across operations, compliance, and technical functions, resulting in a highly constrained talent pool

• Evolving industry demands, with technical operations shifting towards digitally enabled, cross-functional leadership

• Budget constraints relative to the experience required

Reach

Through our partnership with IIC Partners, a top ten global executive search group, we enabled access to an international talent pool alongside local market insight, delivered on the ground by our China-based partner.

A targeted, intelligence-driven search was executed to address role ambiguity and expand access to relevant talent pools. Market feedback was shared with local and global leadership, clarifying the gap between perceived and actual role positioning.

The search was broadened across seniority levels to enable benchmarking and alignment. Geographic scope expanded to Hong Kong and Taiwan, unlocking access to Chinese-speaking professionals with international experience.

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Assessment

Candidates were assessed against technical, operational, and leadership requirements, including experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing operations and the ability to operate in data-driven, cross-functional environments.

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Impact

The assignment resulted in the appointment of an Operations Director, with a Taiwanese candidate securing the role through a targeted international search.

By combining international reach with local market insight, the expanded geographic strategy and refined role positioning enabled access to a broader, more relevant talent pool, overcoming initial constraints.

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​Get In Touch

To discuss how we can support your Executive Search and Contract & Interim requirements contact:

Ciarán McCaughey– Managing Director – Executive Search | ciaran.mccaughey@hrmrecruit.com | +35383 1420673

Shane Browne– Managing Director – International Operations | shane.browne@hrmrecruit.com | +353 1 6321865

Arlene Moran– Managing Director – Contract & Interim | arlene.moran@hrmrecruit.com | +353 86 3656648