Katherine Perez-Gibbins, MBA, SHRM-CP

Talent Acquisition and Employee Experience Manager | Avance Clinical (formerly LumaBridge)

Buffalo-Niagara Falls Area

About

I lead Talent Acquisition and Employee Engagement across Avance Clinical North America, partnering closely with leaders and employees to build inclusive, people-centered hiring and employee experiences. My work spans end-to-end recruitment, workforce planning, onboarding, and employee lifecycle support, with a focus on creating transparent, candidate-friendly processes and a workplace culture where people feel supported, heard, and set up for success. Throughout my career, I have built and scaled high-performing teams by designing thoughtful recruiting strategies, leading executive and retained search, and partnering closely with C-suite leaders, hiring managers, and cross-functional stakeholders. I bring deep experience across full life-cycle recruitment within the CRO and life sciences space, including executive search, RPO, and contract staffing, while also contributing to broader people initiatives that strengthen engagement, retention, and culture. I am especially passionate about mentorship, development, and inclusive leadership. I believe great talent strategies start with listening, trust, and clear partnership, and I am driven by helping individuals and organizations grow in ways that are sustainable, aligned, and human.

Experience

  • Talent Acquisition and Employee Experience Manager at Avance Clinical
    Jan 2026 - Present · 7 mos

    On January 7, 2026, Avance Clinical acquired LumaBridge, a U.S.-based clinical research organization with deep expertise in oncology trials—strengthening our U.S. footprint and expanding our oncology capabilities. Together, we are committed to delivering high-quality, innovative oncology clinical trials that accelerate next-generation therapies for patients worldwide.

  • LumaBridge (Full-time · 2 yrs 4 mos)
    • Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition
      Mar 2025 - Jan 2026 · 11 mos

      Role transitioned to Avance Clinical in January 2026 following the acquisition. The Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition serves as a strategic talent leader and business partner, overseeing full-cycle recruitment efforts aligned with LumaBridge’s organizational growth and clinical research mission. This role leads the design and execution of scalable, forward-thinking hiring initiatives that attract high-caliber talent across multiple functions and levels. Working closely with executive leadership and hiring managers, the Senior Manager drives proactive workforce planning, optimizes the candidate experience, and champions continuous improvement across recruitment operations. This position provides strategic oversight on sourcing, selection, and compliance best practices while leveraging market intelligence and data-driven insights to refine strategies, strengthen employer branding, and build robust, future-ready talent pipelines.

    • Talent Acquisition Manager
      Oct 2023 - Mar 2025 · 1 yr 6 mos

      Manager, Talent Acquisition responsible for finding, recruiting, hiring, and retaining qualified candidates. Additionally, lead, plan, develop, and implement an effective talent acquisition strategy for the LumaBridge organization.

  • Senior Recruiter at Thermo Fisher Scientific
    Dec 2021 - Jun 2023 · 1 yr 7 mos

    On December 8, 2021, Thermo Fisher Scientific completed the acquisition of PPD. Together, Thermo Fisher and PPD share the pursuit of a common goal: to enable customers to make the world healthier by accelerating the development of new medicines.

  • Senior Recruiter at PPD
    May 2021 - Dec 2021 · 8 mos

    Senior Recruiter who leverages consultative skills to help a growing business continue to meet and exceed expectations while providing frequent, high quality, value-added advice and counsel to business partners on recruiting and staffing issues while remaining abreast of industry trends.

  • Syneos Health (Full-time · 1 yr 5 mos)
    • Sr TA Operations Manager of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
      Jan 2021 - May 2021 · 5 mos

      Serves as the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Senior Program Owner, responsible for shaping talent acquisition strategies that enhance and drive a diverse culture across Syneos Health. Partner with the Syneos Health D&I Program Manager to drive recruitment outcomes aligned with corporate strategies. Collaborate with Employee Resource Groups to plan and execute diversity recruitment events and programs internally. Coordinate DE&I efforts across Delivery teams, including Early Talent, Contingent and Executive. Collaborate and team up with Employer Branding to drive targeted campaigns and promotions that align with established DE&I objectives.

    • Talent Acquisition Specialist II
      Jan 2020 - Jan 2021 · 1 yr 1 mo

      Serve as a strategic business partner to our customers while executing the full cycle recruitment for positions. Partner closely with Hiring Managers to manage the recruiting process from end-to-end, developing strategies and implementing action plans related to both candidate sourcing identification and recruitment process execution. Educate and advise hiring managers to enable an effective and efficient recruiting process, identifying and sharing recruitment best practices across the business and industry, maintaining current market knowledge, legal and recruitment trends, and developing sourcing methodologies and strategies to target and identify qualified candidates.