# Affinity Talent Live page: https://affinitytalent.bio/ ## Machine-readable resources - Sitemap: https://affinitytalent.bio/sitemap.xml - LLM index: https://affinitytalent.bio/llms.txt - Full LLM context: https://affinitytalent.bio/llms-full.txt - Jobs page (Markdown): https://affinitytalent.bio/markdown/jobs.md - API catalog: https://affinitytalent.bio/.well-known/api-catalog - Agent skills index: https://affinitytalent.bio/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json - MCP server card: https://affinitytalent.bio/.well-known/mcp/server-card.json - API and agent docs: https://affinitytalent.bio/docs/api ## Navigation - Expertise - Approach - Specialist Lens - Matching Engine - About - Open Roles - Book a Call ## Hero Biotech Recruitment SynBio · Bioinformatics · Therapeutics # We find the scientists others miss. Shortlisted in 18 days. - Book a Discovery Call - See How It Works ### Proof points - 18 days — shortlist live - 3-5 names — with a written brief - $0 upfront — until you meet the shortlist ### Why startups call us Early-stage biotech startups call us when the hire is too important for surface-level search. We understand the science, look beyond titles, and find the people whose experience actually fits the problem. - See How We Evaluate ## Areas of expertise ## We recruit across the scientific roles that power modern biotech. ### Expertise map ## Our recruitment coverage. ### Beyond the grid These are the areas we know best. If your brief sits between categories, we know how to read it and where to search. ### Synthetic Biology Programmable biology One of your first platform scientists who can build end to end: design-build-test cycles, strain engineering, genome editing, and cell line work. This is the hire that turns promising biology into a repeatable platform. #### Roles we place - Synthetic Biologist - Genome Engineer - Strain Engineer - Metabolic Engineer - Mammalian Cell Engineer - Fermentation Scientist ### Cell Biology Core biology The scientists who turn targets, pathways, and phenotypes into decision-grade bench evidence. Essential when you need real biological conviction before scaling platform, discovery, or translational work. #### Roles we place - Cell Biologist - Molecular Biologist - Disease Biologist - Immunologist - Stem Cell Biologist - Disease Model Scientist ### Therapeutics Drug development For therapeutic biotech building antibodies, engineered proteins, or other biological therapies, we place scientists who understand discovery, optimization, and developability, not just wet-lab throughput. #### Roles we place - Biologics Scientist - Antibody Discovery Scientist - Protein Engineer - Phage Display Scientist - Protein Sciences Scientist - Developability Scientist ### Bioinformatics Computational biology The hire who turns sequencing, single-cell, proteomics, or multimodal data into robust analysis pipelines and biological readouts. Critical when the bottleneck is interpretation, not data generation. #### Roles we place - Bioinformatician - Computational Biologist - Genomics Scientist - Bioinformatics Engineer - Single-Cell Computational Biologist - Proteomics Scientist ### Platform Biology Assays and screening The team that builds assays, automation, and screening workflows every other scientist relies on. Often the leverage point between a strong idea and a usable discovery engine. #### Roles we place - Platform Biologist - Assay Development Scientist - Screening Scientist - HTS Scientist - High-Content Screening Scientist - Automation Scientist ### Translational Science Bench to clinic Scientists who connect mechanism, in vivo evidence, biomarkers, and early clinical strategy. Essential when you are building the preclinical package, preparing for first-in-human studies, or strengthening the story for partners and investors. #### Roles we place - Translational Scientist - Biomarker Scientist - In Vivo Scientist - Preclinical Scientist - Pharmacology Scientist - PK/PD Scientist ### Drug Discovery Targets and validation Scientists who can choose targets, define screening strategy, and make early program decisions with limited data. The right hire improves what moves into the pipeline and stops weak programs before they consume time and budget. #### Roles we place - Target Discovery Scientist - Target Validation Scientist - Discovery Biologist - Chemical Biologist - Structural Biologist - Hit Discovery Scientist ### AI / ML for Biology Model-driven discovery Hybrid scientists who combine machine learning, research engineering, and biology to build predictive systems for discovery. Unlike classical bioinformatics, the goal is not just to analyze data, but to predict outcomes and guide experiments. #### Roles we place - Machine Learning Scientist - Research Engineer - ML Engineer - Computational Biologist - Protein ML Scientist - Computational Discovery Scientist ## Approach ### Discovery ## We already mapped your science before you call. No intake form. Before we speak, we read your papers, patents, and preprints. We map your domain ourselves. When we talk, we skip the basics and go straight to the scientific gap you're trying to close. ### Field Mapping ## We chart who's actually advancing your field. We map the publication landscape in your exact subdomain. Who's advancing it, who's stalled, who has the scientific lineage your problem requires. Most recruiters search LinkedIn. We search the field. ### Signal Scoring ## Every candidate scored by our proprietary model. We assess every candidate using 50+ observable signals across six dimensions: domain, execution, autonomy, trajectory, collaboration, and stage fit. ### Scientific Interview ## We interview on the science. Not the CV. Every candidate goes through a scientific interview. We ask the questions only a specialist would ask: where their curiosity lives, how deep they go, and how they think through failure. ### The Brief & Close ## You receive a brief. Not a stack of CVs. 3 to 5 candidates, each with a written brief: domain fit, execution profile, stage fit, and an honest recommendation. We stay in the process, keep the candidate warm, flag risks early, and make sure the close doesn’t break on logistics. ## Specialist Lens ## The right scientist exists. We know where to look. Generalists pattern-match tidy CVs. We read the science, the trajectory, and the obsession underneath it. That changes who survives the search. ### The same CV. Two different lenses. Drag the divider to see how a generalist recruiter filters out the exact candidate a domain expert fights for. #### Example CV text on the page ##### Dr. Sarah Chen San Francisco, CA • sarah.chen@example.com • github.com/schen-bio ##### Experience ###### Independent Researcher Jan 2023 - Present (11 mos) Self-directed research and development. - Built proprietary metabolic pathway library. - Secured independent funding and shipped v1.0. General Recruiter View: - 11-month employment gap - No context in CV. Looks like a red flag. Affinity Talent View: - 11-month research sprint - Built her own pathway library. Solo, funded, shipped. ###### Metabolic Engineer Ginkgo Bioworks • 2021 - 2023 (2 yrs) - Led strain engineering for novel bio-based materials. - Optimized fermentation processes, increasing yield by 40%. General Recruiter View: - Ginkgo — left after 2 years - Short tenure at only industry role. Flight risk. Affinity Talent View: - Ginkgo — left to go deeper, not escape - Chased a specific metabolic problem. Scientific conviction, not instability. ##### Education ###### Ph.D. in Bioengineering MIT • 2014 - 2021 (7 yrs) - Authored 14 peer-reviewed publications in top-tier journals. - Focus on synthetic biology and metabolic flux analysis. General Recruiter View: - 14 papers — too academic - Publication-heavy background. Might not move at startup speed. Affinity Talent View: - 14 papers — year 7 - Publication velocity compounds — this is a force multiplier. ##### Outcome General Recruiter View: - Outcome: Rejected - Didn't pass initial recruiter screen. Affinity Talent View: - Outcome: Hired in 18 Days - Sent with a 4-page brief. Hired immediately. - See the scoring model ## What we take off your plate ## You focus on science. We handle the search. Sourcing, screening, scoring, interviewing — done before you see a single name. You get a shortlist of 3 to 5 scientists, each with a written brief. Your job is to make one decision, not run a search. ### 01 · The screening Live screening in progress ## We read every CV. You see only the best. ### 02 · Your time ## We save you 1.5 months. By day 18, you already have a vetted shortlist with interview notes. Most searches are still sourcing. - Kickoff - Sourcing - Screening - Shortlist - Interviews - Offer All handled by us · You approve the shortlist ### 03 · Your commitment ## A fraction of the cost. Zero upfront. No salary, no retainer. You pay only when you hire. - In-house recruiter (SF) — ~$165k/yr salary + benefits + ATS + paid ads - Salary + bonuses + benefits - ATS, LinkedIn and sourcing tools - Job ads and recruiting spend - You carry the cost whether you hire 1 person or 6 - Affinity Talent — $0 to start, fee only on a successful hire - No recruiter payroll - No retainer - No cost until a hire is made You only pay if we make the hire Kickoff, search and shortlist happen before any fee is due - Kickoff - Search - Shortlist - Hire made ## Matching Engine ### This Is What The Match Looks Like ## Every signal is scored before you meet the candidate. Your brief sits on one side. The candidate sits on the other. Between them: domain, execution, autonomy, trajectory, collaboration, and stage fit, all measured against the same scientific problem. We break the role into concrete signals, compare those signals against each candidate, and use that score to decide who moves forward. You only see the candidates who clear that bar. - See your match → ### Signal Analysis Status labels used on the page: - Awaiting brief… - Reading brief… - Building signal model… - Vector search running… - Confirming match… - Match complete ### Company brief #### NovaStem Bio Seed · $4.2M · Boston - Platform: RNA therapeutics — SHAPE-MaP pipeline - Need: Lead scientist, full pipeline ownership - Runway: 18 months · lean budget required - Stage fit: Seed-proven, ambiguity-tolerant Signals extracted 4 criteria · model ready ### Matching engine - Weighted signals - 4 active ### Candidate · #01 of 3 #### Dr. A. Lindqvist Comp. Biologist · h-index 19 The page scores and compares candidate signals before surfacing a match. ### Processing labels shown in the UI - Processing log - Vector search · 41k candidates - Scored - Click hex to replay ↺ ## About Us Boutique scientific search ## We know the science, the startups, and the hiring. We are specialists who have seen this industry from every side. We have worked in labs, operated in the venture and startup world, and sat in the interview chair ourselves as candidates. We are not generalist HR recruiters trying to fill technical roles from the outside. We understand the science, the pressure candidates are under, and the realities of building an early-stage company because we have lived much closer to that world ourselves. Close to the science ### We are specialists in the field This is not a broad recruitment practice with a biotech page added to it. We stay close to the field by keeping up with new papers, lab science, and the shifts shaping the market, so our understanding stays current. That helps us read real signal, understand complex roles, and find talent beyond obvious titles. ### Humane hiring increases retention We believe respectful, empathetic hiring is a competitive advantage. When candidates feel understood and treated seriously, the process becomes stronger, trust builds earlier, and retention improves because the match is made with care instead of pressure. ### Founder's note "We built Affinity on two beliefs: specialist knowledge wins better searches, and humane, empathetic hiring creates better retention. The way a candidate is treated during the process shapes whether they join, and whether they stay." Artem Degtiar Founder, Affinity Talent. ## Search Visibility ### Biotech recruiting for computational biology, synbio, and AI for biology. Affinity Talent is a boutique biotech recruiting firm working with early-stage and growth-stage biotech teams hiring scientists and technical operators across computational biology, synthetic biology, platform biology, AI drug discovery, functional genomics, and translational research. We help biotech startups and scientific leaders who need a specialist biotech recruiter rather than a generalist agency. That usually means searches where the brief is technical, the candidate pool is small, and the cost of hiring the wrong person is much higher than the cost of waiting one extra week for the right shortlist. #### What people hire us for - Computational biologist, bioinformatics scientist, and scientific data roles. - Synthetic biology, cell engineering, platform biology, and functional genomics hiring. - Applied machine learning and AI-for-biology roles where scientific context matters. - Early-stage searches that need fast calibration, clean screening, and a written shortlist brief. #### For hiring teams We run scientific search for biotech companies in the US, UK, and Europe. That includes field mapping, sourcing, CV review, structured screening, and shortlist notes that explain why each candidate made it through. #### For candidates We also work with scientists exploring computational biology, synthetic biology, drug discovery, and platform science opportunities. Public roles live on our job board, and candidates can join the shortlist for searches that stay confidential. #### Where we work best The strongest fit is usually an early-stage or scaling biotech team that needs sharp scientific judgement in the hiring process, not just outbound sourcing. We are most useful when the brief is technical, the market is small, and each interview slot matters. ## Start A Search # The scientist who defines your platform is in a lab right now. The rotating role on the live page cycles through: - Synthetic Biologist - Bioinformatician - Platform Biologist - Drug Discovery Lead - Computational Biologist - AI/ML Scientist One call. Thirty minutes. We map the scientific gap, tell you who you need, and you commit to nothing until the shortlist is real. - Call - Shortlist - Hire No upfront fee. Shortlist in 18 days. Written brief included. - Book a Discovery Call 30 minutes · No commitment · No upfront fee ## Footer Affinity Talent Boutique scientific recruitment for early-stage biotech. We recruit with real scientific context, not keywords. ### Navigate - Expertise - Approach - Specialist Lens - Matching Engine - About - Open Roles ### Contact - contact@affinitytalent.bio - calendly.com/affinitytalent/intro-call-30-minutes - LinkedIn © 2026 Affinity Talent Ltd. All rights reserved. Computational biology · AI drug discovery · Synthetic biology