Pharmaceuticals Career Guide

The pharmaceutical industry is a global powerhouse, generating over US$1 trillion of revenue worldwide. Companies in the pharmaceutical sector are responsible for creating and supplying therapeutic products to healthcare providers. Their work involves researching and developing new therapies and the associated manufacturing, supply and distribution to bring them to the commercial market.

Potential Roles in Pharmaceuticals

Careers in the pharmaceutical industry cover a wide range of roles in very different fields of work. The multi-stage nature of the pharmaceutical process means that there are career opportunities in management and administration, marketing and communications, scientific research and testing, site maintenance and cleaning, and more. This career guide will focus on three job roles within the pharmaceutical industry: biomedical scientist, sales executive and researcher.

Biomedical scientists work in laboratories carrying out scientific tests to contribute to research trials and the development of new therapies. They can either specialise in focusing on one disease area or therapy or cover a broader spectrum of work. As well as lab-based work, biomedical science jobs can also include work in other areas, like medical writing and communications.

Sales Executives working in pharmaceuticals will be selling to trained medical professionals in pharmacies, healthcare trusts and hospitals. Therefore, they need to understand the mechanism of therapies and the nature of the diseases they treat to sell them to clients effectively. For this reason, pharmaceutical sales jobs often ask for a Bachelor’s Degree and experience in a relevant subject, such as Life Science, medicine, or pharmaceuticals itself. Job roles range from general sales to sales team leadership or client account management.

Researchers work as part of a team that plans, manages and evaluates research trials. They deliver unbiased reports to the companies that fund the research to help them develop novel therapies or improve existing therapies.

The pharmaceuticals industry is tightly regulated, so any research is subject to rigorous monitoring and must comply with guidelines. Jobs in research require a background in the sciences or a related subject.

Salary and Career Progression

There is huge scope for professional development and career progression in the pharmaceutical industry.

Biomedical scientists can start their career as a lab technician and work their way up to consultant biomedical scientist. They can also move into other roles that require a biomedical science qualification in fields like sales or communications, which have their own channels of progression. Salaries vary depending upon the company, but as a guide, Lab Technician roles typically start at around £10 per hour and Lab Manager roles at around £36,000 per annum.

Sales Executives can progress in their career by demonstrating their skills on the job. Some sales roles are commission-based, so salary increases are in line with results. As pharmaceutical sales roles require higher qualifications and knowledge than many other sales roles, salaries are generally higher. Sales executives with just three years’ experience can expect to start at £30,000, while senior pharmaceutical sales executives can earn up to £200 per hour.

Researchers can enter into the field in an entry-level role and progress up to senior researcher level. Salaries range from around £28,000 to start, to upwards of £100,000 for clinical research coordinator and managerial positions.

Qualifications, Education and Experience

Biomedical scientists must have the following:

• Good A’ Level results in subjects including at least two science subjects and maths.
• A Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science.
• Registration with the regulatory body, the Health and Care Professionals Council, to practice in the UK.
• Post-graduate study is not essential but can help a candidate progress in their career.
• Prior experience. Pharmaceutical companies often expect prior work experience, and most biomedical scientists start their career working in the NHS before moving on to work in the commercial sector.

Sales Executives working in the pharmaceutical industry must have:

• Good A’ Level results that grant access to a relevant Undergraduate degree course.
• A Bachelor’s Degree in Life Science or a related subject.
• A good understanding of the mechanisms of the therapies they sell.
• Awareness of the disease areas in which their company specialises.
• Prior sales experience if specified by the employer.

Researchers must have the following:

• Graduate qualifications in Life Sciences or a health-related subject.
• Post-graduate study is beneficial but not essential. Many researchers take this route, and a PhD is highly valued in a research career.
• Prior experience if requested by the employer.
• Attention to detail.
• Logical and analytical skills.
• Honesty and integrity.
• A commitment to delivering unbiased, objective results.

Skills

Biomedical scientists often work on sole projects but are also expected to liaise with other departments and individuals, so a mixture of hard and soft skills are required.

Desired skills for this role include:

• conscientiousness
• diligence
• analytical skills
• attention to detail
• problem-solving skills
• team spirit
• approachability.

Sales Executives must have excellent soft skills, as their role is based around building relationships with clients.

Desired skills for this role include:

• friendliness
• confidence
• charisma
• ambition
• team spirit
• self-motivation
• resilience
• perseverance.

Researchers have a scientific role but also use soft skills when working with research participants during trials.

They must possess a range of skills, including:

• Logical thinking
• analytical skills
• mathematical understanding
• attention to detail
• friendliness
• approachability
• a caring nature.

Working Hours

Working hours within the pharmaceutical industry completely depend upon the field of work and job position. Most mid-level employees work office hours of 9-5, Monday to Friday.

Employees in hands-on roles, such as production operations or maintenance, are expected to work shifts to provide 24/7 cover to keep production lines running.

Due to the global reach of most pharmaceutical companies, some job positions may require working outside of office hours to liaise with team members or clients based in other time zones.

Notable Locations

The pharmaceutical industry spans every continent, in countries all over the world. Many companies have multiple locations across the globe, giving employees the opportunity to travel or relocate for some roles.

Pharmaceutical companies in the UK typically have headquarters in the South East, including in London, Cambridge and Oxford. Yorkshire and the North West and North East of England are home to several of the UK’s largest pharmaceutical companies’ manufacturing and packaging centres, while Scotland is known as a leading research hub.

Notable Companies

Pharmaceutical companies range in size, from multi-national giants to smaller, more niche companies.

The following big industry players, listed alongside their headquarters, all have locations in the UK:

• Pfizer: New York, US.
• Sanofi: Paris, France.
• Johnson & Johnson: New Jersey, US.
• Takeda: Tokyo, Japan.
• AstraZeneca: Cambridge, UK.
• Roche: Basel, Switzerland.
• GlaxoSmithKline: London, UK.
• Novartis: Basel, Switzerland.
• Merck: New Jersey, US.
• Boehringer Ingelheim: Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany.

Next Steps

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