Drop off your CV
We'd love to hear from you. Send us your CV and one of our specialist consultants will be in touch.
CSG Talent Working in Partnership
Locus Fermentation Solutions: Strengthening Battery Metals Leadership Through Specialist Executive Search
Locus Fermentation Solutions is an mining biotechnology company applying innovative microbial technologies across various sectors, including mining, industrial processing, and the wider natural resources economy. As part of its growing focus on battery metals, the organisation has been developing bio-based solutions designed to improve mineral processing efficiency and help meet the increasing demand for critical minerals used in electric vehicles and energy storage technologies.
With the global battery metals landscape becoming increasingly competitive, Locus required the right senior expertise to support technical innovation, commercial expansion, and long-term development.
Defining Leadership Requirements in a Specialist Market
In early 2025, following the arrival of a new CEO and HR leadership team, Locus began reshaping its organisational structure. The new leadership team recognised that the role needed to be redesigned to reflect the demands of a scaling organisation operating in the battery metals sector. The company made the strategic decision to define responsibilities into two new positions that would provide a stronger long-term impact.
One of the roles was a Mineral Processing & Innovation Manager, a position designed to guide the development of bio-based solutions for critical mineral processing while providing mentorship to engineers at various stages of their development. This required a mix of technical expertise, innovation experience, and the personal qualities necessary to support and nurture technical teams.
The other position was a Director of Sales, who needed to bring a strong understanding of commercial strategy within niche markets, as well as the ability to build relationships across the precious and critical minerals supply chain. One of the main challenges for Locus was that the availability of senior professionals with relevant battery metals experience is extremely limited, meaning they required the support of executive search specialists with an extensive global network within battery metals and mining recruitment.
CSG Talent proactively approached the company after identifying the recent organisational changes and understanding the impact these shifts would have on leadership hiring. During initial conversations with the new CEO in May 2025, Locus realised the value CSG Talent could provide, considering the team’s strong track record in battery metals recruitment.
A Consultative Search Built on Industry Expertise
CSG Talent approached the partnership with a clear emphasis on collaboration and strategic consultation. The team worked closely with Locus’ CEO and HR leaders to refine the role requirements and ensure each position was structured to deliver maximum value to the organisation. This consultative process also included providing insight into salary expectations, the availability of niche skillsets, and the nuances of recruiting within the critical and battery metals sector, allowing Locus to approach the search from an informed and competitive position.
CSG Talent’s industry expertise and global talent network were both crucial factors throughout the process. Each candidate was thoroughly assessed to identify not only their technical and commercial skills but also their leadership style and alignment with Locus’ collaborative culture.
The mining and battery metals recruitment team invested significant time into conversations with each shortlisted candidate to understand their motivations, personality, and long-term potential. This ensured that every individual introduced to Locus had both the technical expertise and the human qualities necessary to make a positive impact.
CSG Talent worked with pace and efficiency by providing regular updates and discussing each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses. Despite the technical complexity of the roles, both hires were completed within just a few months, which is a rapid turnaround for senior-level positions in a specialist global market.
“We partnered with CSG Talent for two searches and couldn’t be more pleased with the experience. It was important for Locus to work with a firm that had deep industry knowledge and strong connections, and CSG Talent delivered on both. From the start, their team took the time to understand our needs and listen to our hiring managers. Candidates were presented in organized batches, which made it easy to keep the process moving efficiently. The recruiters consistently sought our feedback, refining their search and improving each round of candidates. Thanks to CSG Talent, we received a strong pool of qualified applicants and successfully filled both positions. They made the process seamless and worked hard to find exactly what we needed.”
Locus Fermentation Solutions - HR LeaderStrategic Hires Enabling Growth in the Battery Metals Sector
The partnership with CSG Talent resulted in the successful appointment of both senior roles. The Mineral Processing & Innovation Manager brought strong mineral processing experience and the leadership skills required to support the company’s engineering teams and guide new innovation. The Director of Sales provided the commercial and relationship-building expertise needed to drive Locus’ expansion across the battery metals market.
CSG Talent demonstrated precision by making sure only the most relevant candidates were shortlisted, saving Locus considerable time and allowing the leadership team to focus on core strategy. The pace of delivery without compromising on quality further demonstrated the advantage of working with a battery metals executive search expert.
Locus benefited from partnering with an executive search partner who are true experts in the battery metals sector and fully understand the competitive pressures of executive recruitment and the importance of cultural alignment during organisational change.
The partnership between Locus Fermentation Solutions and CSG Talent shows the impact that a consultative approach can have in one of the most competitive sectors of the global natural resources talent market.
Contact CSG Talent for support securing senior-level leadership talent.
Case Studies
Related Case Studies
Get in touch
How can we help?
We'd love to hear from you, whether you require support with your talent acquisition, are looking to make a career move, or are interested in working at CSG.
- +44 (0) 333 323 2000
- contact@csgtalent.com
-
CSG Talent Manor House
2 Manor Road Horsforth
Leeds
LS18 4DX
UK