When EMN came to Panda, its main difficulty was simply knowing where to find the right people. Some roles were straightforward to fill, but others called for specialist expertise the team could not easily reach through its own network.

The hardest of all was the Clinical Trial Manager. EMN needed someone senior, collaborative and flexible, with soft skills that a degree or a CV could never capture, and it needed that person quickly to keep a growing portfolio of clinical studies on track. With important projects, strict timelines and external partners all depending on the hire, there was little room to get it wrong.

Our team of consultants took on the search and treated it as a living brief. As EMN refined its criteria and the number of roles it needed, we adapted each time, keeping candidates aligned with what EMN actually wanted rather than a fixed shortlist. Fast, engaged communication ran throughout, which was one of the reasons EMN chose Panda in the first place.

This is where Panda's specialist network mattered most. We were able to reach senior clinical trial professionals EMN could not access on its own, and to look past qualifications to judge the collaboration and flexibility the role really demanded. The result was a shortlist of people who fit not just the job description, but the way EMN's teams work.

The search led to four senior Clinical Trial Managers joining EMN, and the feedback since has been consistently positive. For a team well aware that recruitment can sometimes end in a mismatch, all four have settled in well and are already contributing to live studies. Together, the hires strengthened EMN's study teams and added the operational capacity the organisation needed to keep pace with a fast growing portfolio, bringing a mix of experienced specialists and quieter talent with clear room to grow. In EMN's own words, the team is very happy with all hires.

EMN continues to grow, and with it the need for specialist clinical talent. Having seen how closely we adapted to its changing requirements, EMN has a natural basis to keep building on the partnership as new roles emerge.