Industry
In the past, if you were a PhD in a technical field and someone inquired about your career goals, the typical question would center around whether you preferred academia or industry. Most people interpreted "industry" as a role focused on bench work in pharmaceutical or biotechnology firms. If you aim to transition from academia but still want to engage in bench work, many research roles await you. However, you'll likely be astonished by the multitude of alternative career paths available to PhDs within these companies beyond the laboratory. These roles encompass areas such as:
Business Development
Regulatory Affairs
Medical Science Liaison
Field Application Scientist
Entry Points
Since the options in pharma/biotech are quite varied, it makes sense to break down the entry points by job type and describe a few of the job responsibilities for each:
Research & Development: there are actually a few different areas within research and development to consider that include drug discovery and preclinical research, clinical research, and process development.
Drug discovery and preclinical research jobs are the typical “scientist” jobs for PhDs as they pertain to the initial screening of potential therapeutic compounds and testing the efficacy and safety of the compounds on non-human animals. The specific job titles will vary from one company to another, but they will likely contain the word scientist in one form or another (e.g., principal scientist, senior scientist, or just plain old scientist.)
Clinical research jobs pertain to the research done after the investigational new drug application (IND) and involve human trials. Although the focus on human testing lends itself to an environment heavily populated by medical doctors, there are opportunities for PhDs. As a clinical research scientist, graduate school training will come in very handy for responsibilities that include experimental design, data analysis, and composing final reports.
Process development scientists work in later stages of research and development and their efforts are mostly focused on optimizing the manufacturing process. This optimization can involve developing new machinery that may be necessary for scale-up or streamlining protocols, so an engineering background may be helpful for some positions.
Business Development: the most likely title in the field of business development is business development manager, but there are other possibilities that include corporate development management, and strategic alliance manager. Regardless of the specific title, the job’s focus will be in the areas of licensing, acquisition, partnerships, and joint ventures. This focus on growing the business through outside relationships will require keen networking skills and quite a bit of knowledge in opportunity identification, valuation, and transaction.
Regulatory Affairs: it’s no secret that the world of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology are heavily regulated. One benefit of these hurdles to drug development is the need for regulatory affairs experts. One of the most common titles is regulatory affairs specialist, but other titles to look for include regulatory scientist and manager of regulatory operations. Responsibilities involve managing interactions with government agencies, which can include submissions of investigational new drug (IND) applications, drug labeling, and marketing applications.
Medical Science Liaison: although there are a few different job titles, which include medical science liaisons, scientific affairs managers, medical liaisons, medical scientists, and medical science managers, the main focus remains to build and maintain peer-peer relationships with outside experts called “key opinion leaders” (KOLs.) This basically allows for companies to maintain ties to the medical community and their needs. Internally, medical science liaisons serve as scientific experts, and externally, they serve as scientific peers and resources to make sure that the company’s products are being used effectively.
Field Application Scientist: working as a field application scientist can serve as a great stepping-stone for those looking to transition from the bench to the business end of things. These positions require you to demo new products and equipment, as well as provide on-site support to customers. In other words, when tech support can’t solve a problem, they bring in the field application scientists. The frequent client interaction is the reason for the thought that the field application scientist position is the perfect transitional phase between lab and business work. Those who wish to move even further from the bench tend to go from field application scientist to positions in sales, product management, or marketing.
Who are the Employers?
Pharmaceutical/Biotechnology companies listed by state can be found here http://thelabrat.com/jobs/companies/index.shtml
Another very comprehensive list can be found here
Application Process
The array of career choices in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors is vast, yet the application process tends to be surprisingly uniform and efficient. Larger firms maintain a “Careers” section on their websites where you can browse publicly listed vacancies. However, don’t shy away from reaching out directly to express your interest through an informational interview. While submitting your resume and application online is straightforward, be cautious. You'll face a computerized system that filters out applications lacking relevant keywords from the qualifications stated in the job post. Ensure that the materials you provide won't eliminate you from the interview pool.
For smaller companies and startups that pique your interest, don't hesitate to send an email indicating your enthusiasm for their organization. Most companies operate a website, and even if they lack a dedicated “Careers” page, there’s usually a “Contact Us” option available. When it comes to informational interviews, aim to connect with someone in a position you envision as your future boss, assuming their contact details are accessible. If those aren’t available, target someone in human resources or operations. You might be surprised at how few candidates put forth this minimal effort to inquire about job openings, which positions you as a resourceful and eager potential employee, leaving a solid first impression.
Career Progression
Career paths in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors are generally quite clear-cut. Typically, a “senior” version of your role exists, followed by opportunities for advancement to associate director or director positions if you choose to remain on that track. One advantage of working in such a varied organization is the chance to pivot to different departments if you feel the need for a change. However, one aspect that lacks clarity is the timeframe for promotions. Often, the progression timeline relies more on accomplishments such as successful projects, acquisitions, and IND/NDA approvals rather than merely the duration of your tenure. Additionally, the escalation between promotions can vary based on the organization's size; larger firms may have more defined promotion schedules, while smaller players might tie promotions to the success of their project pipeline or venture capital gains.
Work Hours
Work hours in larger pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies usually align closely with the traditional 9-5 schedule for many positions. However, as your responsibilities grow, expect those hours to extend as well. Approaching deadlines, such as FDA or EMEA submissions and client demands, often require flexibility beyond standard working hours. Conversely, in smaller firms, work hours may vary based on the organization's current size and structure. In a startup setting, your role can be quite ambiguous, encompassing multiple responsibilities, which typically results in unclear weekly expectations and fluctuating hours.
Compensation
Research and Development: a reasonable salary expectation for someone with a PhD going into a research role within a pharmaceutical or biotechnology company would be in the range of $75-95K, depending on the specific role and the size of the organization (with larger organizations usually able to pay more). Bonuses are also common, in the form of stock options and/or cash, usually in the range of $5-10K.
Business Development: it can be difficult to pin down a specific range for business development salaries since so many companies have very different roles and responsibilities (and titles) for those working in business development. A general range for someone just getting into business development out of his or her PhD program would be in the range of $80-110K with some expectation of a reasonable bonus that can vary wildly as it may be performance based.
Regulatory Affairs: a reasonable salary expectation for a regulatory affairs specialist is in the neighborhood of $75-85K and an annual bonus of $2.5-10K.
Medical Science Liaison: there is a surprising amount of variation in salary between organizations when it comes to medical science liaisons. Depending on the specific role and responsibilities, salaries can range from $100-150K with an annual bonus of $5-20K.
Field Application Scientist: a reasonable salary expectation for a field application scientist would be around $75-95K with an annual bonus of $5-10K.
Exit Options
Individuals with expertise in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors can leverage their knowledge in various alternative career paths, including equity research, sales, and consulting. Additionally, transitioning laterally within the organization to explore other areas of pharma/biotech, such as shifting from bench research to business development, is a practical choice.