Biopharma companies hiring
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9 top companies hiring in biopharma right now

30 May 2017

The biopharma industry in Ireland is thriving. For talent on the job hunt, the world is your oyster.

We’re celebrating life sciences this week with a particular focus on biotech, pharma, medtech and health.

Ireland is a major global hotspot for some of the biggest biotech and pharma giants in the world, and, with a huge pipeline of talent to match the life sciences sector, opportunities in Ireland seem unending.

It has been widely predicted that approximately 8,400 biotech jobs are on the way between now and 2020, which is great news for jobseekers and graduates looking to move up in the world of biotech, or get their first foot on the industry ladder.

For those seeking to pursue a career in biopharma and biotech, we’ve selected nine of the top companies currently hiring for a variety of roles within the sector in Ireland right now.

And, for those looking further afield, all of these companies are recruiting for even more jobs at their global facilities.

Sanofi

Sanofi is a French pharmaceutical company, with more than 100,000 employees in 100 counties.

Purchasing Genzyme for $20.1bn in 2011, Sanofi has a campus based in Waterford, which focuses on genetic disorders, cancer, immune disease and diagnostic testing.

Sanofi is currently looking to fill a number of roles at its Waterford facility, including process engineers, quality assurance employees, microbiologists and statisticians.

Amgen

With more than 500 employees between Ireland and the UK, Amgen is a major player for anyone interested in working in the biopharma sector.

In 2015, Amgen opened its $300m facility in Dún Laoghaire, which showed Ireland’s prowess as a biotech hub.

Amgen is hiring for that facility at the moment, with positions open in quality control, specialist manufacturing and processing.

Pfizer

As one of the first pharmaceutical companies to locate in Ireland, Pfizer also has one of the biggest presences in the country, with facilities in Cork, Dublin, Kildare and Sligo.

Pfizer employs approximately 3,300 people in Ireland across manufacturing, shared services, R&D, treasury and commercial operations.

For those looking for a job in biopharma, Pfizer is currently recruiting for clinical scientists and process engineers among other positions.

Shire

Global biotech company Shire opened its new city centre HQ earlier this year, announcing 150 job openings to be filled over the subsequent months.

Last year, Shire revealed its plans to build a new manufacturing operation in Co Meath, with 400 employees required on the site.

Shire is currently looking to fill a variety of positions, including operations analyst, patient care coordinator, quality assurance lead and country medical lead.

MSD

Global pharma giant MSD has multiple sites across Ireland in Dublin, Tipperary, Wicklow, Cork and Carlow.

MSD develops products for areas such as women’s health, heart and lung health, infectious diseases and cancer treatment.

Today (30 May), MSD announced 330 jobs in a massive expansion. There are current vacancies for scientists, process supervisors, engineers and scientists. There are also a number of associate director positions available.

Johnson & Johnson

A household name globally, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is the biggest biotech company in the world, employing more than 125,000 people across 60 countries.

In Ireland, J&J employs about 3,000 people in various locations, including Dublin, Cork and Limerick.

J&J is hiring for several roles in Ireland, including quality engineer, process technician and scientists.

Abbott

Abbott is a worldwide health care company with 74,000 employees operating in more than 150 countries.

In Ireland, Abbott operates in Clonmel, Cootehill, Donegal, Dublin, Longford and Sligo. The facilities focus on a number of health concerns including nutrition, diabetes and vascular care.

Abbott is hiring for a food technologist, technical specialist, statistician, technical support scientist and a variety of other roles.

Bristol-Myers Squibb

As one of the leading biopharma giants in Ireland, Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) is focused on delivering innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases.

In Ireland, BMS has four facilities, including two manufacturing plants in Dublin and Clare.

BMS is currently recruiting for various positions in Ireland, including in process engineering, purification, bioprocessing and manufacturing.

Regeneron

Founded in 1988, Regeneron is a New York-based biopharma company that came to Ireland in 2013.

Dublin is home to Regeneron’s EMEA headquarters and houses its business operations in Europe. The company also has a manufacturing facility based in Limerick.

Regeneron is currently looking to fill a number of roles, including process scientist, automation engineer, QA analyst, and materials and dispensing technician.

Jenny Darmody
By Jenny Darmody

Jenny Darmody became the editor of Silicon Republic in 2023, having worked as the deputy editor since February 2020. When she’s not writing about the science and tech industry, she’s writing short stories and attempting novels. She continuously buys more books than she can read in a lifetime and pretty stationery is her kryptonite. She also believes seagulls to be the root of all evil and her baking is the stuff of legends.

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