Question 1

Cambridge | Case Study

Accepted Answer

Company
Artios Pharma is a Nasdaq-listed biotech company based on the Babraham Campus. They are pioneering breakthroughs and innovations in DDR-based treatments to address a broad spectrum of difficult-to-treat cancers.

Requirement
• Support transition from drug discovery company to clinical pharma. 
• Growth in headcount from 20 to 90 headcount in 2022. 
• Meet with the team leads on site to establish best fit and background for scientists

Solution
• Source and screen CMC managers, protein engineers, biochemists and enzymologists.
• Search and select telomere biologists to support the diversification of the discovery pipeline
• HR Salary benchmarking and benefits insights for the Cambridge biotech area

Testimonial
“Tom is a highly efficient biotech recruiter who helped us grow the teams across protein engineering, biology and biochemistry. Having met with him personally, it is clear that he takes great pride in delivering for his clients.”

(Rob Heald, VP Chemistry at Artios Pharma)

Question 2

Wales | Case Study

Accepted Answer

Company
CatSci is a fast-growing CRO based in Cardiff. They have developed into the fully integrated innovation partner for medicines development. In 2021 they opened a second facility in Dagenham, a Centre of Excellence for GMP analytical science that includes small molecules, TACS, glues, oligonucleotides and other complex synthetic medicines.

Requirement
• Multiple senior and principal scientist roles in analytical and process chaemistry
• Candidates needed PhD in organic chemistry and robust industry experience 
• Small talent pool in South Wales and salaries offered 10% lower than UK average

Solution
• Regular site visits and meetings with the leadership team 
• Pitched to candidates on low cost of living and clear company vision for the future 
• Influenced positive outcomes with an offer acceptance rate of 85%

Testimonial 
“Tom was my preferred recruiter - he was very personable to work with and got the balance just right between being available when needed without being in touch too much. He listened properly and had an intuitive feel for the sort of person I was looking for, from facilities management to senior chemistry roles. Consequently, we recruited more people through Tom than through any other recruiter.

Tom went above and beyond in helping potential candidates imagine their new life with CatSci in Cardiff - on one occasion he met a candidate following interview for a quick tour of Cardiff to bring the city to life. He was also a calm negotiator during the job offer process, keeping everyone onside and often coming through with wins all round. Many thanks, Tom!”

– Angela, Senior HR Manager at CatSci

Question 3

Oxford | Case Study

Accepted Answer

Company
Orfonyx Bio is an early-stage biotechnology company spun out from the University of Oxford. They focus on protein upregulation using novel oligonucleotide-based approaches as a strategy for addressing a wide range of disease targets.

Requirement
• Niche skill sets (oligonucleotide and RNA expertise) 
• Director / Principal Scientist level hiring 
• Early stage team build where every hire needs to be a perfect fit

Solution
• Work closely with founders to establish best way forward
• Conduct extensive, in depth search across biotech, pharma and academia
• Pitching the unique platform that Orfonyx Bio is working on

Testimonial
"Orfonyx Bio has engaged with Tom for a number of high level positions and have found that he goes the extra mile to find high quality candidates that can fit very specific skill based criteria. Taking the time to properly understand the position and our company needs, means that the candidates sent our way are more likely to be suitable. Tom provides constant communication between us and the candidates, which makes the whole process run smoothly as possible. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Tom."

Graham McClorey - Founder of Orfonyx Bio

Atomic Talent was also highly recommended by the founders to other businesses in the Oxford BioEscalator.

Question 4

London | Case Study

Accepted Answer

Company 
Pharmaron is a premium CDMO with over 20,000 employees worldwide. Their flagship siteis based in Hertford with more than 5,000m2 of premier R&D space.  They have state-of-the-art GMP facilities for the development of API, formulation development and process chemistry. 
 
Requirements
• Fast growth at all levels of seniority in DMPK, medicinal chemistry, and process chemistry.
• Candidates must have a PhD and demonstrate track record of scientific excellence 
• Identify scientists who possess natural curiosity and demonstrate exceptional problem-solving capabilities.
 
Solution
• Meeting with head of site and tour of facilities to get a feel for the environment.
• Acting as a Pharmaron brand ambassador across a huge talent pool 
• Winning contract signatures ahead of talent competition with AZ, GSK, and MSD.
 
Testimonial 
“I am very grateful to Tom for the career move I made last year. It was absolutely the right move for me in so many ways and Tom is the person who initiated it. He was extremely professional in my dealings with him throughout. He was persuasive and encouraging,always without being pushy. He was completely supportive through the whole process. It was a pleasure working with Tom, and I recommend him highly as a recruiter.”

Tammy Ladduwahetty - Director of Medicinal Chemistry at Pharmaron

Question 5

Scotland | Case Study

Accepted Answer

The Company
The Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation is bolstering the University of Dundee’s world-leading position in a field that is revolutionising drug discovery. CeTPD is part of the University’s School of Life Sciences, one of the UK’s top institutions for research into biological sciences, while the biopharmaceutical company Amphista Therapeutics is a spin-out of the Ciulli Lab.

Requirement 
• A new Boehringer Ingelheim Collaboration Leader for the group 
• Won tender to operate as sole recruiter on a retained assignment  
• Collaborated closely with Professor Alessio Ciulli (Fellow of the Royal Society)

Solution
• Advert and video shared across multiple digital channels 
• 80 candidates globally screened and interviewed 
• 2 final stage candidates who were interviewed by an independent panel and 5 different 1-2-1 meetings with senior leadership.

Testimonial
“I am a Professor (Chair) and Principal Investigator at the School of Life Sciences, and Director of Dundee’s New Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation. This was the first time I worked directly with a Headhunter, for the recruitment of a Senior Role based within my group, that of a

Team/Collaboration Leader for a high-profile drug discovery collaboration between my research group at Dundee and the pharma company Boehringer Ingelheim. 
It was a real pleasure to work with Tom Bilton on this recruitment. The most positive aspects of our interaction were:

1. Our first meetings where we had a very fruitful and productive conversation where I outlined our goals and expectations on what we were looking for in this role. We discussed not only the exciting opportunity but also the expected challenges as we foresaw ahead.

2. His availability and promptness of response throughout the process.

3. The breadth and depth of his search and understanding of how to best meet our needs and requirements.

- Alessio Ciulli, professor (Chair) and Principal Investigator at the School of Life Sciences, and Director of Dundee’s new Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation.

Question 6

USA | Case Study

Accepted Answer

Company 
Serna Bio is a YC-backed ML small molecule company. They are building the world’s first map of the druggable transcriptome. They have a remote EMEA team with operational wet labs in Stevenage, UK.

Requirement
Lead the pre-series A hiring for:
• CBO (East Coast US)
• Bioinformatician (East Coast US)
• Medicinal Chemistry Director (East Coast US)
• UCLA NGS Scientist (West Coast US)
• High Throughput Screening Scientist (Stevenage, UK)
• Synthetic Biology Lead (Stevenage, UK)
 
Solution
• Strategic partner to the CEO, requiring urgency and 24/7 communication. 
• Diarising interviews with hiring managers across PT, ET, GMT and CDT time zones
• Identify rare talent and conduct coding challenges under NDA
• Strong client-side negotiator on global bonus and equity packages 
 
Testimonial
“Tom is the only recruiter where, when we get a CV, it is bang on what we are looking for. Every candidate is exceptional.” -  Rabia Khan, CEO Serna Bio

Clients

Clients We Work With

Scale-ups with clinical pipelines

Academic spin-outs & translational research groups

Pharma R&D units and CRO/CMO partners

VC operating teams and scientific advisory boards

3 talent solutions to choose from:

Exclusive Partnership

Retained Assignment

Fractional Recruitment Partner

Case Studies

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