How to hire a medical device consultant: The definitive guide

The rise of medical device consulting: How the medical device industry can benefit from hiring independent experts. 

The medical device industry is dominated by SMBs and well-funded startups that are innovating rapidly. Given the advances in data science and AI, pharma and medtech companies are coming up with products that promise a better quality of life, advanced diagnoses and improved patient outcomes. Many small firms lack full-time experienced personnel who can help them navigate the complex journey to market, which involves several challenges such as regulatory compliance, clinical evaluation, literature searches and more. Companies are increasingly looking for freelance experts to help them accelerate time to market. And because of the freelance revolution, it is now easier for companies to hire a medical device consultant, on demand.

What does a medical device consultant do?

A medical device consultant works either independently or as part of a consulting firm. Medical device consultants work with manufacturers to advise on a range of areas that simplify the process of bringing a device to market.  Senior medical device consultants are typically experienced professionals with 15-20 years of experience in several areas of med device development and compliance. However, early career researchers and experts are also able to advice on aspects such as clinical trials and biostatistics. For example, a regulatory affairs expert can help you choose the best FDA pathway for regulatory compliance, based on your device classification, intended use and therapeutic area. A literature search freelance expert can help you study all the existing relevant literature which will guide your product development roadmap.

It is essential that you pick the right expert for your project who can deliver confidently. But how do you decide who the best candidate is for your needs? Here are some tips on hiring top medical device consultants on Kolabtree.

Why do you need a medical device consultant?

You may need the help of a consultant or freelancer at several stages of your medical device development pipeline. As medical devices are heavily regulated and the route to market is typically long and complex, hiring an expert helps you reduce the chances of your device being rejected. Thanks to the growing remote work culture, qualified and experienced experts are making themselves available for consulting projects to businesses of all sizes. This is of great benefit to small to medium sized businesses, who may need on-demand support or help with short-term projects. Some of the services medical device consultants offer are:

• Optimizing medical device design & development
• Advising the best regulatory pathway for medical devices depending on classification and therapeutic area
• Preparing submissions for regulatory approval such as FDA 510(k) or CERs for MDR
• Carrying out comprehensive literature searches
• Analyzing clinical trial data and writing clinical trial protocols
• Writing grant proposals to funding bodies (like the NIH SBIR programme)
• Communicating the product to stakeholders via high-authority website content, blog articles, PR, white papers etc.

Companies now have easy access to medical device consultants for hire, which enables them to ensure their product is safe, backed by reliable data, and in line with country-specific guidelines.

How much do medical consulting services cost?

Going by jobs posted on Glassdoor, the salary of a medical device consultant roughly averages at $60,000 per year. Many small businesses may not be able to afford to pay their staff this kind of salary, especially if they don’t have a year-round need. A company on Glassdoor lists its starting salary for Orthopedic Medical Device Consultants as $79,000.

One of the reasons medical device consultants charge so highly is because their expertise can decide the fate of your product, as medical devices are typically high-risk products. Hiring an experienced and qualified expert is a valuable investment, which promises rewarding returns and reduces any risks of product recall. The cost of hiring a freelance medical device engineer or contractor depends on the kind of job you need to get done and final deliverables expected from the freelancer.

A  regulatory affairs consultant, for example, may charge anywhere between USD 300 and USD 5,000 to prepare a regulatory document depending on whether you need the full document or specific sections of it. On Kolabtree, clients have hired regulatory experts for help with entire Clinical Evaluation Reports as well as freelance biostatisticians to help with clinical evaluation data for specific medical devices. Data from Kolabtree shows that hiring a freelance medical device consultant can save costs of up to 40%. 

How to write a job post for a medical device support

Writing a clear job post is one of the most important aspects of hiring the best suited candidate. If you have a clear expectation, budget and timeline in mind, that’s half the job done for you. Here are five things to keep in mind while hiring a medical device consultant:

Project description or scope of work: Provide a clear brief that defines what you’re looking to get done. Project duration: Define how long you expect the project to take, and whether you’re in a hurry to hire someone or willing to wait. This will help freelancers understand whether they have the bandwidth and availability to take up your project.
Budget: Set an approximate fee range for the project. If it’s negotiable, mention it in your project. You can choose whether you want to pay per project or per hour, based on your scope of work and how well-defined the project is.
Expertise required: Depending on the requirement, you may need to hire a specific kind of consultant, like a product development consultant, a medical device engineering consultant or a regulatory affairs consultant. On Kolabtree you can hire:

Medical device consultants
Biomedical engineers
Freelance biostatisticians
Medical writers
Regulatory writers
510(k) submission experts
Clinical Evaluation Report writers
Systematic review experts

Important note: On Kolabtree, you can share NDAs and custom agreements with freelancers even before you disclose your project details, making it easy and painless for you to maintain confidentiality.

If you’re looking for FDA submission support, your sample job post might look like this:

Class II medical device company looking for experienced regulatory consultant to prepare a 510(k) submission for FDA clearance. Looking for freelancer to get started asap and finish the project in 3 months. Further details will be disclosed once the freelancer signs an NDA.

Or if you’re looking for a medical content writer, you may say:

I have a Class III medical device that’s about to be launched in the market. Looking for scientific writers with a background in cardiology, who can write medically-accurate, compelling copy for our blog and PR material, communicating the launch to all our stakeholders. Budget is flexible, I’m open to negotiation.

Ready to hire a medical device consultant? Post your project on Kolabtree and get quotes from freelance medical device experts for free!

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