About the role
About Apheris At Apheris, we are building the future of how AI is applied in pharmaceutical R&D. We enable leading pharmaceutical teams to discover and develop drugs faster. We host the industry’s largest federated data networks for drug discovery AI, spanning co-folding, ADMET, and antibody developability. Across these networks, models are trained on proprietary industry datasets to achieve higher performance and broader applicability while keeping data control and IP protected. We deliver these superior models through drug discovery applications that enable teams to run them at scale, further customize them, and integrate them into existing R&D workflows. AI Structural Biology (AISB) Network: Nine top-20 pharma companies collaborate in the field of co-folding, structure-based binding affinity predictions and antibody design. ADMET Network: Five top-50 pharma and biotechs collaborate to improve small-molecule property prediction and expand to further drug modalities (e.g., PROTACs). Antibody Developability Network: Pharma partners collaborate to federate historical and purpose-built antibody developability datasets for secure ML training, without data leaving each partner’s environment. About the role We are seeking a Talent Acquisition Partner to join Apheris during a pivotal phase of growth. As our first dedicated recruitment hire, you will build our hiring engine from the ground up. You’ll move beyond traditional processes to design an AI-driven talent architecture, leveraging agentic capabilities to automate and optimize high-impact workflows. At Apheris, we operate at the complex intersection of technology and biology . This means you won't just be "hiring" - you’ll be tasked with finding the rare talent who can navigate both deep-tech environments and the specialized nuances of the pharmaceutical and biotech domain . We are looking for a partner who combines strong recruiting craft with the ability to represent Apheris at a high level and win exceptional talent. This goes beyond running efficient processes or using AI-driven workflows. It requires judgment, presence, and the ability to engage candidates in a way that reflects the ambition of what we are building. Modern hiring works best when systems and human judgment reinforce each other. AI can surface strong candidates and patterns at scale, but the real edge comes from recognizing the outliers who do not neatly fit predefined profiles. In a multidisciplinary field like ours, you will use both. You uphold a high hiring bar while adding the nuance, context, and personal touch needed to identify and close individuals who others might overlook. About you What you will do Build the e ngine: As the first hire in this function, you design and run the full recruitment stack across Engineering, Commercial, and Generalist roles. You set structure where needed, but keep it lean and adaptable. Source with AI: Go beyond inbound and job boards. Use AI tooling and automation (e.g. talent mapping, Claude Code, n8n) to systematically identify and engage high-signal candidates. Represent Apheris to candidates: Act as a credible, compelling voice of the company in every interaction. You translate what we are building into something candidates want to be part of. You excel at building relationships and creating excitement for our mission, raising the bar for the candidate experience. Win the top 1%: Identify and close candidates who are not actively looking and do not fit clean patterns. You build trust quickly, understand what drives them, and make Apheris compelling at a personal level. This is targeted, high-conviction recruiting. Close with p recision : Own the offer process from benchmarking to negotiation. Navigate complex decision dynamics and secure top candidates without defaulting to compensation as the only lever. Partner with leadership: Work closely with leadership to define roles, shape hiring strategy, and continuously refine how we assess talent. Evolve into a sparring partner for talent and hiring decisions. What we expect from you Experience: 3+ years of full-cycle recruitment experience, including a proven track record in a scaling startup environment . You understand the unique challenges of a rapidly growing company. Domain e xpertise : Direct recruiting experience within the pharmaceutical and biotech space, including ML Engineering roles. Experience in AI-driven drug discovery strongly preferred. AI a ffinity: You are an “AI-native” recruiter. You have hands-on experience using AI tools to improve talent mapping, screening, or candidate engagement. Versatility: You are comfortable working across a variety of roles, from technical positions to commercial and generalist hires. Strategic m indset: Ability to build trust and partner effectively with hands-on leaders and specialized hiring managers. Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Tech s tack: Experience with ATS (preferably Personio) and a 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 to bring perspectives from different stakeholder environments and variations of different roles and crafts. Curiosity about how AI and other tools can support and improve Talent Acquisition practices. What we offer you Industry-competitive compensation, including early-stage virtual share options Remote-first working – work where you work best, whether from home or a co-working space near you Great suite of benefits, including a wellbeing budget, mental health benefits, a work-from-home budget, a co-working stipend and a learning and development budget Generous holiday allowance Office Days at our Berlin HQ or a different European location (3x a year) A fun, diverse team of mission-driven individuals with experience across leading organizations and a drive to see AI and ML used for good You will be joining a mission-driven company at the forefront of AI-driven drug discovery. We offer the flexibility of working from anywhere in Europe while being part of a collaborative, high-performing team. This role reports directly to the People Lead, offering you high visibility and the opportunity to significantly influence our company culture as we scale. Logistics Our mission statement