Industry Research Careers

What does it take to do research in industry?

If you love research but aren’t sure about a position in academia, consider research in industry!

Researcher positions in the biotech industry allow you to continue to work at the bench, but you work for a company instead of a university. These positions can be a great opportunity to continue scientific research and make a contribution to the development of new drugs for patients. What is the "biotech industry"? For a brief overview, check out this article by Paul Diehl.

Toby Freedman’s book Career Opportunities in Biotechnology and Drug Development provides a great overview of the biotechnology industry and the types of positions available, including researcher positions. A shorter guide to some of the biotech positions can be found in the PhD Career Guide. For more information on all of the non-researcher jobs that surround the bench work in the biotech industry, see our Business of Science workshop series.

Check out this fantastic session by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology to learn more about career options in industry research

What does a career in industry research look like?

If you are considering making the transition to a biotech industry researcher position, you will want to know what it’s really like to work in this field. Check out this article from Lisa Belmont to find out more. 

There are many reasons why people love working in biotech, from the applied nature of their work to the team-based atmosphere. In this article, Lauren Friedman provides some insight into “Why People Love Working in Biotech.”

How does research in the biotech industry compare to academia?

Choosing between industry and academia can be a tough choice.  In this article from ScienceMag “Mythbusting for Academics: Considering a Job in Biotech/Pharma,” Emma Hitt tackles some myths about the biotech industry such as industry being the easy road, lack of opportunity to publish in industry, lack of intellectual freedom and curiosity in industry, and the potential of biased results in industry.  Mark Terry also tackles this question in the article “Industry vs Academia: Which is the better place to work as a life scientist.” In this editorial, David Searls provides “Ten Simple Rules for Choosing between Industry and Academia.”

To explore where you might fit, download the Science Career Trends eBook. Certain types of people will enjoy working as an industry researcher. Here are “10 signs you’ll like Biotech” from Susanne Kennedy. Hear from Klodjan Stafa and Erika Check Hayden about several people's journeys from academia to careers in industry.

What are some job titles for industry researcher positions?

In a few companies the job titles are analogous to the professor hierarchy in academia. In other companies, they have created more descriptive titles for researchers. You must do your homework regarding the company by searching their website, their publications, LinkedIn and UCSFConnect entries and by talking with your contacts. Here are some common titles:

  • Scientist titles:
    • Associate Scientist, Scientist, Junior Scientist, Senior Scientist, Principal Scientist
    • Scientist I, Scientist II, Scientist III, Scientist IV
  • Other titles:
    • Senior Scientific Researcher
    • Postdoc

For additional job titles and descriptions check out MassBioEd’s Careers in Life Sciences 5-minute overview video.

How do I know if an industry researcher position is a good fit for me?

Good question! Find out by completing the AAAS's My Individual Development Plan Assessment Tool, which OCPD co-created. Answer three assessments and it will calculate and compare your skills/interests/values responses to key factors for 60 different career paths within 20 different career categories that are options for you as a scientist. Click on the image to the left to see a sample report.

Get hands on exposure to industry research with an

InterSECT Job Simulation

How do you transition into industry research?

Read articles on making the transition published by Nature and Science.

This article looks at how to break into biotech and includes some case studies.

Should you do an industry postdoc?

When deciding between a postdoc in industry versus academia, there are many factors that must be considered, for example, the best way to break into industry, whether you might be closing yourself off from academia, resources availability at a company, and salary. In this article from Laura Bonetta, you can read all about it. If you want to know what a postdoc industry might be like, check out this article by Beryl Lieff Benderly from ScienceMag and consider reading more from Grace Wong about why you should “consider post-doctoral training in industry.”

If your eventual goal is to work in industry, you will want to choose a postdoc in a biotech-rich geographical area, or perhaps even in industry itself.
What are some organizations that hire PhDs?

See list from TheLabRat.com and BioPharmaGuy.

How are startups different from established companies?

Scitable by NatureEducation says “Large companies tend to have more funds available, are often more stable, and hire people with a wide range of skills. Small companies are often looking for very specific skill sets to complement their small teams.” If you are thinking about working in a startup, here's 7 things you should know.

How can I build experience to prepare for a career in industry research?
How can I connect with other professionals in industry research?
How do I get started with the job search?

Here are some tips to get started.  You also want to look for available jobs on a Job Board. Here are some resources:

OCPD has more resources to help you with your job search on our Organizing a Job Search Outside Academica page.

Example job descriptions

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