The initial project brief was to recruit multiple laboratory based contract roles for GSK’s Barnard Castle site, which is a manufacturing site for sterile products such as vials and syringes.

We have worked with GSK for many years and placed hundreds of satisfied candidates with them, many staying beyond their initial contract with contract extensions and permanent job offers.

Specifically, they were looking for laboratory analysts to work within their GMP laboratory, and utilise complex analytical techniques such as HPLC, GC and volumetric analysis.

GSK take on some of the world’s biggest healthcare challenges and are continually looking for talented candidates who will advance their teams. They prefer to take on candidates who have knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practice, and have worked in the pharmaceutical industry previously.

A laboratory role with GSK is extremely desirable to candidates, and there are often other agencies also working on the vacancies. Therefore, speed is of the essence – otherwise we risk the great candidates already being sent

With a role like this, the first port of call was to search through our database of quality candidates within the local area, with whom we have previously spoken to. Both candidates that were placed had previously registered with us after expressing a keen interest to work with both ourselves and GSK.

The role was released to us in November, and we sent the applications of both candidates across to the client the same day. Within three weeks, both interviews had taken place and our candidates started their roles at GSK at the beginning of January.

The candidates we placed had the relevant analytical experience that GSK were looking for, and were also incredibly good personality fits for the existing team. They have gone on to make excellent progress with the company, making vital contributions and enjoying getting stuck into their responsibilities.

Nxera Pharma, formerly Sosei Heptares, is a leading biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative drug discovery and development. During a phase of sustained growth and reorganisation, Nxera required a reliable, streamlined recruitment process to attract high-calibre talent across all levels, from Scientist to Vice-President, in fields spanning pre-clinical, translational, and clinical development.

Nxera’s expansion and restructuring created several recruitment challenges:

Scalability and Flexibility: The company needed a recruitment solution that could scale with its rapid growth.

Integrated Talent Pipeline: With multiple open positions across diverse functions, Nxera required a recruitment partner who could understand its culture, goals, and specific needs.

Efficient Access to Candidate Information: Nxera’s hiring managers sought a seamless, efficient way to access candidate profiles and make hiring decisions quickly.

Nxera partnered with us as their sole recruitment provider, leveraging our LiveList platform to streamline and enhance their talent acquisition process. LiveList offered Nxera a fully branded, customised microsite integrated with their vacancy page, connecting directly to our candidate database.

Key features of our LiveList solution included:

Centralised Candidate Database: Hiring managers at Nxera gained direct access to CVs and candidate profiles, allowing them to review, assess, and act on qualified candidates efficiently.

Seamless Integration: This close integration enabled us to develop a profound understanding of Nxera’s values, team dynamics, and long-term goals, providing potential candidates with a unique, comprehensive insight into the company and its career opportunities

Our close collaboration with Nxera Pharma has resulted in a highly efficient recruitment process, helping them secure talented individuals across a wide range of scientific and leadership roles.

Accelerate Hiring Timelines: Our integrated system has streamlined access to candidate information, reducing the time to hire.

Fill Critical Roles: With our good understanding of Nxera’s needs, we successfully filled positions across pre-clinical, translational, and clinical development, from Scientist to Vice-President levels.

Enhance Candidate Experience: Through our insights and understanding of Nxera’s culture, we’ve been able to communicate effectively with candidates, building a strong pipeline of engaged talent aligned with Nxera’s vision.

As Nxera Pharma’s recruitment partner, we continue to support their sustained growth and evolving needs. Our partnership has established a reliable recruitment foundation, helping Nxera advance its strategic goals through attracting and hiring exceptional talent.

Talentmark (formerly CK Group) was approached by INEOS Compounds to support the recruitment of several key technical and leadership roles at their UK site.

These included a QC and Complaints Manager (maternity cover), Head of Quality, Technical Service Lead, Laboratory Development Lead, and a Laboratory Technician (temporary). Most of these were newly created positions, introduced as part of the company’s continued growth and strategic expansion. The goal was to attract experienced professionals who could contribute immediately and grow with the business.

While the project offered exciting opportunities, it also presented several challenges. Given the highly specialised nature of PVC and plastics compounding, the local talent pool was limited. Few similar companies operated in the surrounding area, meaning the search had to extend over a wider geographic radius.

Additionally, all roles were based on-site, so relocation was a requirement for many candidates with the appropriate background. This naturally narrowed the field of potential applicants and required careful, personalised candidate engagement.

To overcome these challenges, Talentmark took a consultative, partnership-based approach. A key part of this involved visiting the INEOS Compounds site to meet directly with hiring managers and HR. This visit provided a good understanding of the business, its product lines, technical requirements, and—most importantly—its people and culture.

With this insight, Talentmark was able to craft tailored role briefs, clearly articulate the company’s values to candidates, and ensure a strong fit both technically and culturally. By expanding the search parameters and focusing on transferable skills within related industries, the team was able to access a broader pool of qualified candidates.

Talentmark successfully placed candidates into all roles, with INEOS Compounds expressing high satisfaction with both the service and the individuals hired. The strong relationship and results led to Talentmark being asked to support a new international role for the client in Europe, demonstrating trust and confidence in the partnership.

The success of the project highlights the value of investing time in understanding the client’s business and tailoring the recruitment process to match their unique needs.

The client required a recruitment partner capable of delivering consistent, high-quality talent across diverse scientific and engineering disciplines. Talentmark was brought in to provide long-term support and fill critical vacancies across laboratories, production facilities, and technical departments.

Key roles filled include:

• Quality Control Specialist
• QC Batch Chemist
• Research Chemist
• Electrical Engineer
• QC Technician
• Mechanical Maintenance Specialist
• Laboratory Technician
• Facilities Manager
• Process Engineer
• Colour Technician
• Technical Coatings Team Leader

The challenge was not only finding highly specialised candidates, but doing so repeatedly over time, often within short timeframes and in highly competitive markets. The client needed a recruitment partner who understood both the technical nature of their work and the cultural fit required within their teams.

Talentmark became an embedded recruitment partner, offering dedicated account management and a good understanding of the client’s operations and evolving needs. Our sector-specific expertise and proactive sourcing strategies enabled us to identify top candidates quickly and efficiently.

The Quality Control Manager at the client organisation, shared his perspective on the partnership:

“[Talentmark] consistently provides us with high-quality candidates who are an excellent fit for our team. The process is always quick, efficient, and reliable. [Talentmark] truly understands the nature of our work and knows precisely what we need in our candidates. We’ve partnered with [Talentmark] for several years and have never felt the need to look elsewhere when expanding our team.”

This successful long-term collaboration has allowed the client to grow key technical teams with confidence, knowing they have a trusted recruitment partner in Talentmark.

Veolia is the UK leader in environmental solutions, providing waste, water, and energy management services. Their mission is to support a sustainable future by offering innovative ways to conserve natural resources, reduce pollution, and protect the environment.

Veolia sought a trusted recruitment partner to assist with hard-to-fill, niche roles across their UK operations, particularly in scientific and technical domains.

• Recruitment for specialised, hard-to-fill roles.
• The need for a recruitment partner who understands internal processes and can work collaboratively without pressure sales tactics.
• Ensuring all communication aligns with internal procedures and preferred supplier protocols.

Talentmark was added to Veolia’s permanent agency preferred supplier list and engaged as needed for specialist vacancies. The team at Talentmark focused on:

• Understanding the complexity of the roles.
• Maintaining clear, respectful, and procedure-aligned communication.
• Providing knowledgeable consultants who are approachable and friendly.

Talentmark consistently delivered on niche role placements, offering a service that matched Veolia’s values and expectations. Their non-intrusive, consultative approach was especially appreciated.

“When needed, [Talentmark] helps us with our hard-to-fill niche roles. They communicate well, are always nice and friendly, and knowledgeable in their own areas. I personally have always found [Talentmark] good to work with. When they are provided with a role to work on, they always communicate via the correct channels and follow our procedures.”
– Lucy Price, Veolia

The Hiring Manager needed expert support to source and secure a Senior Biomarker Specialist with the right expertise and cultural fit. As a small, fast-moving company, the client required a precise and efficient recruitment process to meet their ambitious goals.

The role definition required refinement to better attract candidates whose skills and values aligned with the company’s goals and culture. Rather than pursuing a large volume of applicants, the focus was on quality over quantity—favoring a small, targeted list of well-matched candidates. Unexpected changes in candidate availability and internal decision-making required a flexible and professional approach to keep the hiring process on track.

Naynesh, a Client Partner at Talentmark, led a consultative approach with the client by working closely to refine the job specification through detailed discussions, asking the right questions and honest feedback. He was able to give the client advice to guide them in the skills and requirements they needed. He was also able to advise them on which candidates he knew would be a good fit for the role.

He delivered a carefully curated shortlist of qualified candidates that incorporated the client’s input. Throughout the process, Naynesh managed unexpected shifts—such as candidate withdrawals and internal changes—with professionalism and clear communication.

Thanks to Naynesh’s market insight and consultative approach, the client was able to progress swiftly through the hiring process, onboarding their ideal candidate within just a few weeks—an impressive turnaround for the start-up.

Reflecting on the experience, the client stated, “I appreciated your honest appraisal of our spec and help to get that right ahead of the contract; by asking the right questions and making us think. It gave me confidence that you knew the market and understood what we were trying to achieve in the hire and profile we wanted.”
The client commended Naynesh’s market expertise, candid feedback, and consultative approach, which provided them with confidence in both the process and the final hire.

This project demonstrates Talentmark’s ability to deliver high-impact hiring solutions quickly and effectively, even in dynamic, high-stakes environments.

The client required a reliable recruitment partner to source and manage contract staff across a wide range of specialist roles in the life sciences sector. Operating through a Vendor Neutral Supplier, Talentmark was selected as an approved supplier to support long-term workforce needs.

Type of roles required and filled: PV Process Director, Country Study Manager, Senior Pharmacovigilance Scientist, Regulatory Affairs Consultant, Clinical Operations Lead, Data Acquisition Specialist, Quality Specialist, Clinical Research Study Leader, Global Studies Manager and Senior PV Scientist.

Supplying high volumes of specialist contract talent—while maintaining quality—requires deep client knowledge, VNS collaboration, and continuous market awareness. Understanding departmental nuances and shifting project demands is critical in such a highly regulated environment.

Talentmark developed a long-standing, consultative relationship with both the client and the Vendor Neutral Supplier. This enabled the team to align quickly on requirements and consistently deliver well-matched candidates. Talentmark’s recruitment specialists built insight into each department’s preferences, resulting in high CV-to-interview success rates.

“Our success rate is exceptionally high, with interviews often secured for nearly every CV submitted.”

In addition to core recruitment, Talentmark provided strategic advice on contractor engagement, including IR35 guidance, remote working during the pandemic, and salary benchmarking

Over 25 contractors are typically engaged at any one time across areas such as clinical operations, pharmacovigilance, regulatory affairs, and biometrics. Talentmark remains a top-tier supplier, known for reliable delivery and high contractor satisfaction.

“Contractors value the modern, newly refitted offices and the convenient Welwyn Garden City location.”
[Talentmark’s] long-term partnership with this life science leader highlights the value of consistency, good client understanding, and strong relationships with VNS partners. Their tailored approach, proactive communication, and quality-driven recruitment continue to support one of the world’s most respected healthcare brands.