Recruits Lab places Directors and VPs of Regulatory Affairs at venture-backed biotech, pharma, medical device, and diagnostics companies. We screen for real FDA interaction history, filing experience, and inspection readiness. Average hire time: 14 days.
Regulatory Affairs leadership decides whether a program advances or stalls. A Director who has personally led an IND filing, navigated an FDA Type B meeting, and survived a pre-approval inspection is worth multiples of one with an impressive title and no direct experience. The pool is narrow, the bar is high, and timelines are unforgiving.
Recruits Lab is a Regulatory Affairs recruiting firm for biotech, pharma, cell & gene therapy, medical device, and diagnostics companies. We place Senior Managers, Associate Directors, Directors, Senior Directors, and VPs of Regulatory Affairs across small molecule, biologics, advanced therapies, and combination products.
We screen for the specific filing experience that matters: IND, IDE, NDA, BLA, 510(k), PMA, and post-approval supplements. Plus the soft signals that decide whether a regulatory leader survives a Phase 3 readout: agency relationship style, internal communication, and the ability to push back on R&D when needed.
Most candidates we place are not actively looking. They are mid-to-senior regulatory professionals at large pharma and well-funded biotech who would move for a more focused program, better equity, or a chance to own the regulatory function. We reach them with targeted outreach that respects their work.
Our subscription model fits launch-stage builds (regulatory plus medical affairs plus commercial). Our flat 20 percent contingency fits one-off senior hires. Every placement carries a 90-day replacement guarantee.
Why this market is hard to recruit for. And how we solve each one.
An IND specialist is not interchangeable with a BLA specialist. We map on actual filing history, not generic titles.
Small molecule, biologics, cell & gene, and combination products each have distinct regulatory paths. We screen on modality.
Strong regulatory leaders at large pharma sometimes struggle in lean biotech where they have to do everything themselves. We screen for biotech readiness.
Some leaders push back on FDA. Some accommodate. The right style depends on the program. We surface this in screening.
Senior regulatory talent gets retention packages. We manage the resign conversation directly.
Pre-approval and BIMO inspections are make-or-break. We screen for direct inspection-leadership experience.
The repeatable system behind our 14-day average hire time.
Call covering filing path, program stage, current submissions, team composition, and the regulatory must-haves.
Map of regulatory professionals matched to your filing path and modality. Built from competitor regulatory teams and our network.
Outreach that references your program, modality, and filing stage. Response rates 3-4x generalist agencies.
5-8 finalists with filing history, agency-interaction summary, modality experience, and inspection readiness flags.
We manage offers, counter-offers, and start dates. Most regulatory searches close in 21-28 days from kickoff.
Directional 2026 U.S. base salary estimates for venture-backed companies. Excludes equity, bonus, and sign-on. Confirm with current market data before extending offers.
| Role | Base Salary Range |
|---|---|
| Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager | $180K–$230K |
| Associate Director, Regulatory Affairs | $210K–$260K |
| Director, Regulatory Affairs | $240K–$310K |
| Senior Director, Regulatory Affairs | $290K–$370K |
| VP, Regulatory Affairs | $340K–$460K |
| Chief Regulatory Officer / SVP | $420K–$580K |
Sources: Radford 2026 life sciences data and Recruits Lab placement benchmarks. Excludes equity and bonus. Directional only.
Quick answers to the questions founders and hiring leaders ask most.
Launch-stage biotechs typically build regulatory leadership 9-12 months before approval and pair it with medical affairs and commercial leadership. Strong regulatory candidates have direct FDA interaction history, IND/NDA/BLA filing experience, and inspection-readiness leadership. Recruits Lab runs filing-matched searches that average 21-28 days.
A Director of Regulatory Affairs owns regulatory strategy for one or more programs, leads FDA submissions (IND, NDA, BLA, IDE, 510(k), PMA), manages agency interactions, and ensures inspection readiness. At lean biotechs they often own the full regulatory function.
A Director of Regulatory Affairs in 2026 typically earns $240K–$310K base at venture-backed biotechs. Senior Directors run $290K–$370K. VPs of Regulatory Affairs reach $340K–$460K. Total comp adds 15-25 percent through bonus and equity.
Industry average is 90-150 days at the Director level. Recruits Lab averages 21-28 days from kickoff by combining filing-matched sourcing with modality-specific outreach.
Needed a Director of Regulatory Affairs with autologous cell therapy IND experience before a Phase 1 IND filing. Two retained search firms had failed over 6 months.
Recruits Lab built a 70-person target map of regulatory leaders from competitor cell & gene therapy programs. Senior recruiter ran outbound and presented a 6-person shortlist in 13 days.
Signed offer in 27 days. Hire led the IND filing two months ahead of the original timeline.
"Recruits Lab put regulatory leaders in front of us who had actually filed our specific modality. Every other firm sent generalists."
"They closed our VP of Regulatory in 28 days. Retained firm had been at it for six months."
Yes. Executive regulatory searches are a core practice area, often under NDA.
Small molecule, biologics, antibody therapeutics, cell & gene therapy, mRNA, vaccines, medical device, IVD, combination products.
Yes. 510(k), PMA, IDE, and EU MDR experience are within our practice.
Yes. We sign NDAs and run discreet outreach.
90-day replacement guarantee on every placement.
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