Maturation of the biotechnology industry changes job opportunities for scientists

The biotechnology industry has historically had a strong focus on innovation and research. As the industry has matured, companies have become intensely focused on commercialising their products. This study assesses the current functional composition of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology workforce, and compares differences in workforce needs among companies of different sizes, ages and product commercialisation maturities. Sample sets of the largest pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies were selected, as were a set of smaller and younger companies. Job openings posted on the websites of these companies were categorised. Five functional categories of job openings were created – Laboratory, Manufacturing, General & Administrative, Regulatory/Clinical Affairs and Sales/Marketing – and each open position was placed into one of these five categories. Companies with products on the market had an average of 17 per cent of job openings in the laboratory category, and 83 per cent of openings in the remaining non-laboratory categories. Smaller companies without products on the market had a higher percentage of jobs categorised as laboratory. This study identifies the need for individuals with a blend of science and business skills, and makes clear the importance of educating scientifically trained individuals for scientifically oriented, but non-laboratory positions.