Mark Mckeganey

Simple CV Tip: DON'T 🚫 ‣ Managed patient recruitment for a large oncology trial. ‣ Managed a large Phase II study with 20 sites across 5 countries, ensuring it adheres to GCP guidelines. ‣ Skilled in budget management DO ✅ ‣ Reduced patient recruitment time by 30% in a Phase III oncology trial, enrolling 500 patients across 50 sites in 12 months. ‣ Successfully managed a global Phase II study with 20 sites across 5 countries, achieving a 25% reduction in study startup time and ensuring 100% compliance with ICH-GCP guidelines. ‣ Implemented cost-saving strategies that reduced overall study costs by 15% while maintaining project timelines and quality standards in a Phase III cardiovascular trial. Remember to quantify the impact of your work. Don't just use statements.

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There’s been a noticeable shift in Medical Science Liaison recruitment lately - particularly in salary expectations. Over the past 12-24 months, we’ve seen significant movement: 🔹 Stronger demand across pharma and biotech 🔹 More cross-functional responsibilities 🔹 Candidates expecting higher packages For hiring managers, this means understanding where the market is right now - not where it was historically. Need a benchmark? I’m happy to share what we’re seeing from our comprehensive salary survey and conversations I have with candidates and clients every day. #MSLRecruitment #LifeSciences #MedicalAffairs #HiringTrends

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**You can't throw money at commercialisation** I spoke to a Medical Affairs leader this week who’s helped multiple emerging biotech's get ready for launch. Their biggest frustration? The number of companies that start critical pre-launch activities far too late. ● AMCP dossier? Takes 6–9 months. ● Payer conversations? Need a real value story. ● Compliance systems? You can’t just plug them in overnight. What’s worse some companies don’t even know what they don’t know. And by the time they realise, they’re 12 months behind and trying to “catch up” on non-negotiable launch deliverables. If you’re at a biotech in Phase 2/early Phase 3, now is the time to invest in proper Medical Affairs leadership. Not when the FDA clock is ticking. Because launch isn’t just a regulatory milestone, it’s a commercial moment you only get once. Medical and clinical folks, have you seen this play out? Or been the one trying to sound the alarm?

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Something I hear from clients all the time is: “We only want candidates from a Pharma or Biotech background — no CROs, no Research.” I get the concern — especially in stats, where trial design experience is crucial. Many CROs are handed trial designs and SAPs, which can raise doubts for hiring managers. But that’s not always the case. In FSP models (and even in certain CRO setups), statisticians do get involved in design work and take on responsibilities just as broad as their Pharma counterparts. So simply ruling out CRO candidates because of an assumption feels short-sighted. You’re potentially dismissing professionals who’ve handled multiple trials across different phases, with varied clients — building adaptability and technical depth along the way. Some of the strongest placements I’ve made came from CRO backgrounds. They brought drive, flexibility, and fresh perspectives into Pharma/Biotech teams. Maybe I’m wrong — but I can’t help thinking the industry is missing out by painting all CRO experience with the same brush. JCR Pharma Jessica Smith Mathy Bekele Rachel Reidy

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