Gene-Editing Leader Horizon Discovery to Go on Global Hiring Spree

May 1, 2017
By Alex Keown, BioSpace.com Breaking News Staff

CAMBRIDGE, U.K. – Gene editing firm Horizon Discovery Ltd. is ramping up its recruitment to help the company “scale up” over the next five years, Chief Executive Officer Darrin Disley said in an interview.

Speaking with the U.K.’s Business Weekly, Disley said the Cambridge-based company was looking to fill 27 immediate positions across the U.K., Europe and the United States. However, if the company’s ambitious scaling up plan proves to be successful, Disley said the company could expand its headcount by 150 employees over the next few years. “These hires will help us deliver on our scale-up ambitions for the next five years and enhance delivery against our mission to be a world-class science company that is unashamedly commercially successful and has an impact on patient outcomes, education & training and fostering the spirit of life science enterprise,” Disley told Business Weekly.

The company is focused on ramping up sales reps, particularly in the United States, where there is a potential for growth, Business Weekly said. A full list of jobs at Horizon Discovery can be found on the company website.

Founded in 2007 Horizon Discovery is focused on a translational genomics platform that allows the company to edit genes and “alter almost any endogenous gene sequence of human or mammalian cell-lines,” according to the company website. Horizon now offers over 23,000 catalog products, almost all of which are based on the application of gene editing to generate cell lines that accurately model the disease-causing mutations found in genetically based diseases.

Recruiting top talent in Cambridge won’t be easy though. Much like its U.S. counterpart, Cambridge is a hotbed of pharma growth. Business Weekly said technology companies in the area say they are “in a dogfight” for talent. Adding pharma companies into the mix, particularly gene editing companies like Horizon Discovery, is forcing companies to compete for talent. Pharma giant AstraZeneca is moving its headquarters and R&D units to Cambridge. Its new corporate headquarters and global R&D center is expected to be open next year and fully operational by 2019.

In order to make Horizon Discovery as attractive as possible, Disley said the company was not only offering “strong remuneration packages,” but also by “growing its own talent with record investment in cultivating new generation employees.” In his interview, Disley said he was introducing internships for young academics to gain experience and has also expanded continuing education training for staff members.

“Our benefits for our people are extensive; they include 8% pension, 4x life insurance, permanent health insurance, full medical cover, assistance with childcare, paid maternity/paternity leave and paid days off for charity volunteering,” Disley told Business Weekly.