Smooth Generational Transition: Head of R&D Position Successfully Filled

A challenging succession project has been successfully completed with the help of our Executive Search Team: Kontrast Personalberatung GmbH has filled the position of Head of Research & Development for an innovative, medium-sized medical technology company in northern Germany. The contracts have been signed—the generational transition is secured.

The search called for an exceptionally demanding profile: neither a traditional research director nor an executive from the device-heavy medical technology sector. What was required was experience in the product development of medical devices with a pharmaceutical and biotechnological focus —with the goal of leading innovative surgical solutions from development through regulatory approval and CE marking.

A short list—high quality

The candidate pool was correspondingly limited. Many R&D professionals in medical technology come from the fields of device, apparatus, or instrument engineering. For our client, however, we needed individuals who combine expertise in biotechnology, pharmaceutical product development, medical technology, and management.

Our team of recruitment consultants therefore relied on extensive target candidate identification, qualified direct outreach, and rigorous pre-screening.

The result was not a long shortlist—but rather a small, highly qualified selection of suitable executives.

Top-Notch Teamwork Through to Contract Signing

Special thanks go to our client’s entrepreneurs. They were closely involved in the selection process, personally promoted the company, the role, and the future prospects, and played a decisive role in securing the ideal candidate for the position.

It is precisely this collaboration that makes challenging succession planning successful: We identify and recruit the right candidates—and the entrepreneurs convince them of the role, the prospects, and a shared future.

Thank you to both teams for their professional, committed, and goal-oriented collaboration.

30 Years of Experience Make the Difference

For this assignment, we were able to draw on our many years of recruiting experience as headhunters in medical technology, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology . Especially for highly specialized leadership positions, it is not just the job title that matters, but also an understanding of products, technologies, regulatory frameworks, and the actual requirements of the company’s next phase.