CMC Recruitment Success: How CSG Talent Helped Abcuro Hire with Pace and Precision

Scaling Abcuro’s CMC Team for BLA Approval 

With their BLA in preparation, Jeff Geary, Director of Human Resources at Abcuro, brought CSG Talent into the process as one of two trusted search partners. Abcuro had three business-critical positions to hire at pace:  

Each role required advanced technical expertise, strong leadership skills, a track record of end-to-end project delivery, and the ability to thrive in Abcuro’s collaborative, fast-paced culture. When the roles were advertised, approximately 600 candidates applied within the first week. 

This volume increased the complexity of the search, as it required a biotech recruitment partner who could narrow down the applications, understand the technical demands of the roles, and deliver the right talent quickly and efficiently. 

Tailored Search for Complex CMC Roles 

CSG Talent’s biotech and pharma specialists, Shari Hulitt and Harry Kanadaras, brought niche recruitment experience and a deep understanding of the challenges facing high-growth biotech companies. CSG Talent took a consultative and collaborative approach from the start to fully understand the specific technical requirements for each role, along with the soft skills needed to succeed at Abcuro. 

CSG Talent focused on identifying candidates who had strong CMC experience through the entire development process, from early-stage R&D through to commercialisation. This was essential to avoid wasting time and ensure quality at every stage of the process. 

What set CSG Talent apart was their ability to complete screening with pace and precision. With over 600 applications to review, the team invested significant time to carefully separate those with basic CMC experience from those with hands-on, end-to-end project delivery.  

This alone highlights the value of working with a specialist recruitment partner, particularly in such a competitive market where so many candidates are actively seeking opportunities. This level of screening saved the hiring managers hours of effort and ensured that only the most qualified professionals progressed to interview, making the process significantly more efficient. 

They were also proactive in conducting their own detailed searches to reach passive candidates who wouldn’t have been found through traditional recruitment methods. One of the roles was ultimately filled using this approach, demonstrating the key advantages of partnering with a headhunter who has access to hidden talent pools and the ability to engage candidates with opportunities they may not have otherwise considered. 

Throughout the process, CSG maintained consistent communication with Abcuro through weekly progress calls with hiring managers. As a global business, CSG Talent operates across multiple time zones, with teams in place to ensure flexibility and responsiveness. This global reach meant interviews and key communications could be scheduled swiftly, without delays, helping to keep the hiring process moving at pace. 

Because of CSG Talent’s technical expertise, hiring managers saw them as trusted advisors. During the review process with the hiring manager, we were asked our recommendations of who should progress to the next stage, which is a core part of being a true, consultative recruitment partner. Shari's top recommendations led to an interview, and ultimately the successful hire.