On Q Recruitment

What On Q Recruitment does

On Q Recruitment is a specialist STEM recruitment agency founded in 1999 and headquartered in St Leonards, Sydney, Australia. The firm places scientific, technical, medical, and government professionals across Australia's corporate, public-sector, and not-for-profit employers, operating across 16 specialised disciplines including clinical research, regulatory affairs, quality assurance, manufacturing, engineering, pharmacy, and Australian Public Service (APS) policy roles. Its core product portfolio comprises four end-to-end recruitment solutions: permanent recruitment (full-cycle placement with salary benchmarking), temporary and contract recruitment (pre-vetted contractors for workforce scaling), executive search (retained senior leadership placements), and outsourced payroll services (contractor payroll, compliance, onboarding, and timesheet management). Supporting these is a 25,000+ candidate talent pool, a proprietary interview tool with annual auditor review, and an annual Salary & Job Market Survey running since 2006 that draws on 24,000+ professionals across 15+ industries.

The underlying technology stack is built on standard third-party SaaS rather than proprietary AI: JobAdder powers candidate registration forms, AstutePayroll runs the online timesheet portal, and QuestionPro underpins the annual salary survey. The company operates as an Australian-owned, woman-owned, ASIC-registered SME (On Q Recruitment Pty Limited, ABN 97 090 009 804) with 11-50 employees carrying 100+ years of combined sector experience, led by founder and Managing Director Catherine O'Mahony. Revenue is generated through four streams: contingency placement fees on permanent roles, margin on contractor bill rates for temporary and contract staffing, retained fees for executive search, and managed-services fees for outsourced payroll. Distribution is anchored by approved-supplier status on the Australian Government Whole of Government People Panel, the NSW State Government Panel, Local Buy for Queensland, and Local Government Procurement NSW, supplemented by direct corporate employer engagement and an exclusive recruitment partnership with the Viral Vector Manufacturing Facility (VVMF). The company is pursuing ISO 9001 accreditation and is a member of INRALS, NPAWorldwide, ARCS Australia, RCSA, and APSCo.

Name

On Q Recruitment

Legal name

On Q Recruitment Pty Limited

Website

https://onqrecruitment.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

On Q Recruitment is a Sydney-based specialist STEM recruitment agency founded in 1999, placing life sciences, technical, medical, and government professionals across Australia via permanent, contract, executive search, and outsourced payroll services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific and Technical Recruitment Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Government & Public Sector Direct Hire (BPACAFAK), Healthcare & Life Sciences Leadership Search (BPACAAAE)

Keywords

• STEM recruitment services
• Life sciences staffing
• Executive search recruitment
• Contractor payroll management
• Government panel recruitment

Headquarters

HQ city

Leonards Hill

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Permanent Placement Fees: Full-cycle recruitment for permanent roles with salary benchmarking included, charging contingency fees based on candidate salary
2. Temporary and Contract Staffing: Scale workforce up or down with pre-vetted contractors, earning margin on contractor rates
3. Executive Search Retained Search: Discreet, targeted recruitment for C-suite and senior leadership roles on retained basis
4. Outsourced Payroll Services: Handling contractor payroll, compliance, onboarding, superannuation, taxes for a fee

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

On Q Recruitment is a specialist STEM recruitment agency placing scientific, medical and technical professionals into corporate life sciences employers and Australian government agencies. Its core offerings are Executive Search for senior leadership, Temporary & Contract Recruitment for flexible workforce scaling, Permanent Recruitment for full-cycle hiring with salary benchmarking, and Outsourced Payroll Services that manage contractor payroll, compliance, superannuation and onboarding on behalf of clients. The agency also runs an annual Salary & Job Market Report and operates a candidate database of 25,000+ pre-screened professionals across 16 STEM disciplines.

Product overview

On Q Recruitment is a specialist STEM recruitment agency offering a portfolio of interconnected services: core recruitment offerings include Executive Search Recruitment (for C-suite and senior leadership), Temporary & Contract Recruitment (for workforce scaling), Permanent Recruitment (full-cycle placement with salary benchmarking), and Outsourced Payroll Services (managing contractor payroll, compliance, and onboarding without adding to clients' direct payroll). The company supports these core services with a 25,000+ candidate talent pool/database and an annual Salary & Job Market Report (running since 2006). The company specializes across 16 disciplines spanning Clinical Research & Biometrics, Commercial/Sales & Business Development, Engineering, Executive Management, Health Economics/Market Access, Manufacturing, Marketing, Medical Affairs & Pharmacovigilance, New Product Development, Pharmacy, Policy & Project Management (APS), Quality Assurance, Quality Control & Laboratory, Regulatory Affairs, Research & Development, and Supply Chain & Logistics. Services are delivered to corporate, government, and not-for-profit sectors across Australia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search Recruitment Discreet, targeted retained recruitment service for C-suite and senior leadership roles across life sciences and government sectors, using extensive national and regional search methods and partnering with allied partners for global searches where required.
• Temporary & Contract Recruitment Scalable temporary and contract staffing service providing pre-vetted contractors at short notice to help life sciences and government clients manage workforce fluctuations caused by headcount freezes, parental leave, projects or budget constraints, with payroll services included.
• Permanent Recruitment Full-cycle permanent recruitment service from initial brief to offer, including salary benchmarking, competency-based interviews using a proprietary custom interview tool, detailed reference checks, and post-assignment debriefing for corporate and government life sciences employers.
• Outsourced Payroll Services Outsourced payroll and compliance service managing contractor payroll, superannuation, taxes, leave entitlements, workers compensation insurance and onboarding on behalf of clients without adding contractors to the client's direct payroll. Includes employee self-service, online timesheet portal with multiple approvers, and centralised expenses management.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87% permanent assignment fill rate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Whole of Government People PanelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproved supplier and partner under the Australian Government Whole of Government People Panel, enabling access to federal government recruitment opportunities across all APS levels
• NSW State Government PanelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproved supplier under NSW State Government Panel for recruitment services to NSW government agencies
• Local Buy for QueenslandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproved supplier under Local Buy for Queensland enabling recruitment services to Queensland local government
• Local Government Procurement NSWcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproved supplier under Local Government Procurement NSW for recruitment services to NSW local government agencies
• INRALS (International Network of Recruitment Agencies in Life Sciences)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMember of international network providing access to global recruitment professionals, candidates, and participation in global tenders. On Q recruiters exchange knowledge and expertise in recruitment, selection, and outsourcing through this membership
• NPAWorldwideminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate membership providing access to international recruitment network and candidate sourcing across borders
• ARCS AustraliaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry association membership for credibility and networking within Australian clinical research and life sciences sector
• RCSA (Recruitment and Consulting Services Association Australia and New Zealand)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate membership providing industry-specific resources, training, and professional development through webinars, conferences, and networking events. Managing Director Catherine O'Mahony serves as NSW/ACT council member
• APSCominorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate membership providing professional recruitment resources and training for professional recruitment staff
• Viral Vector Manufacturing Facility (VVMF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive partnership offering candidates access to VVMF roles - first commercial viral vector manufacturing facility in Australia. On Q is the only recruitment channel for VVMF's exclusive vacancies including Microbiological Specialist, Quality Control Manager, Validation Specialist, and Quality Assurance Manager positions

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Peoplebank: Australian recruitment and workforce solutions firm with strong ICT, government and life sciences verticals. Comparable to On Q on government panel access and STEM contractor placement.
• CGC Recruitment: Australian specialist recruitment agency focused on the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device sectors. Comparable to On Q as a direct competitor in life sciences permanent and contract placement across Australia.
• Healthcare Professionals Group: Australian healthcare and life sciences recruitment firm placing professionals across pharma, biotech, medical devices and clinical research. Closely comparable to On Q on STEM specialisation and Australian market focus.
• Frontline Recruitment Group: Australian recruitment firm with dedicated life sciences, government and professional services divisions. Comparable to On Q on Australian government panel access and multi-sector STEM specialisation.

Regional players

• Paxus: Australian specialist ICT and digital recruitment firm with government contractor placement capabilities. Comparable to On Q on government panel placement and contractor payroll services, though focused on technology rather than life sciences.

Broad incumbents

• Robert Half Australia: Global recruitment firm's Australian operation covering finance, technology and specialised professional roles. Adjacent competitor for corporate life sciences employers' permanent and contract hiring budgets.
• Michael Page Life Sciences: Specialist life sciences recruitment arm of PageGroup operating in Australia across pharma, biotech, medical and clinical research. Direct overlap with On Q's STEM placement services but with global recruiter infrastructure.
• Talent International: Australian-headquartered recruitment firm covering technology, life sciences and government sectors with both permanent and contractor services. Overlaps with On Q on government contractor placement and STEM specialisation.
• Hudson Australia: Established Australian recruitment firm with specialisations across multiple professional verticals including life sciences and government. Comparable executive search and permanent placement offering to On Q with broader sector coverage.
• Hays Life Sciences: Global recruitment firm's Australian life sciences division offering permanent, contract and temporary placements across pharma, biotech and medical devices. Comparable offering to On Q but with materially larger scale and broader sector coverage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OnQRecruitment
• Facebookfacebook.com/OnQRecruitment
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/on-q-recruitment

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about On Q Recruitment