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SKILLS IN DEMAND IN CHINA’S PHARMA MARKET
Economic growth together with a shortage of middle and senior talent within life science companies are creating opportunities in China’s Pharma market, says a leading recruitment firm.
China has emerged as an increasingly attractive R&D outsourcing destination for foreign pharmaceutical companies. This in turn has led to a boom in the Clinical Research (CRO) market, particularly as companies look to reduce their products’ development time and cost.
“In fact, double-digit growth is forecasted for China’s pharmaceutical sales, reaching US $28.3 billion in 2010 to become the fifth largest pharmaceutical market in the world,” says Emma Charnock, Regional Director of Hays in China.
Boom in the CRO market
“There are an increasing number of multinational pharmaceutical companies transferring global projects to China. Consequently, this is creating demand for clinical experts such as Clinical Research Associates (CRA).
“To become a CRA, candidates need to possess an MD or Life Science degree, be fluent in English, with hands-on monitoring experience and attention to detail. Having the flexibility to travel is also a must as you’ll need to perform routine monitoring visits,” explains Emma.
Demand for Sales & Marketing Experts
“Promotion is an important aspect of any company’s growth strategy. So as many big pharmaceutical companies establish their APAC headquarters in China there is strong and consistent demand for sales skills.
Employers are targeting candidates with relevant sales experience as well as a medical education background, strong communication skills and an outgoing personality.
Emerging demand
There is a shift from traditional non-core functions such as manufacturing to the technically demanding areas such as drug discovery and biotech research and development (R&D).
“If we look at European trends, an increase in demand for clinical operations has been closely followed by an increase in demand for other R&D related skill sets, such as regulatory affairs, quality assurance, bio statistics, health economics and medical affairs.”
If you would like to launch a career in any of the world’s leading life science companies, Hays advises you to improve your language skills.
“English language skills are viewed highly in China, as is international experience. A combination of solid qualifications, relevant work experience and the drive to succeed is the best way to launch a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry. The most important factor is to become a real expert in what you do,” concludes Emma.
Visit www.hays.cn for more career information and advice.
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For further information please contact Caroline Stallion, Marketing Executive of Hays, on +612 8062 6122 or caroline.stallion@hays.com.au
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