Career Prospects in Science – National Science Week 2011

The science industry and the variety of sectors within this area attract interest from a broad range of students and graduates looking for a challenging and exciting career. Recently Colin Keogh of Sigmar Recruitment spoke to a range of professionals in science disciplines to find what it’s actually like to work in the various sectors of this multi billion euro industry. Colin looked at career aspects in various disciplines, for example regulatory affairs, quality control and R&D, talking to professionals within the industry about their experience in these fields  and to shed some light on entry strategies for graduates eager to pursue a career in science.

Regulatory Affairs

Those with experience as a regulatory affairs officer know that it can be quite a challenging role as the dynamic of the job changes with the ever evolving standards, guidelines and directives. So keeping up to date is essential. Most people that we’ve interviewed within this sector have worked their way up internally within other companies and have transferred over the course of time to this role. When asked how a graduate would acquire a role as a regulatory affairs officer, the general consensus was to get as many related science courses under your belt as possible, or, more practically, start small, work in labs and earn your stripes; if a position comes available, go for it!

 R&D Scientists

For a researcher planning, conducting and analysing experiments will generally be the daily routine and more often than not is by far the most attractive role for graduates looking to enter the industry. Career wise, the majority of people who’ve embarked on a career as an R&D scientist do tend to have a prolonged career in academia, but that’s not to say that private companies and government run agencies aren’t looking for their share of scientists too. This can be a difficult career to get involved in and in many cases the job will have limited stability, and not the most attractive pay rates. However people who get into this area of work absolutely love it! The trick, according to R&D scientists, is to put loads of thought into career planning and to continually diversify your training. Being static and not continuously developing knowledge and skills in this industry will hamper your career prospects. Richard Walsh, Science and Engineering Manager at Sigmar, commented that, “getting a PhD is in itself no guarantee of a lucrative career, but can be of significant benefit in the right commercial area and generally pays off in the long run.”

Validation

There is a very mixed opinion when it comes to people’s enthusiasm about validation as a career. However engineers working with smaller companies generally find this technical position to be a lot more enjoyable and challenging as their roles can be quite dynamic, changing constantly from day to day. Jobs in this industry are widely available; however graduates seeking to get a foot in the door with no work experience will face an enormous challenge. A master’s degree should assist in getting there however. If this doesn’t sound appealing- then you may have to make a big sacrifice and possibly work in an unpaid internship to gain experience in order to get a permanent position in the longer term.

Jobs in the science industry are challenging, dynamic and for the most part stimulating. And the general view is that there are plenty of opportunities for graduates to get into this industry with the right kind of study and planning.

- Colin Keogh, Sigmar Recruitment

Jobs in the Technical Sector

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Opportunities in Life Sciences, Engineering and Manufacturing

23rd March 2011

 

Although there is a perceived downturn in these markets, research shows that there are still many opportunities available.

 

In Ireland, the pharmaceutical, chemicals and medical device sector accounted for about 60% of merchandise exports in 2010 and the value of exports in current money terms has increased 38% during the six years 2004-2010. The pharmaceutical sector alone employs over 24,500 people.

 

In the ten years to 2010, there were no fewer than 1,300 mergers in the global pharmaceutical sector, a high tally for any industry. The busiest year for mergers was 2008 when180 such deals were agreed with a combined value of $147 billion. Such activity has had an impact on the Irish market, where some of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical players have an established presence

 

Although the engineering sector has been hit over the previous 3-5 years there are still some bright lights, one being in Facilities management area. “Facilities management has shown a big increase in requirements over the past six months and we fully expect the sector to grow over the coming 12 months”, writes Peter Nunan, Senior Technical Consultant of Sigmar Recruitment.

 

Another sector in demand is the renewable energy sector. With the fight against climate change many people have begun turning to renewable energy. The Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century released a study confirming that in 2009 and 2010 despite Economic slowdown in most sectors, Renewable Energy sector showed growth. Renewable Energy installations have outpaced Fossil Fuel installations all across Europe with 60% of new energy projects being within the renewable sector. Over 100 countries now have renewable energy policies compared to only 55 countries in 2005.

 

In the UK and Ireland, Renewable Energy has continued to grow. For example, the share of electricity from renewable energy in Ireland has nearly doubled between 1990 and 2008 from 4.9% to 9.4%. Most of this increase took place very quickly between 2003 and 2008 and is expected to grow despite economic slowdown.

 

The food market is a sector that is fighting back against the slow down in the economy. In Ireland food exports grew by 11% (€800m) in 2010, Dairy by €300m, Livestock by €200m and beverage and prepared food grew significantly. This is coupled with an increase in food companies hiring again, “the food sector has shown a significant increase in vacancies in the last four months” states Peter Nunan, Senior Technical Consultant of Sigmar Recruitment.

 

-Stephen Merrigan, Technical Recruitment Consultant

R&D keeps pharma sector steady

There are signs of some career opportunities in the pharmaceutical sector, writes Linda Daly of the Sunday Business Post.

The pharmaceutical sector is entering a challenging period as global players continue to consolidate and major drug patents face their expiry dates. Compared to other sectors, however, the sector is holding steady, buoyed by ongoing investment in research and development.

‘‘The pharmaceutical sector in Ireland seems to have been quasi-resistant to prevailing economic conditions, primarily due to the fact that product pipeline cycles within the sector can last between 12 to 20 years. As a result, any intermittent instability in the financial markets have little, if any, effect on ongoing projects,” said Eamonn O’Raghallaigh, director of Life Science Recruitment.

Matt Moran, director of PharmaChemical Ireland, said graduate opportunities were increasing in the Irish market.

‘‘There are opportunities for people with degrees, diplomas and doctorates. Ireland still retains a good reputation for producing good graduates,” he said. Moran said the majority of pharmaceutical candidates typically tended to be degree-educated in the areas of science, chemistry, microbiology, biotechnology or genetics. He said there were openings in the sector for people with a background in electrical, chemical and mechanical engineering.

‘‘There are opportunities for people who have been let go and who want to do further study and enter the sector,” said Moran. ‘‘If they are fortunate enough to get into the pharmaceutical industry, it pays well and there are good travel opportunities. Salaries have stayed reasonably steady, compared to other sectors.”

In the ten years to 2010, there were no fewer than 1,300 mergers in the global pharmaceutical sector, a high tally for any industry. The busiest year for mergers was 2008 when180 such deals were agreed with a combined value of $147 billion. Such activity has had an impact on the Irish market, where some of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical players have an established presence.

As a result of its $68 billion merger with Wyeth, agreed last year, US-owned Pfizer will, for example, shed 6,000 staff in 14 sites worldwide. In Ireland, this will mean the loss of 785 jobs resulting from the closure of three plants in Loughbeg and Shanbally in Cork and Dun Laoghaire in Dublin and the loss of 275 jobs at a fourth facility in Newbridge, Co Meath.

Despite the move, Pfizer will retain 4,200 workers in Ireland and will not implement job cuts at its Newbridge facility until 2013. The government has, meanwhile, expressed confidence that buyers can be found for the company’s other three facilities.

Finalised late last year, another merger between Merck and Schering Plough will also result in job losses. Schering Plough Bray, in Wicklow, a manufacturer of veterinary pharmaceuticals, will be wound down over a two-year period, with the loss of 240 jobs.

Unlike many other recession-hit sectors, however, the pharmaceutical industry has also seen its share of job announcements in recent months.

In May, Merck-owned MSD announced plans to create 150 jobs at a new shared business services centre in Dublin. Helsinn has opened a €13 million R&D centre in Mulhuddart, Co Dublin. Playing a significant role in new product development, the facility will create ten new high-value research jobs over the next three years.

Also in Dublin, Covidien, a manufacturer of healthcare products, opened its European Services centre in Cherrywood last July. The company paid €11million for the facility and will invest a further €1.8 million in a major R&D project later in the year.

Despite job losses in its operations in other parts of the world, Eli Lilly will establish a financial services centre in Cork, by creating 100 highly skilled financial positions. In medical devices, Analog Devices and Boston Scientific have earmarked €23 million and €21 million in R&D spend for their Irish facilities.

Cork company Pharmadel is proposing a global pharmaceutical centre-of-excellence for Tralee, Co Kerry, which, it said, would have the potential to create more than 4,000 jobs.

‘‘Salaries within the sector are variable at the moment, with manufacturing and quality stabilising or deflating slightly, while salaries within the corporate, medical affairs, regulatory, sales and marketing areas are staying stable or inflating very slightly,” said O’Raghallaigh.

In a competitive market, O’Raghallaigh said that pharmaceuticals were looking for candidates with commercial skills or a background in medical affairs.

‘‘These departments form part of the corporate function of the pharmaceutical company and deal with sales and marketing (commercial) and regulatory, medical information, medical liaison, pharma-co-vigilance and clinical research (medical),” he said.

Rather than employ an external agency, O’Raghallaigh said many pharmaceuticals were opting to manage entry-level and high-volume recruitment in-house.

Adrian McGennis, managing director of recruiter Sigmar, agreed that recruitment practices in the pharmaceutical sphere were changing.

‘‘Over the last year, a lot of companies have engaged a certain amount of staff on a fixed-term contract basis, or are using the services of contractors,” he said. ‘‘Clients also feel, and probably rightly, that they can be a bit more selective in their [recruitment] processes.”

McGennis said there was a good regional balance to the pharmaceutical sector in Ireland.

‘‘The medical device sector in Galway and the west is still vibrant, and there is still a lot of demand for staff,” he said. ‘‘Equally, in Cork, the Sigmar office is doing well, largely on the back of pharmaceutical appointments.”

Indeed, pharmaceutical trade is a vital contributor to the wider Irish economy, accounting for more than 50 per cent of Irish exports in 2009. However, patent expiration remains a concern. In 2008, the Irish industry produced nine of the top 15medicines in the world. One year later, as a direct result of expiring patents, that number fell to five of the top 12.

According to Moran, the number of drugs, medications and treatments under development – or at research stage – was also decreasing.

Moran believes R&D is crucial, has called on firms based in Ireland to ramp up their approach to innovation, research and development.

‘‘The industry globally is challenged because research pipelines have decreased and a lot of major drugs are about to come off patent, so there’s a reduction in revenue,” he said.

‘‘Companies based in Ireland need to ensure that they are more to the centre and become centres-of-excellence. That means they have to invest in development and research. If that happens, I have no doubt that we will continue to attract business here.”

View Original Article (Sunday Business Post- 12th September 2010)