Pharma/Biotech

Research & Development, Business Development, Regulatory Affairs, Medical Science Liaison, Field Application Scientist

Job Description
Research & Development
PhDs are needed for the discovery and development of therapies, diagnostics, research tools, and medical devices.

  1. Drug discovery and preclinical research: In this area, researchers work on theinitial stage of potential diagnostic or therapeutic treatment of a product,  screening for efficacy and safety on non--human primates
  2. Clinical research: In this area, researchers conduct the human trials in order  to test the safety and efficacy of the product on humans.
  3. Process development: This area is one of the later stages of development; it involves optimizing the manufacturing process.

Business Development:  
The objective of business development is to expand the business by creating partnerships externally. This job will cover areas of  licensing, acquisition, marketing, and partnerships. This job will require networking as well as knowledge of identification, valuation, and transaction.

Regulatory Affairs
The objective of regulatory affairs is to manage the regulations that are in place from the government. This job will consists of constant communication with government agencies to make sure the company is following government protocols that will allow a given product into market.

Medical Science Liaison
The objectives of a medical science liaison is to serve as resource for the medical community and to make sure the company's products are being used correctly.

Field Application Scientist
The objective of a field application scientist is to demonstrate the company’s products by having demos of the products and to support the company’s clients by helping them on-site with their needs.

Skills
*Will depend on the career path*
Communication skills
Ability to work in a team
Expertise in a specific scientific topic
Preclinical/Clinical research experience

Employers
Pharmaceutical Companies
Biotech Companies

First Steps
Informational Interviews: meet with employees at local companies to discuss their position and how to prepare for a career in their area.
Networking: attend networking events, introduce yourself and exchange business cards.
Internships: seek out opportunities to work in the industry, whether it be paid or unpaid, any experience is valuable.
Transferable Post-Doc: a Post-Doc experience, in industry on in a highly transferable field, can open the door for many different jobs in biotech and pharma.

Twin Cities Companies
Minneapolis
Adjavant Partners
Antares Pharma
Kips Bay Medical
Medpace
Radiant Research
R&D Systems
Toxicon
Urologix
Vascular Solutions
Zimmer Holdings

St. Paul
Boston Scientific
Cardiovascular Systems
DJO Global
EnteroMedics
Medtox Scientific
Smiths Medical
St. Jude Medical

UMN Resources

External Resources
Medical Alley Association
https://medicalalley.org
List of biotech companies:
http://thelabrat.com/jobs/companies/BiotechPharmaUnitedStates.shtml
http://www.empr.com/browseby/manufacturers/