Recruiting Case Study
1) The Snapshot
Client: Large, international Contract Research Organization (CRO)
Role: Attending Veterinarian (onsite)
Facility: Large-scale non-human primate housing and CDC Quarantine site
Location: Rural Texas
Scale: ~9,500 non-human primates in outdoor, group-housed settings
Timing: Urgent — leadership turnover, regulatory pressure, and planned census expansion
2) The Situation
The client operated one of the largest non-human primate housing facilities in the country, focused on CDC quarantine, long-term housing, and international shipping. The site had undergone three acquisitions, resulting in entrenched legacy practices, internal politics, and cultural fragmentation.
Previous Attending Veterinarians had underestimated:
- The operational complexity of the site
- The influence of long-tenured staff
- The challenge of leading change in a post-acquisition environment
As the organization prepared to increase animal census, the lack of stable veterinary leadership created escalating risk:
- Animal welfare exposure
- Regulatory scrutiny
- Loss of hard-to-replace, experienced staff
- Long-term damage to the site’s reputation and future recruitability
3) The Target Profile
Non-negotiable requirements:
- Demonstrated primate experience
- DACLAM-boarded veterinarian
- Comfort operating in a large-scale, non-research environment
- Willingness to work fully onsite in a rural, high-heat climate
Leadership and cultural requirements:
- Mature management style — top-down leadership would fail
- Ability to navigate strong personalities and legacy staff dynamics
- Experience mentoring and developing junior veterinary and technical staff
- Judgment to know when to hold firm and when to adapt
Deal-breakers:
- Inflexibility around onsite work
- Discomfort with large populations and non-research-focused facilities
- Inability to operate independently from operations-driven pressure
4) Our Approach
This search was run in parallel with multiple national searches for the same client and required a hands-on, high-touch execution strategy.
Positioning the role:
The facility’s scale, scope, rural location, and lack of research activity created significant candidate resistance. RPM ReSearch addressed this by:
- Framing the role as a stabilization and culture-change leadership opportunity
- Being transparent about historical challenges while clearly articulating the mandate for change
Relocation strategy:
To overcome geographic friction, RPM ReSearch:
- Partnered with local real estate brokers and relocation specialists
- Worked with the local Chamber of Commerce
- Developed a custom relocation guide
- Coordinated in-person site visits and third-party housing consultations once candidates engaged
5) Proof of Work
- Conducted a nationwide search
- Identified and contacted 100 potential candidates
- Advanced 5 candidates for formal consideration
- First qualified candidate identified within 2 weeks
- Search duration: 4 months, reflecting the complexity of the role and location
Candidate objections addressed included:
- Facility scale and responsibility
- Lack of research activity
- Historical site challenges
- Market perception of the location
6) Results
- Successful placement of a DACLAM-boarded Attending Veterinarian capable of operating at scale
- Stabilization of veterinary leadership at a critical site
- Improved ability to retain experienced staff during a period of growth
- Foundation laid for longer-term cultural change and future recruitability
7) Why It Worked
This search succeeded because RPM ReSearch understood that the challenge was not simply technical — it was cultural, political, and operational.
Key differentiators:
- Honest, credibility-driven candidate conversations
- Deep understanding of primate operations and CDC quarantine environments
- Ability to assess leadership resilience, not just credentials
- Willingness to invest heavily in relocation strategy and candidate experience
A generalist recruiting firm or internal TA team would have struggled to:
- Attract candidates to the location
- Evaluate readiness for culture change
- Manage candidate expectations without overselling or minimizing risk
8) Client Quote
Omitted for confidentiality.
9) Anonymization
- Client referenced as a large, international CRO
- Facility location described as rural Texas
- Primate population referenced in approximate terms
- Identifying site and acquisition details removed
If you’re looking for a partner who delivers impact, not just ideas,
contact RPM Research and let’s work together.