Situation
Next Phase has worked within the fields of Biotechnology, Biopharmaceuticals and MedTech for over 16 years. Back in 2013-2014 we began to hear more and more about the Cell & Gene Therapy sector, which was showing the potential to become a fast-growing area.
Task
Through a mutual contact, in early 2014 we were introduced to a Cell & Gene Therapy organisation (from here called “Partner”) that had been set up to act as a facilitator for a range of ATMP projects. They provide resources and scientific expertise to academic spin-outs, start-up biotechs and larger organisations, to enable these collaborators to advance quickly into clinical trials and process scale-up. Partner has needed to hire a range of individuals with very specific expertise, across multiple functions including lab-based Scientific, Bioinformatics, Quality, IT (Support, LIMS Administration and Software Development) and Supply Chain roles.
Action
From the outset, Next Phase assigned an Account Manager as the central point of contact to Partner, with a second individual included in all communication for contingency. As Partner has grown over the last 8 years, this relationship has expanded and we now have a team of 5 people assigned to the Partner account, all of whom have detailed knowledge of Partner’s culture, company structure and job roles. We manage all correspondence centrally and this process works very efficiently.
Outside of the more transactional side of filling positions, we also support Partner with other projects. For example:
• We have provided market comparison / salary benchmarking reports.
• We use our personality profiling software to create personalised “New Starter guides” for every employee we place. These help the onboarding process to be tailored to each individual person’s own learning needs.
• We have invited key individuals from Partner to accompany us at industry events, such as the Advanced Therapies Congress in London in October 2021, where they joined us in a roundtable discussion about addressing skills shortages in the ATMP sector (click here to view the report).
• We refer graduates (at no fee to Next Phase) to Partner’s graduate internship / apprenticeship scheme.
• Moreover, we take a very active role in promoting their business within our candidate community, through our social channels as well as through our direct candidate communication.
Results
Over the last 8 years, Next Phase has filled over 75 positions with Partner. Jobs we have filled since 2020 include:
Head of Analytical Development
IT Service Delivery & Enterprise Architect Manager
Industrialisation Scientist
IT Systems Project Manager
Lead Bioprocessing Scientist
Data Integrity Analyst
QC Scientist
Test Analyst
Programme Manager
Intellectual Property Manager
Senior Viral Vector Scientist
Bioprocessing Scientist
Business Development Executive
GMP Trainer
QA Specialist
Senior Process Development Scientist
Summary
This case study illustrates Next Phase’s credentials as a genuinely specialist recruitment consultancy within Cell & Gene Therapies. When you have specific requirements and need to fill permanent or contract positions with people who have exactly the right background, it is essential to partner with an agency with the expertise, connections and resources to represent you, and who can become a true collaborative partner.
To learn more about Next Phase, please contact us on +44 (0)1403 216216.