The director of Pharmachemical Ireland says large manufacturing plants in the biopharma sector is where the opportunities lie.
The biopharma industry is quickly becoming one of the most important sectors in the country. The fact that almost 30,000 people are employed in the field will definitely pique the interest of any jobseekers looking to pursue a STEM career.
Career Zoo will take place in the Convention Centre Dublin tomorrow (11 March), with a strong focus on deep data, IoT and biotech.
At the last Career Zoo event, one of the biggest biopharma players, Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), hired three scientists – and they’re back again this year looking for more.
As the biopharma industry continues to grow rapidly, it’s no surprise that the opportunities are there.
“In value terms, it’s worth about €65bn in exports, which is over half the goods exports in Ireland,” said Matt Moran, director of Pharmachemical Ireland.
“There’s been a lot of capital investment recently. Most of that is in biotech or large molecule manufacturing, so you have companies like BMS, Alexion, Regeneron, Shire and Mallinckrodt building plants at the moment,” he said.
Moran said there is a serious uplift in the sector, which will generate plenty of opportunities for jobseekers, and the industry as a whole is working towards getting the top talent.
“We need to invest in training and skills and development, which we’re doing. We also need to ensure that we have a good working relationship with the academic community.” He said this would ensure that the types of graduates leaving education are suitable to work in the industry.
Candidates need to be creative
When it comes to working in the biopharma sector, Moran says that graduates would ideally need to have a STEM degree. “A qualification in STEM subject is not essential but it’s a huge advantage,” he said.
“We look for good communication skills, project management, knowledge of information technology … the ability to work in a highly regulated environment – and we like creative, innovative people.”
For jobseekers interested in working in biotech or biopharma, there are plenty of jobs for scientists and engineers. Moran said these roles would be in areas such as quality control, quality assurance, R&D, manufacturing, process control and supply chain management.
Moran said if you’re looking for a job, “you’re looking at large manufacturing plants in the biopharma sector. Those are where the opportunities lie.”
He said that these biopharma companies are global or multinational, so there also might be opportunities for employees to work overseas.
It’s an exciting time to work in the biopharma sector as it’s only going from strength to strength. “We need to invest as much as possible in innovation and manufacturing excellence,” said Moran.
Career Zoo is taking place in the Convention Centre Dublin on 11 March. Register here.
