THE BIOTECH &
PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY
ESSENTIAL CAREERS INFORMATION
CALUM LECKIE KATIE BISARO
CAREERS CONSULTANTS
What we will cover
Sector overview Types of role
Graduate recruitment trends and issues Experience, Skills & qualification
requirements
Sourcing opportunities: common methods
The Landscape of the UK Life Science Industry
Pharmaceutical Sector
• Contract Research Organisations (CROs) – clinical trials
• ‘Generic’ pharmaceuticals
• Distribution companies
Industrial Biotechnology
The development, manufacture and selling of products and services that use or contain biological material as catalysts or feedstock to make industrial products
Medical Biotechnology –
Discovering or developing new therapeutics that action in or on the
body by pharmacological, immunological or metabolic means;
Medical Technology
Many jobs in specialist companies
e.g. Technical Consultancies, Technical Suppliers
Industry Quiz
Which sector showed the greatest jobs growth rate in 2011 – 12: 1.
Pharmaceuticals, 2.Industrial Biotechnology, 3. Medical Biotechnology, 4.
Medical Technology
ANS: 2. Industrial Biotech + 15% ( Pharma -9.7%; Med. Biotech + 0.3 %; Med Tech + 4%)
In medical biotechnology the majority of companies have over 250 staff. – True or False?
False: 98 % of UK firms employ less than 250 people, 53 % have less than 5 employees!
Name five of the UK’s Top 10 Pharmaceutical Companies:
Pfizer; Johnson & Johnson; Novartis; Bayer; Roche; Merck; Sanofi;
GSK; Abbott; Astrazeneca
For More: Read: HM Government (2012) Strength & Opportunity: The landscape of the medical technology, medical biotechnology, industrial biotechnology & pharmaceutical sectors in the UK
The Pharmaceutical Industry: Issues & Trends
24, mostly global, companies, account for 80% of UK Pharma employment
The 9.7 % fall in employment in 2011-12 was concentrated in top 20 group
Global pharma. is currently experiencing slowed growth due to:
Pricing pressures
Lower revenues from ‘blockbuster’ drugs coming off patent Changing demographics e.g. aging populations
Constraints in public healthcare costs
Growth still occurring in emerging markets, e.g. India, Brazil, China, especially in consumer healthcare products
Areas of Growth in R & D
Therapeutic Areas:
Cancer
Infectious Disease Respiratory disease Cardiovascular
Metabolic Disease Opthalmology
Technologies:
Therapeutic Proteins / Small molecules Radiotherapy
Medical Imaging Anaesthesia Biofuels
Research Focussed Roles:
Discovery Research – management track or scientific track.
Target identification / validation, assay development, optimization
Preclinical Research – disease models, pharmacokinetics, toxicology
Clinical Development:
Operations – translational medicine, clinical pharmacology, clinical trials
Biometrics – data management, Biostatistics Clinical Support – Medical Writers
Drug Safety
Operations – focussed Roles
Medical Affairs Regulatory Affairs Quality
Operations
Product Development
Communications & Strategy
• Life Science Information management
• Business & Corporate Development
• Marketing
• Sales
• Technical Applications & Support
• Corporate Communications
Find out More
http://careers.abpi.org.uk
Career Opportunities in Biotechnology and
Drug Development Toby Freedman
science and pharmaceuticals sector:
www.prospects.ac.uk/
science_pharmaceuticals_sector.htm
Analytical chemist Animal technologist
Clinical research associate Food technologist
Pharmacologist
Product/process development scientist Research scientist (maths)
Scientific laboratory technician Toxicologist
Cogent-SCC Skills Life Science Industry Report (2012)
• Demand for combined business & academic skills
• Skills needs are very diverse & changeable
• Are skills gaps:
• Genomics
• Clinical pharmacology,
• Pharmacokinetics
• Biopharmaceuticals
• Statistics
• Computational Chemistry
Experience & Qualifications for Research Focussed Roles
Interview with Director of a Med. Tech. Company
• [An Industrial placement / internship] ‘Is beneficial for both the
company (we can try the candidate before offering a position) & for the graduate’
UCL PhD Alumni Survey: 3 alumni in research roles in life science.
• Two stated that PhD was needed to get in (one said also to progress)
• One stated lack of relevant work experience as a problem getting job.
Selected ABPI Case Studies: 8 bioscience roles examined (Geneticist, several Biologists, Epidemiologist, Toxicologist, Pharmacologist)
• Two had masters levels qualifications
• Three had a PhD
• Two had PhD & post doc experience
• All stated that relevant practical experience in industry was extremely useful and many had done so.
R&D; Roles & Experience required
Laboratory & Research technicians – sig. exp.
Post Doc.
Scientist
Team leader Group Leader
Clinical Trial Manager Clinical Project Manager
Biostatistician – PhD (or Masters)
All: Significant experience in a biotechnology or pharmaceutical company MD + Post. Doc. Exp
PhD & Post Doc. Exp.
PhD (or masters?)
Collaborative Doctoral Studentships (from www.rcuk.ac.uk)
PhD studentship projects based in UK universities
Carried out in collaboration with non- academic organisations
Contribute resource and/or
intellectual support and mentoring for the project and/or student
CREATIVE JOB
HUNTING
Reactive Methods: Job Sites & Agencies
www.emedcareers.com/
www.flamepharma.com/
http://jobs.newscientist.com/en-gb/
www.wileyjobnetwork.com/content/pharmaceutical/
www.pharmiweb.com/default.asp
www.cogent-placements.com/students/
Recruitment Agencies:
• Background research – target companies have preferred agencies?
• Don’t pay fees up front
• Give them clear direction on what you want
• Check advertised positions
• Interested in candidates with specific skills / experience
List of Science recruitment Agencies at: www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sitephar.htm
SME’S
Most life science companies are SMEs
Eg. Medical Biotech, 98% have less than 250 staff, 53% have less than 5 employees
Genesis Conference December 2013:
8 companies surveyed: cultivating networks cited as key in terms of finding job opportunities; LinkedIn as specific tool to do this, industry events
‘We would strongly welcome direct approaches from potential recruits’ – quote from medtech start-up on speculative applications
Sector Specific Job Hunting
Proactive methods
Cultivate your networks!
Use social media Attend events
Set up information interviews
Put together speculative applications
and job hunting / recruiting
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Jobvite’s Social Recruitment Survey 2012
A professional social network (now 200 million members in more than 200 countries and territories)
A way to research companies - the “Follow Company”
option on the company’s page to have weekly updates emailed directly to you.
A way to find jobs - Some listings include the name of the person who posted the opening
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www.linkedin.com
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LinkedIN top tips
Profile picture is a must - keep it professional!
Not just a cut-and-paste of CV: Be more conversational, show your interests
Write a short profile that links to the companies/groups/roles you’re going for
List as many relevant skills as possible – employers search by these terms
Don’t list personal data
Use your own connections to get introduced to new connections Post on forums!
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Finding Companies: Other Methods
http://careers.abpi.org.uk/getting-into-the- industry/pharmaceutical-recruiters
www.ukspa.org.uk/ - UK Science Park Association - Database searchable by region
www.ccra.org.uk/MemberProfiles_New/default.asp - Clinical Contract research Organisation
www.onenucleus.com/directory - Networking Organisation for the Life Science Industry
www.abhi.org.uk/productsearch/default.aspx -
Healthcare Industry body. Search companies by
products & services
Information Interviews
Prepare specific questions & do your homework
Be clear what you want – can they do what you ask?
Don’t ask for a job – do ask for additional contacts Don’t expect instant results
Speculative Applications
Try to send to a named person in relevant department Be concise and specific
Don’t expect instant results
SUMMARY LEARNING POINTS
Relevant Experience is key
R & D – postgrad. quals can be advantageous Many roles beyond R & D
SMEs constitute most of the job market in life science Reactive vs. proactive job searching
Proactive – cultivate networks, especially through social media Information interviews- prep for them
Use the resources!
Support
Weekly appointments in the Division Booked via
MOODLE
www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/students/advice Applications checks
Short Guidance Mock Interviews
Resources
