At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead talent acquisition strategies and enhance candidate experiences in a fast-paced environment.
- Company: AQEMIA, a pioneering drug invention company focused on innovative medicines.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, remote work options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Shape the future of drug discovery while building high-performing teams.
- Qualifications: Experience in talent acquisition with strong organisational and communication skills.
- Other info: Join a diverse team in a dynamic, international setting with strong financial backing.
The predicted salary is between 48000 - 84000 ÂŁ per year.
About AQEMIA
AQEMIA is a drug invention company dedicated to creating entirely new medicines to address major unmet medical needs. At the core of our mission is QEMI, our proprietary moleculeâinvention platform, which uniquely combines cuttingâedge science with advanced technology. Powered by physicsâbased modeling, statistical mechanics, and generative AI, QEMI allows our teams to design novel drug candidates from first principles.
What makes AQEMIA different is our commitment to true innovation: our research is dedicated to the invention of new molecular entities, not the refinement of existing ones. We focus on inventing neverâbeforeâseen molecules, without relying on experimental data, and advancing them into a growing pipeline of proprietary programs and strategic partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies. Our most advanced preclinical programs are currently in vivo optimization, targeting diseases still waiting for effective treatments, offering our teams the opportunity to work on science that can make a real difference in people's lives.
About our Team
AQEMIA brings together a diverse, multidisciplinary team of 65+ professionals based in Paris and London. Our scientists and engineers, including chemists, physicists, machine learning experts, and software engineers, work side by side to push the boundaries of earlyâstage drug discovery. This close collaboration across disciplines is central to our approach, enabling us to tackle complex scientific challenges from first principles and translate cuttingâedge ideas into novel therapeutic candidates. At AQEMIA, team members are encouraged to contribute their expertise, learn from one another, and play an active role in shaping the future of drug invention.
About This Role
Weâre looking for a Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist to play a key role in shaping and scaling our hiring strategy. You will work in close partnership with leadership and hiring managers to drive endâtoâend recruitment, build and nurture highâquality pipelines, and continuously elevate how we attract, assess, and engage top talent in a highly competitive deepâtech environment. This role is for someone who combines strategic thinking with strong execution, thrives in fastâmoving, ambiguous environments, and genuinely cares about building highâperforming teams. Youâll have a high level of autonomy, clear ownership over critical hires, and a meaningful impact on the companyâs growth. Youâll be a trusted partner to the business, influencing decisions, structuring scalable processes, and setting the standards for talent acquisition at AQEMIA.
What Youâll Be Doing
- Strategic Sourcing & Market Intelligence: Lead and continuously refine sourcing strategies for highly specialised scientific, AI, and deepâtech roles. Leverage LinkedIn, GitHub, openâweb channels, and market mapping to build longâterm, highâimpact talent pipelines.
- Candidate Experience & Hiring Quality: Set the standard for candidate experience: oversee interview coordination and communication, ensure fairness and consistency, and act as a guardian of a respectful, highâquality hiring journey at every stage.
- Hiring Content & Process Design: Own and evolve job descriptions, interview frameworks, and hiring documentation to ensure clarity, alignment with business needs, and scalability as AQEMIA grows.
- EndâtoâEnd Talent Operations Ownership: Own the operational backbone of Talent Acquisition across the company: ensure ATS integrity, highâquality pipelines, and consistent, scalable hiring processes across multiple teams and seniority levels.
- DataâDriven Hiring Decisions: Define, track, and interpret funnel metrics; proactively identify bottlenecks and risks; and provide actionable insights to leadership to keep hiring aligned with company priorities.
You Could Be a Great Fit If
- You bring solid, handsâon experience from an agency, inâhouse talent team, or fastâmoving scaleâup, and youâre comfortable operating in complex, evolving environments.
- You combine strong organisational skills with proactive ownership, you design structure, anticipate needs, and ensure execution remains smooth and reliable.
- You have a genuine interest in sourcing and talent intelligence; whether expert or advanced, you enjoy refining search strategies and staying close to the market.
- You communicate with clarity, empathy, and credibility; candidates and stakeholders alike feel informed, respected, and confident when working with you.
- You naturally act as a connector and stabilising force, keeping people, processes, and priorities aligned as things move quickly.
- You thrive in highâgrowth, fastâpaced contexts, adapting calmly to shifting priorities while maintaining focus on outcomes.
- You have a strong attention to detail and quality, understanding that accuracy, consistency, and followâthrough directly impact hiring excellence.
Why This Role Matters
This role is central to AQEMIA's ability to scale. You will shape how candidates experience AQEMIA, how hiring managers make decisions, and how the Talent function operates day to day and long term. By driving highâquality hiring practices, strong stakeholder partnerships, and operational excellence, you will directly impact the speed, quality, and sustainability of our growth. Your work will influence who joins AQEMIA, how teams are built, and ultimately how we deliver on our mission.
Why Join Us?
At AQEMIA, we work for a mission: joining us means having your own impact on changing the way drugs are discovered, and helping to shape the direction of our fastâgrowing company and team.
- Expanding Drug Discovery Pipeline: Focused on critical therapeutic areas like Oncology, CNS, Immunoâinflammation with in vivo proof of concept/patent stage programs. Collaborations with top Pharma, including a $140M Sanofi deal.
- Interdisciplinary Team: Brilliant talent from tech and life sciences.
- DeepTech Recognition: Part of French Tech 120 and France 2030.
- Prime Location: Based in central Paris and London (King's Cross) with the possibility of 2 remote days per week.
- International Environment: The work language is English â relocation support and French lessons granted if needed.
- Strong Financial Backing: $100M raised from leading European and International investors.
Senior Talent Acquisition in London employer: Aqemia
Contact Detail:
Aqemia Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice đ¤Ť
We think this is how you could land Senior Talent Acquisition in London
â¨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join online forums, and donât be shy to reach out on LinkedIn. The more connections you make, the better your chances of landing that dream job.
â¨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching AQEMIA and its mission. Understand their unique approach to drug invention and think about how your skills can contribute. Tailor your responses to show youâre not just a fit for the role, but also for the company culture.
â¨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Conduct mock interviews with friends or use online platforms. This will help you get comfortable with common questions and refine your answers, making you feel more confident when itâs time to shine.
â¨Tip Number 4
Donât forget to follow up after interviews! A simple thank-you email can go a long way. It shows your appreciation and keeps you fresh in the minds of the hiring team. Plus, itâs a great opportunity to reiterate your enthusiasm for the role.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Talent Acquisition in London
Some tips for your application đŤĄ
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Senior Talent Acquisition role. Highlight relevant experience and skills that align with AQEMIA's mission and values. We want to see how you can contribute to our innovative approach!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you're passionate about talent acquisition and how your background makes you a perfect fit for AQEMIA. Be genuine and let your personality come through!
Showcase Your Strategic Thinking: In your application, demonstrate your strategic thinking skills. Share examples of how you've successfully sourced talent in complex environments. We love seeing candidates who can think outside the box and adapt quickly!
Apply Through Our Website: Don't forget to apply through our website! Itâs the best way for us to receive your application and ensures youâre considered for the role. Plus, it shows us youâre keen on joining our team at AQEMIA!
How to prepare for a job interview at Aqemia
â¨Know Your Stuff
Before the interview, dive deep into AQEMIA's mission and their QEMI platform. Understand how they innovate in drug discovery and be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals. This shows genuine interest and preparation.
â¨Showcase Your Strategic Thinking
As a Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to think strategically. Prepare examples of how you've successfully built talent pipelines or improved hiring processes in previous roles. Be ready to discuss your approach to sourcing specialised talent.
â¨Emphasise Candidate Experience
AQEMIA values a high-quality candidate experience. Think about how you've ensured fairness and consistency in past hiring processes. Share specific instances where you enhanced the candidate journey, as this will resonate well with their focus on quality.
â¨Be Data-Driven
Familiarise yourself with key metrics in talent acquisition. Be prepared to discuss how you've used data to inform hiring decisions and identify bottlenecks. Showing that you can leverage data to improve processes will align perfectly with AQEMIA's emphasis on operational excellence.