Moving from "Lab Based" to "Office Based" jobs in the Sciences

Hi - I can add:

1. Project Manager: can be a good first step from the bench, responsible for having an overview of varied projects with objectives, timelines, and resources mapped. Key role is to identify risks and help set up mitigation plans. They can be deployed anywhere in organizations. High attention to detail that scientists carry is an asset especially management of project with high complexity, and capablity to have high science and techinical discussions with project responsibles is a benefit. This can be low hanging fruit. Future career development wise i've seen lab bench folks go this route and have experiences that let them take a product from research through early development, ulitmately being a Product Team Lead or late down the road, R&D Program Development Lead or Head for a TA or Portofilo.

2. Technical Operations/QA: ensuring physical product is within specifications that define Quality - whereas not on the bench they can be apart of proceeses aiming to acheive and ensure Quality, assess specification deviations and trigger investigation accordingly. High science knowledge needed to help interpret and communicate findings. High cross-functional work to include collorations with other Technical Operations functions, Regulatory Affairs, Drug Supply, Production Line folk, QC scientists etc. etc. Opportunites to grow into Techincial Operations and other Pharmadevelopment roles that manage the delivery of the physcial asset from manufacturing to customer or end distrubutor.

3. Medical Writer: From the lab-bench can go into technical writing to support techincal components of varied Regulatory Dossiers. Can be broad from the technical scientific details of production to clinical data as relevant such as pivitol study data and/or drug safety data. Can find roles after exposure in Regulatory Affairs or Drug Safety at entry-level and grow from there.

Some can go into Publications from a clinical perspective to support communication of clinical data generated and sponsored by the company. There are many places a Medical Writer can sit. Can be highly techincial, however can give very broad and fast eposure to clinical data - can bridge quickly depending on personality and interest to other roles be it on the agency or eventually in-house pharma in varied roles beyond medical writer such as publications management or other medical affairs roles.

4. Market Research Specialist: Usually in pharma - For those looking more commercial yet using high science analytical skills this can be a good entry to understand Marketing. Can be grunt work in the begining, i.e. excell file programing, deep quesionnair development, data-gathering work, and compiling data for output. But alot of opportunity to see boarder picture. Good opps to grow in MR, especially on agency side and eventual transition to in-house. I've seen MR folks grow in Market Research it-self or transition internally to entry level Brand Management role (only accessible to people with experience, so MR would qualify). Fairly easy access, many agencies looking for grunt workers. Fast learning opportunity.

Those are just a few i think relatively lower hanging fruit folks can look at.

DX

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all of the information. Can anyone comment on how to advance from a phd-level lab position to strategy development?

Thanks,

MWS

What do you mean by "strategy development?" - to develop what? what sector? you need to be clearer.

And strategy let's say is not a next step in general from the bench. Its more first about tactical exectution say administrative/grunt-work wise of an operational plan - once you're proficient with tactical execution then you build to more strategic abitions as a genearal rule of thumb.

And strategy development ..well many people are involved in different functions..from what function do you want to eventually par-take in "strategy development" Please expand if you want help.

DX

Strategy Development, from a recruiting perspective, is something required in many jobs, and over the years dozens and dozens of searches we've taken on have had that language in the official job description. But I don't see it as a stand alone job.

You have research program strategy development, for example, where the direction of R&D is set by those who have this expertise (along with teams of others, because it certainly isn't done in isolation). We have a current assignment from the largest non-profit in the world of maize improvement, and the person they are looking for will head the strategy development for their grants that go out to donors to fund new research, new varieties of this food security crop. That's a good example of where you'll find the topic of strategy development.

I'd suggest project management training for those who want to be more involved in strategy. It's only by learning how large projects are funded and how they move through organizations that a person can get a handle on better or different strategies.

Dave

Caroline,

That's a great list -- thanks so much for providing it here.

Dave Jensen, Moderator