Life science contract staffing in Switzerland and Europe

keeping your breakthroughs
on schedule

Covering short-term gaps across Pharma, BioTech, MedTech, and Digital Health, headcount places vetted contractors in 48 hours on average, fully compliant with Swiss staff-leasing law and reaching the right person from a database of 25,000+ life-science professionals.

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headcount is your life science contract staffing partner in Switzerland and Europe

why life science teams bring their contract roles to us

Radically honest recruitment

Plenty of agencies take the brief and start sourcing. We ask why the role exists first. If a contractor won't solve what's slowing your team down, or the rate won't reach the specialist you're picturing, you'll hear that from us before the search costs you a thing.

Recruiters who came from the science

Our consultants worked in Pharma, BioTech, MedTech, and Digital Health before they started recruiting, so they understand the work behind the job title and can accurately judge who will handle the scope you need to keep your team moving.

A curated database only for life sciences

After 14 years in life sciences, we’ve built a network of 25,000+ professionals across every function you might need. That range means we can reach rare specialists, and we hold a high bar on who earns a place on your shortlist, both in terms of skill and personal qualities.

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With headcount, you get

life science contract recruitment driven by science

headcount is a Swiss life science staffing agency, founded in Zurich in 2012, with a dedicated team of consultants who spent their careers in Pharma, BioTech, MedTech, and Digital Health before moving into recruitment.

That background is important because a recruiter who’s familiar with the industry on a practical level can scope a temporary role with precision and screen for the right capability.

Because we are Swiss-based and licensed, every placement complies with the Swiss staff-leasing law, giving you both the speed and the legal cover.

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Life sciences contract recruitment in Switzerland and Europe

the staffing gaps we fill for life science teams

Maternity or sick leave

When a key person steps away, we place a contractor who can hold the role steady until they return.

A hiring freeze

When headcount is frozen, but contractor budget isn't, we fill the gap without touching your permanent numbers.

A vacancy you can't leave open

When a critical role sits empty mid-project, we deliver a vetted specialist in 48 hours on average to keep your team on track.

A sudden spike in workload

When a trial, launch, or audit lands more work than your team can absorb, we bring in specialist support to carry the project through.

A niche skill you need only for a phase

When a project calls for expertise you won't need long-term, we find the specialist for exactly the window that requires them.

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hours, the average time it takes us to deliver a vetted contractor

life science professionals we can search, filter, and reach for you

years placing talent across pharma, biotech, medtech, and digital health

With our life science contract staffing services, you get

swiss compliance, handled end-to-end

Contract staffing in Switzerland comes with regulatory complexity, including work and staff-leasing permits, cross-border rules, and misclassification risks.

headcount holds a staff-leasing licence, belongs to Swissstaffing, and is registered with SECO and the Zurich Office for Economics and Labour, so the paperwork behind every contractor is filed correctly and on time.

For larger programmes, we run a structured MSP-level setup that keeps multiple contracts, rates, and timesheets in order, helping your team stay focused on the science while we manage the regulatory side in full.

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how life science contract staffing works with us

01

Define the role

We start with a short briefing on what the contract needs to deliver, including the skills and how long you’ll need the cover in place. If we think the brief is aimed at the wrong profile or the timeline won’t hold, we’ll be transparent with you. Clear scope and honest communication let us move quickly and deliver a great fit.

02

Search and screen

We approach specialists from our life-science network and assess each one against the brief, checking capability, availability, and rate. Only the contractors we’re confident about go forward.

03

Shortlist in 48 hours

You receive a shortlist of vetted candidates within 48 hours on average, each one ready to step into the role at short notice. With headcount, fast doesn’t mean unfiltered. Every profile has already cleared our rigorous screening.

04

Contract and compliance

Once you choose your contractor, we handle the paperwork, including the contracts, permits, and every check Swiss staff-leasing law requires. Then, agreements are signed, and the contractor is cleared to start.

05

Timesheets and ongoing support

Throughout the engagement, our digital tools keep time-tracking and expense reporting simple for you and the contractor, and we stay in touch to sort out anything that comes up. When you need to extend, scale, or wind down, we can manage it.

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With our life sciences contract recruitment services

payroll is handled for you

Alongside every contract placement, headcount offers payroll options that round out the service. Once your contractor is chosen, we can take on the employment and payment side, which keeps a single point of contact across the engagement.

If you’d like to explore payroll for a current or upcoming contractor, talk to us, and we’ll walk you through what’s possible.

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At headcount, we believe that

you should always know what you’re paying for

When you work with us, you see exactly what your contractor earns and exactly what headcount charges. We keep the engagement fair and open on every side. A contractor who is paid properly will be invested in their work, and you deserve to know precisely where your money goes.

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meet the contract recruiters for life sciences

MORE ABOUT OUR TEAM

As the leading life sciences permanent recruiters, we know that

see how we run a contract search at headcount

Our contracting presentation walks through our approach, exclusive network, and the way we handle every placement. Take a closer look at how it works.

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