Opportunities aplenty in the life sciences sector

“A booming sector with over 400 companies operating within the medical device, pharmaceutical and biotechnology spaces,” is the verdict of Sarah Hayes, associate director at Sigmar Recruitment.

It’s a view backed by James Cassidy, director of life science recruitment at LifeScience.ie, part of the Vertical Markets group. “We have seen high demand in medical devices, quality control, regulation and research and development.”

Hayes concurs, adding that manufacturing and supply chain will also remain highly sought after, while innovations in the industry will see more roles open up in data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics, clinical and regulatory affairs and project management. “Ireland is poised to become a global hub for advanced cell and gene therapy, which experts believe will be the next major innovation to change medicine,” says Hayes.

“Ireland is one of the key players in the pharma and medical devices industry,” says Cassidy. “We have a highly educated workforce in an English-speaking EU country, and the pandemic saw a lot of investment in new products.”

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Hayes says that while the worldwide industry may have shifted during the pandemic to focus on vaccines, medicines and testing kits, it was nonetheless one of the few that remained relatively stable from an employment and recruitment perspective. “The pandemic pushed life science organisations to become more agile with addressing patient needs, looking at utilising new technologies and approaches such as artificial intelligence, data analytics and system integration, [as well as] changing their approaches to regulation.”

Cassidy says that there is a strong knowledge base and infrastructure around the life sciences, and many opportunities available.

“We have had two of our best [ever’] quarters in one year, and there is a high level of activity and demand for their skills, whether in multinationals, start-ups or indigenous firms. While highly technical specialist roles may require a PhD, there are jobs in quality for people with a non-science background who have proven attention to detail and good writing skills.”

Both Cassidy and Hayes say that the accommodation and housing crisis is a problem in recruiting overseas. But Hayes says this means the local Irish talent market is more important than ever, with many organisations allowing for a hybrid working approach. She predicts “an increase in the number of contracting jobs in the sector, which can be extremely lucrative and provide a lot of flexibility”.