Posting date:
20/05/2024
Senior level appointment with an advanced biotech
Case study
The overview
Our partner, a pioneering Biotech company, who had developed a disruptive 3D spatial genomics technology, had received their series A funding were moving towards securing their Series B. They have already entered partnerships with major pharma with others in the pipeline and were at a cross roads in terms of the future of the company, their ambition is to identify and then develop their own cell-based therapies, but they were not clear on how to achieve it as such they needed to recruit a new senior leader.
The challenge
The company wanted to bring on a VP to oversee the development of their biology programmes – which to proceed with, which to stop, which areas do they need to expand in, what is needed to translate their technology. Hiring for this role was challenging because cell therapy is still a nascent area with very few people who have successfully translated a therapy from the identification of a concept to the clinic. To narrow the pool further, our partner wanted candidates who had a knowledge of genomics and how this is applied to a drug discovery setting. There were also some variables around the seniority of the role and its focus. This meant it was hard to get clear definition of the role itself which could impact when presenting to candidates. Making it harder to win their engagement in the opportunity or stand out in comparison to other opportunities candidates could be considering.
The solution
The project was challenging because of the wide remit of the position and the potential profile types that would fit but they were unsure of exactly what was needed. To meet this, we delivered a portfolio of 7 candidates covering different combinations of scientific expertise, seniority and capabilities. We continued to work closely with the decision makers to help them understand the skills available and the market. With detailed insights into each of the candidates to ensure they had a clear picture of the value each could bring. After speaking with all 7 a shortlist of 3 was drawn up and of those 3 the successful candidates were offered and placed. The process was very disrupted by holidays of both decision makers and candidates. They also needed a lot of guidance on the market and how to recruit effectively. However, through close management of the process the outcome was successful.
The outcome
• The hire was successfully made, they secured a person who was already at Senior VP level with a renowned global sequencing and genomics business
• We remain to be the company’s chosen as a recruitment partner as they continue to build their team
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