Talent Acquisition Partner

About the role

As the first dedicated recruitment hire, you will build Apheris' hiring engine from the ground up, designing an AI-driven talent architecture while finding rare talent who can navigate both deep-tech environments and the specialized nuances of pharmaceutical and biotech. You'll combine strong recruiting craft with the ability to represent Apheris at a high level and win exceptional talent, using both AI-driven workflows and human judgment to identify and close individuals who others might overlook.

What you'll do

• Design and run the full recruitment stack across Engineering, Commercial, and Generalist roles as the first hire in this function.
• Use AI tooling and automation to systematically identify and engage high-signal candidates beyond inbound and job boards.
• Act as a credible, compelling voice of the company in every interaction, translating what Apheris is building into something candidates want to be part of.
• Identify and close candidates who are not actively looking and do not fit clean patterns, building trust quickly and making Apheris compelling at a personal level.
• Own the offer process from benchmarking to negotiation, navigating complex decision dynamics and securing top candidates.
• Partner with leadership to define roles, shape hiring strategy, and evolve into a sparring partner for talent and hiring decisions.

What you'll need

• 3+ years of full-cycle recruitment experience with a proven track record in a scaling startup environment.
• Direct recruiting experience within the pharmaceutical and biotech space, including ML Engineering roles.
• Hands-on experience using AI tools to improve talent mapping, screening, or candidate engagement.
• Comfortable working across a variety of roles, from technical positions to commercial and generalist hires.
• Ability to build trust and partner effectively with hands-on leaders and specialized hiring managers.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Experience with ATS (preferably Personio) and hunger for establishing and adopting new AI-enabled tooling.

Nice to have

• Existing relationships within the AI-driven drug discovery ecosystem.
• Background in both in-house and agency recruitment.
• Curiosity about how AI and other tools can support and improve Talent Acquisition practices.

What they offer

• Industry-competitive compensation, including early-stage virtual share options
• Remote-first working with office days at Berlin HQ or European location (3x per year)
• Wellbeing budget, mental health benefits, work-from-home budget, co-working stipend, and learning and development budget
• Generous holiday allowance
• Reports directly to the People Lead with high visibility and influence on company culture