1) The Snapshot

Client: Mid-size, multi-site, international CRO
Role: Director-level Attending Veterinarian (onsite), U.S. West Coast
Timing: Urgent, driven by rapid expansion and the buildout of a new large-scale indoor non-human primate (NHP) breeding colony
Constraints: Extremely niche skill set, CDC Quarantine experience, NHP-only focus, DACLAM-boarded requirement, relocation, initial compensation misalignment

2) The Situation

The client was entering a critical growth phase, including the construction of a new indoor NHP breeding colony adjacent to an existing research facility. This expansion significantly increased regulatory complexity, operational risk, and leadership demands.

Without the right veterinary leadership in place, the organization faced elevated risk across:

• Breeding colony stability and animal welfare
  
• CDC quarantine and international import/export operations
  
• Long-term scalability and leadership succession
  

Given the specialization required, this was not a role that could be easily benchmarked or filled through traditional recruiting channels.

3) The Target Profile

Non-negotiable requirements:

• Extensive experience working exclusively with non-human primates
  
• Direct experience with CDC Quarantine and import/export operations
  
• Proven involvement in breeding colonies at scale
  
• Already DACLAM-boarded (not DACLAM-track)
  
• Willingness to relocate and work fully onsite
  

Leadership traits that mattered:

• Comfort operating in a single-species environment
  
• Ability to lead within a highly regulated setting
  
• Long-term mindset toward program building and scale
  

Deal-breakers:

• Mixed-species–only backgrounds
  
• Lack of quarantine or breeding experience
  
• Preference for remote or hybrid work models
  

4) Our Approach

Market mapping:
A nationwide search was conducted across a highly constrained market of primate CROs, specialized breeding facilities, and select academic and government-adjacent programs.

Outreach positioning:
Candidate interest was driven by a unique leadership proposition:

• Oversight of CDC quarantine and international NHP shipping
  
• Discovery CRO research in primates
  
• Leadership of a newly built, large-scale indoor breeding colony
  
• Collaboration within a larger organization operating multiple in vivo sites nationwide
  

Stakeholder alignment:
Decision-making was coordinated across the Site Director, senior veterinary leadership at a primary site, and the General Manager.

5) Proof of Work

• Conducted a three-month nationwide market search
  
• Leveraged deep industry relationships and referral networks
  
• Identified and evaluated four highly qualified external candidates, in addition to internal referrals
  
• Delivered detailed market intelligence on talent availability and leadership scarcity
  
• Led compensation recalibration discussions that materially widened the viable candidate pool