Career Paths




Career Paths

After a Ph.D. or a Postdoc in academic science, there are various job opportunities for your further career – you may wish to continue pursuing a career in academic research, or to find alternative science-related positions in academia or industry. Business-related job opportunities are also available for researchers, such as consulting or entrepreneurship. The field of health policy also holds interesting options for scientists.

In order to give you an overview, as well as detailed information of the various job opportunities after a completion of a Ph.D. or Postdoc, we have categorized these into four “job clusters” - Academia, Industry, Consulting & Entrepreneurship and Intellectual Property & Health Policy.

Below the job clusters, we introduce different “job fields”, which in turn include various “job positions”, as well as the potential skills required.

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Academia

Research

Job Positions: Postdoc, Staff Scientist, Group Leader, Head of Facility, Professorship, etc.
Required skills: Organisational skills, project management, communication, writing, teamwork and independent working, multi-tasking, analytical thinking

Science Management

Job Positions: Research Cluster Management, Compliance Officer, Grants Officer, Dean of a Graduate Programme, Coordinator, etc. 
Required skills: Writing, organisational & project management, communication, collaboration, multi-tasking

Education

Job Positions: Professorship (teaching), Research & Teaching Faculty Position, Public Outreach Specialist, etc.
Required skills: Teaching, analytical & technical skills, communication & presentation, organisation

In the past, the greatest novel discoveries and innovations have been found by academic researchers. Thus, by following an academic research career path, you can make a large impact by working on a research query which fascinates you most. The route towards a group leader or professorship position also brings along increasing independence to move forward own scientific visions and research ideas. Consequently, a successful academic research path enables great career satisfaction.

Given that tenure track positions as a group leader or professor are sparse and competitive, one has to prove outstanding scientific as well as additional qualifications to reach such a position. During the lengthy time of PhD and postdoc positions with limited contracts, it is not only a requirement to perform great science and publish in peer-reviewed journals, but also to get involved in further activities and courses regarding supervision, teaching, third-party funding and collaborations, for example. Demonstrating increasing skills in various areas, combined with networking at conferences and through collaborations, may open new doors for joint funding applications or new job options.

Although it requires a high level of self-motivation to follow this path and the salaries are rather low in comparison to industry, an academic science career usually reveals high job satisfaction.

At the same time, it is a risky path, however, and most PhDs continue with a postdoc by default. It is thus highly recommendable to be self-reflective whether the academic research career is a good fit or whether alternative options, outside of academia, might be more suitable. Scientific support positions, such as head of facility or lab manager, may also represent alternative academic research positions.

But if you are driven by scientific intellectual stimulation and are passionate to deep dive into challenging research questions over a longer time, then the academic research career is definitely for you.

Job Positions:

Postdoc, Staff Scientist, Group Leader, Head of Facility, Professor

Skills:

 Analytical skills, technical skills, project management, writing, leadership

Links with further information

Postdoc / Group Leader:  

Professor:

Head of Facility

Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/academic-research/ Blackford, S. (2012). Career Planning for Research Bioscientists. UK: Wiley-Blackwell. Gramlich, P., Bodewits, K. (2018). PhD! And, next? A guide for natural- and life scientists. Munich: NaturalScience.careers

Science Management is a growing job sector enabling strategic planning, organization and guidance in scientific institutions. Science management positions allow us to remain closely involved with science, but away from the bench. Typical tasks involve coordination and management of scientific projects and collaborations, scientific consultations and support, communication and networking, conception and organization of tenders and sponsor programs, analysis of scientific development and development of strategies, and much more. Depending on which positions you apply for, your task can differ greatly. It’s thus important to carefully interrogate those at interviews.
Scientific managers work, among others, at universities and scientific institutions (e.g. administration, research programs, third-party funding), at public science- and sponsor organisations (e.g. coordination of scientific ministries, research programs of EU) or regional organisations (e.g. city administration, scientific sponsoring).

To obtain a scientific manager job, it is essential, next to a PhD, to reveal experience in administrative tasks, involvement in scientific circles and first experience regarding third-party funding applications. An interest in the development of scientific (political) systems and communication is a prerequisite. Scientific manager jobs are generally very interactive and involve multi-tasks, but most can be carried out part-time, thus being convenient for coordination with family life.  

Job Positions:

 Research Cluster Management, Compliance Officer, Grants Officer, Dean / Coordinator of a Graduate Program

Skills:

Organisational skills, project management, communication, writing, teamwork and independent working, multi-tasking, analytical thinking

Links with further information

Source: https://www.netzwerk-wissenschaftsmanagement.de/index.php?article_id=130; Gramlich, P., Bodewits, K. (2018). PhD! And, next? A guide for natural- and life scientists. Munich: NaturalScience.career; https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/md/studium/imstudium/careerservice/veranstaltungen/wissenschaftsmanagement.pdf

Science education involves teaching science in the typical subjects of biology, chemistry, physics, maths and informatics to non-scientists. Scientists enter the educational sector mainly as lecturers at universities or as teachers at schools.

The position as a lecturer or teaching professor (Lehrprofessor in Germany) at a university majorly includes teaching students and only allows some research on the side. Although permanent positions as teaching professors have been sparse until today, more and more universities are opening more of these positions due to the huge lack of professional lecturers.

Given a similar shortage of specialized teachers in schools, becoming a science teacher in an elementary or high school is possible. Teaching jobs at schools are regarded as being very family-friendly with a reasonable salary for high school teachers. Becoming a school teacher after a scientific path differs greatly between countries and schooling systems. You can either start as a temporary teacher and attend part-time educational or pedagogic courses on the side, or you might be required to do some training on the job (Referendariat) before you can access a permanent position.

Job Positions:

Professorship (teaching), Research & Teaching Faculty Position, Public Outreach Specialist

Skills:

Teaching/explaining/presenting science, communication, organisation

Links with further information

Source: https://karriere.unicum.de/berufsorientierung/berufsbilder/quereinsteiger-lehrer   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_education; Gramlich, P., Bodewits, K. (2018). PhD! And, next? A guide for natural- and life scientists. Munich: NaturalScience.careers;  https://www.spiegel.de/karriere/karriere-an-der-uni-warum-manche-wissenschaftler-gern-lehren-a-836081.html 

Industry

Research & Development

Job Positions: Discovery or Preclinical Researcher, Manager of a Research Team or Facility, etc.
Skills: As in academia + communication with non-scientists, good time management, flexibility, team player

Clinical Research  

Job Positions: Clinical Research Associate (CRA), Clinical Research Manager, etc.
Skills: Clinical trial knowledge, organisation & communication, willingness to travel, empathy

Science Application 

Job Positions: Application Specialist, Technology Scout, Medical Science Liaison, Regulatory Affairs Manager, Quality Manager, etc.
Skills: Communication & presentation, scientific understanding, management, willingness to travel

Communication 

Job Positions: Science / Medical / Technical Writer, Science Editor, Science Publisher, etc.
Skills: Language & writing skills, subject expertise, decision making

Technology Transfer 

Jobs Positions: Technology Transfer Specialist, IT Specialist, Programmer, Data Analyst, etc.
Skills: IT skills, programming skills, data handling

Marketing & Sales 

Job Positions: Brand / Product Manager, Marketing Specialist, Business Development Professional, Sales Representative, etc.
Skills: Finance & economics, analytical skills, communication & presentation, customer focus, flexibility 

Research is not only done at universities but also in industry. However, industry research is profit-driven to commercialize a useful product. This means less flexibility in the choice of the research topic and a stricter schedule. Unlike research in academia, industry research is more of teamwork with numerous smaller projects. This also includes regular communication with other departments and management.

Presentations at conferences and publishing are not common in the industry due to confidentiality issues. There are often restrictions on the publication of research results, which makes it almost impossible to be recognized for new findings. A common misconception is that industry research is easier but the demands placed on researchers are the same. A science background or PhD is required and skills like analytical thinking, hypothesis testing, accuracy and numeracy among others are highly valued.

Job Positions:

Discovery or Preclinical Researcher, Manager of a Research Team or Facility

Skills:

Analytical thinking, accuracy, technical skills, communication (to non-scientists), good time management, flexibility, team player

Links with further information

Research & Development Scientist

Information 

Experience report:

Manager / Head of a Research Team

Source: Gramlich, P., Bodewits, K. (2018). PhD! And, next? A guide for natural- and life scientists. Munich: NaturalScience.careers; Blackford, S. (2012). Career Planning for Research Bioscientists. UK: Wiley-Blackwell.  https://career.ucsf.edu/phds/non-academic/every-month/industry-researcher#What-does-a-career-in-industry-research-look-like&nbsp  

In the field of clinical research, documentation during clinical trials is the principal task. A CRA (Clinical Research Associate) is responsible for the coordination and supervision of a trial. This process includes writing protocols, developing templates for data acquisition, to ensure the ethical manner and the fulfilment of prescribed regulations of a trial, instructing and informing patients and doctors about the trial and writing for publication. In short, a CRA is a project manager who is managing all stages of the clinical trial. Therefore, communication is another important skill because a CRA is in contact with a large number of different people from different contexts. He or she needs to travel to several locations, which requires flexibility from the worker.

Clinical Research Organizations, companies from the pharma and biotech sector and hospitals are possible employers. Job entrants start their career in the role of a low-level CRA whether they have a graduate or post-graduate degree. Then they can move up to become higher-level CRAs with growing responsibilities like training staff. With some years of experience in the field, working as a consultant or freelancer is another option. It takes about 7 years of working experience as a CRA before one can become a clinical research manager. In this job field, hands-on experience is the key that cannot be replaced with a higher academic qualification. Typically, clinical research workers have graduated in life sciences, medical sciences, nursing or in the broader fields of biology or chemistry. A post-graduate course in clinical research is an advantage.

Job Positions:

Clinical Research Associate (CRA), Clinical Research Manager

Skills:

Knowledge of current regulations, clinical trial knowledge, documentation, data analysis, organization and communication, willingness to travel, empathy

Links with further information

Clinical Research Scientist:  

Clinical Research Associate:

Clinical Research Manager: 

Source: Gramlich, P., Bodewits, K. (2018). PhD! And, next? A guide for natural- and life scientists. Munich: NaturalScience.careers; https://jobs.newscientist.com/en-gb/article/a-career-in-clinical-research/ 

After a PhD or a Postdoc in science, some researchers consider further career options outside of academia and away from the bench, but still linked to science. Such science application positions include various job opportunities, such as an application scientist, an MSL (medical science liaison manager) or a regulatory expert, and many more. Depending on your level and expertise of research experience and responsibilities, you can either enter such a position in the industry directly, or you might find it easier to first apply to an R&D position and then transfer from there to a science application position. In an R&D position, you will most likely – or you can make the effort to – be in contact with departments related to R&D, such as clinical research, medical management, regulatory affairs, scientific advisory, etc., which can make it easier to join such a team from inside than from outside the company.

A job position that eases the direct transfer from the lab in academia to a science-related job in the industry, but which is often not considered during job search given its misconception of being a technical sales role, is the job of an application scientist/specialist. As a scientific application specialist, you will give demos and training regarding specific lab equipment or research tools and will be a major contact point for clients regarding troubleshooting. Given the various tasks involved with the high level of client communication, an application scientist will develop a great pharmaceutical business understanding and according to industry experts, thus making him/her prone to further jobs in science application or business development and marketing and sales (please see job field “Marketing and sales”).

A Medical Science Liaison Manager (MSL) position represents an attractive, more and more common, very communicative and interactive job involving first line with the newest drug and clinical developments. Being employed by a biotech or pharma company, an MSL provides up-to-date scientific knowledge and advice to internal and external stakeholders. The main aim of this position is to support the process of successfully launching a new product on the pharma market. The expertise of an MSL ranges from scientific knowledge about therapy area, disease, company’s and competitors’ products in the market and clinical trials, as well as a mode of action, efficacy and side effects of these, patient data, up to an understanding of the pharma market and physicians’ treatment decisions and procedure. While having no actual promotional activity, MSL provides disease and drug information presentations to regional organizations of physicians, patients and health insurance. Furthermore, they are in very intensive exchange with influential persons in the field, so-called KOLs (key opinion leaders), which could be e.g. heads of medical departments in clinics, top researchers and representatives from patient and health insurance organizations.

Such scientific exchange and discussion with KOLs happen either in one-to-one meetings or at international scientific and medical congresses. Thus, such a position also brings along up to 60-80% of travelling activity (in case the MSL position sounds exciting for you, but you wish for less travelling, the position of a scientific advisor might be for you). By reporting back to the company all the insights from the exchanges with KOLs, the internal drug development and business strategy can be aligned to the patient, physician and market needs and thus enable the company to make a successful launch of a new product.

Job positions such as in quality management (QM) and regulatory affairs (RA) in biotech and pharma companies enable compliance with specific health and safety requirements. Such positions represent alternative pharma industry entry jobs for postdocs, but also for PhDs preferably with QM or RA training. While QM focuses on the monitoring and evaluation of the quality and validity of drug substances, drug manufacturing and drug packaging and compliance with regulations thereby, RA manages all regulatory aspects and strategies regarding a drug product’s life cycle. Thereby, RA is a major coordination point between clinical affairs, QM and regulatory authorities in the context of drug approvals and compliance with actual regulations.

Job Positions:

 Application Specialist, Medical Science Liaison (MSL), Data Scientist, Medical Manager, Regulatory Affairs Manager, Quality Manager

Skills:

Communication & presentation, scientific understanding, management, willingness to travel

Links with further information

Application Specialist:  

Technology Scout: 

Medical Science Liaison: 

Scientific Advisor:

Data Scientist:

Medical Manager:

Regulatory Affairs:

Quality Management (QM):

Source: https://www.lifescience-youngscientists.uzh.ch/dam/jcr:ffffffff-a38c-eba5-ffff-ffffe10bca02/CheekyScientist_Top20IndustryPos4PhDs.pdf   www.training.nih.gov%2F_assets%2FRAPS_handout&usg=AOvVaw15Yolg67XbwvYuCWpWrFxl  Gramlich, P., Bodewits, K. (2018). PhD! And, next? A guide for natural- and life scientists. Munich: NaturalScience.careers;  https://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2010/02/applications-scientist-career-track;  https://phdcareerguide.com/career-information/pharma-biotech/;  http://www.vib.be/VIBDocumentLibrary/EN/Career%20opportunities%20VIB%20Martin%20Michel.pdf    https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=10&ved=2ahUKEwjxpsu5_cnnAhWKI8AKHWqRAfQQFjAJegQIAhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.training.nih.gov%2F_a

The job field of Communication includes jobs such as editor, science publisher/ journalist as well as a scientific and medical writer. This field is interesting for everybody who wants to stay close to the scientific discourse and whose passion is writing.

Editor: An editor is mainly responsible for reviewing and rewriting publications. Usually, there are several editors with different specializations; e.g. a “content editor” who is working on text intelligibility while bearing in mind the target group or a “copy editor” who is focusing on errors in grammar and spelling.
Required skills: Native speakers preferred, language (including grammar rules), understanding of the publishing process of (non-) scientific texts, evaluating and verifying content, becoming familiar with the target group. 

Science Writer / Journalist: A science writer or journalist writing about the state of research for a broader audience in newspapers, consumer and trade magazines or press offices of federal agencies or companies. As many journalists work as freelancers, it is also common to write for more than one medium from more than one country. Several online platforms bring freelancers and employers together (e.g. people per hour, guru.com).
Experience in writing is essential which can best be proven by writing samples. Therefore, it is advisable to develop writing skills from an early stage by participating in university magazines or creating your online blog.
Required skills: Talent for language and writing, broad understanding of science, (hard-to-access) information procurement, and communication with non-scientists.

Scientific / Medical Writer: A scientific writer is addressing a specific but non-expert audience. Therefore, target-group-oriented communication is important. Scientific writers are typically employed by companies and academic institutions or hospitals and pharmaceutical/ biotechnology companies in the case of medical writers. Medical writers are needed for composing regulatory documents, package leaflets, label materials and summaries of epidemiological studies. In academic institutions, scientific writers support professors and other scientists to publish their work. Sometimes the work overlaps with the tasks of an editor or a science writer, however, the career start is often easier e.g. as a company’s in-house writer. Freelancing is similarly common among scientific writers and can be lucrative when for example employed for grant writing. Building up a professional network can help to get a foot in the door. There are numerous associations of scientific and medical writers worldwide that you can join.

Job Positions:

 Science / Medical / Technical writer, Science Editor, Science Publisher

Skills:

  Language & writing skills, subject expertise, decision making

Links with further information

Scientific / Medical Writer: 

Information:

Experience report

Courses:

 

Science Writer / Journalist: 

Information:

Science Editor: 

Information:

Experience report:

Source: Gramlich, P., Bodewits, K. (2018). PhD! And, next? A guide for natural- and life scientists. Munich: NaturalScience.careers https://phdcareerguide.com/career-information/writing-html/ https://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2011/10/science-writing-and-editing

Technology transfer specialists, technology scouts, research support managers, Entrepreneurial Investment Managers, Intellectual Property Managers, IT specialists, programmers, and data analysts are job titles covered by the job field of technology transfer. The term technology or research commercialization is synonymously used. It describes the transition from scientific knowledge gained in a research organization like a university into a profit-oriented environment where it can be sold in the form of a product or service. Working in the field of technology transfer means being at the interface between the research institution and an actor from the profit sector who is interested in intellectual properties/ technology. Therefore, technology transfer professionals work with numerous stakeholders. They are responsible for identifying new technologies, patenting them, and marketing them to the for-profit sector. The latter includes selling and licensing to outside companies or into spin-offs which requires also expertise in compliance laws. The job field is obviously related to patent law, business development and venture capital. Hence, those working in technology transfer range from life scientists to engineers and lawyers.

Since the 1980s, universities introduced technology transfer professionals to attract corporate research support, get revenue for further research, and add prestige to the research organization. Therefore, almost all universities and research organizations have technology transfer offices. A good entry point is to look for a position as a licensing assistant/ associate or assistant director in the field of your specialization. Another opportunity might be a postdoctoral fellowship or similar programs at your research organization, such as the Data Science School Exchange Program at Helmholtz.

Job Positions:

 Technology Scout / Transfer Specialist, IT Specialist, Programmer, Data Analyst

Skills:

IT skills, programming skills, data handling, legal and regulatory skills, networking

Links with further information

Technology Transfer Specialist:

Information:

 

Technology Scout:

Information:

Experience report:

 

IT Specialist:

Information:

 

Programmer:

Information:

 

Data analyst:

Information:

Source: https://phdcareerguide.com/career-information/technology-transfer/ https://career.ucsf.edu/phds/non-academic/every-month/intellectual-property https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-reasons-you-should-technology-transfer-your-next-career-nag/

Marketing departments are involved in the business process of identifying, anticipating and meeting customers’ needs and wants. The responsibilities of marketing departments range from detailed questions like “what texture and colour should the package for that fancy new drug have” to strategic planning of worldwide sales activities. Their areas of expertise include, depending on the complexity of the project: market research, market targeting and segmentation, determining distribution, pricing and promotion strategies, communications strategies, budgeting, as well as defining long-term market development goals. Several stages of this process involve creative skills, e.g. product design, brand management, and advertising. Pharmaceutical marketing for instance layers complex information and makes them available to physicians (the health care system). A pharmaceutical marketer‘s goal increasingly is to make a product stand out in the crowd, as the differentiation between the products becomes smaller. In the pharma space marketing is often more closely associated with growth than the creation or improvement of products.
Required skills: communication, analytics, creativity and writing, psychology, finance and economics, critical thinking, customer focus, flexibility

Sales positions come in many facets, all evolving around the selling of a number of products in a targeted time period. Field sales involve visiting single customers and lots of travelling. You get to know customers first-hand, which often turns into entering other positions within the company headquarters. Technical Sales Specialists (TSS) are needed in technology-based companies and bridge the gap between technical know-how and sales skills. They support the larger sales team and help clients, e.g. suggesting equipment ideal for solving their specific needs. Most technology-based companies offer to entrants with phd’s a specialized certification course in sales and business to ensure quality and win the client’s trust. Quantitative analysts are required in both marketing and sales. With their ability to conduct independent research they can complement employees with a background in finance. Business and Development (BD) evolves around the strategic positioning of a product, e.g. in acquisitions and opening new markets.
Required skills: communication and presentation, customer focus, analytics, finance and economics, service mentality, willingness to travel

Job Positions:

 Brand / Product Manager, Marketing Specialist, Business Development Professional, Sales Representative

Skills:

Finance & economics, analytical skills, communication & presentation, customer focus, flexibility

Links with further information

Quantitative Analyst:  

Brand / Product Manager: 

Marketing Specialist:  

Business Development Professional:  

Sales Representative:

Source: Gramlich, P., Bodewits, K. (2018). PhD! And, next? A guide for natural- and life scientists. Munich: NaturalScience.careers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketing; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8012620 https://healthcareweekly.com/pharma-marketing/  https://www.lifescience-youngscientists.uzh.ch/dam/jcr:ffffffff-a38c-eba5-ffff-ffffe10bca02/CheekyScientist_Top20IndustryPos4PhDs.pdf   

Consulting & Entrepreneurship

Consulting 

Job Positions: Analyst, Consultant, Senior Consultant, Management Consultant, Principal Consultant, Agile Coach, Facilitator, etc.
Skills: Analytical & strategic skills, endurance, intercultural communication, stress resistance, quick understanding, customer focus, flexibility

Entrepreneurship / Start-Ups

Job Positions: Company Founder, Freelancer
Skills: Self-management & organisation, creativity, networking, financial management

Companies of all kinds of branches are repeatedly hiring consulting companies in order to either receive support for the companies‘ management in business strategy development and/or with the development and implementation of certain projects if the company needs to outsource expertise.

Known big management consultancies like BCG, McKensey, etc., which do consulting for all branches and topics, are popular for high income and a lot of travelling but are also known for a high level of work and stress. Nevertheless, it enables to build up a great manifold network and to gain knowledge and expertise for various industries and markets in a short time. There are also smaller management consulting companies which are specialized in certain branches and topics. Furthermore, there are also so-called “boutique” consulting companies, which are only specialized in consulting for one topic or branch, such as the pharma/healthcare/life science branch. The smaller the company that you start at is, the more tasks and responsibilities you will be exposed to at an entry-level position.

Key topics for consulting are e.g. digitalisation/IT implementation, business strategy development, human resources, sales, marketing, pricing, customer relations management, change management, reorganisation, supply-chain-management, innovations and growth, mergers and acquisition, and sustainability.

Key topics for pharma consulting are e.g. product life cycle management, pricing and market access, business unit strategy, market analysis, commercialization, product launch strategy and management, forecasting, and implementations of new health care regulations.

Job Positions:

 Analyst, Consultant, Senior Consultant, Principal Consultant

Skills:

Analytical & strategic skills, intercultural communication, stress-resistance, quick understanding, customer focus

Links with further information

Analyst / Consultant:  

Source: Gramlich, P., Bodewits, K. (2018). PhD! And, next? A guide for natural- and life scientists. Munich: NaturalScience.careers https://www.brandeins.de/magazine/brand-eins-thema/consulting-2019/interaktives-ranking-und-bestenliste    https://www.iqvia.com/de-de/solutions/research-and-development/consulting  

Entrepreneurship comprises the process of setting up, launching and executing a new venture. During your scientific research and discoveries, original ideas might arise and the plan evolves to translate these into services or products. As launching a new service or business brings along some risks and demands full-time commitment, it is crucial to first critically evaluate and prepare the business idea: is there a market need and commercial potential, do you have the required skills or do you need further resources, do you have a business plan and forecast, what kind of founding is required and how can it be secured, how would you approach networking and marketing?

As an entrepreneur, you mostly start off rather small and can either be self-employed or work as a freelancer or as a company founder. You may start your own business firstly as the only employee, which includes tasks from decision-making as CEO to the simplest administrative functions of an assistant. Also, you might decide to get started together with a few other people as co-founders, whereby every person covers an expertise relevant to the offering. Depending on your company's business focus, the need for funding will greatly differ. While some service companies manage to start off self-financed, businesses with technological innovations need to raise a lot of money. One can receive information regarding funding possibilities through chambers (e.g. IHK), start-up organizations, credit institutes and venture capital firms, among others.

Starting your own business is very time-consuming and rather non-profitable at the beginning, but, if well prepared, it can be very rewarding long term in regard to the motivation of successfully running your own thing and generating greater profit than as an employee.

Job Positions:

Company Founder, Freelancer

Skills:

Self-management & organisation, creativity, business understanding, networking, financial management

Links with further information

Freelancer:  

Company Founder: 

Source: Gramlich, P., Bodewits, K. (2018). PhD! And, next? A guide for natural- and life scientists. Munich: NaturalScience.careers; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entrepreneurship  https://phdcareerguide.com/career-information/entrepreneurship/  

Intellectual Property & Health Policy

Intellectual Property 

Job Positions: Patent Lawyer, Patent Agent, Patent Engineer, Patent Examiner, etc.
Skills: Concise language, patent law, complex text understanding, customer contact

Public Affairs / Health Policy

Job Positions: Public Health Programme Analyst, PR Manager, Scientific Advisor / Science Policy Expert, Biostatistician, etc.
Skills: Political process insights, analytical skills, writing & communication with non-scientists, consultation

In order to protect innovations from copies and exploitation, they should first be secured with industrial property rights before being launched onto markets. With these rights, the exclusivity of innovation and the control of commercialization and collaboration are ensured.

In Europe, intellectual property (IP) receives protection either through the National Patent Office (e.g. German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA)) or the European patent office (EPO).

Job opportunities as patent lawyers, patent examiners or patent engineers are becoming increasingly popular for scientists. While the job of a patent examiner and patent engineer can be directly entered with a Masters's degree and preferably one year of working experience, a year of working experience and up to three years of additional law studies are required to enter the position of a patent lawyer. Given the required working experience for a patent lawyer, it is rather usual that scientists apply after a PhD or even after a Postdoc.

Working as a patent lawyer does not only imply higher salaries but also a greater diversity of job opportunities: you can work in a law firm or in an industry. While patent law firms take over the whole patent application process for their clients from various fields and defend these IPs at the patent offices, patent lawyers in the industry generally perform the same for the company they are working for. Thus, their working field might be a bit more specific and less diverse than in a law firm.

Patent examiners work either at a national patent office or the EPO, representing the opposite position to a patent lawyer, i.e. examining the newest inventions handed in with the patent applications. Thereby, patent examiners evaluate the innovations by scientific, analytical and legal aspects. No further education is required for this position, but commonly up to two-year training is provided at the patent office upon job start. Salaries of patent examiners are high at the DPMA and very high at the EPO.

There also exist assisting patent lawyers known as patent engineers, which support patent lawyers in their work. Thus, this position can be an interesting option to get to know the IP field without having to directly enter patent law studies.

Job Positions:

Patent Lawyer, Patent Agent, Patent Engineer, Patent Examiner

Skills:

Analytical thinking, interest in IP, patent law, complex text understanding, custom. contact

Links with further information

Patent Lawyer:  

Patent Examiner: 

Source: https://www.dpma.de/english/services/ip_rights_briefly_explained/index.html   Gramlich, P., Bodewits, K. (2018). PhD! And, next? A guide for natural- and life scientists. Munich: NaturalScience.careers  https://jobs.epo.org/content/See-the-latest-inventions-/?locale=en_GB  https://www.sciencemag.org/booklets/career-trends-careers-away-bench#    

Public affairs practitioners engage in building and developing relations between an organization, politicians/governments and other decision-makers such as shareholders, trade associations, charities and unions. They aim at influencing public policy and find common ground with stakeholders. Public affairs practitioners often work in-house, for a consultancy with changing clients or as freelancers. Their activities are wide-ranging and include: Lobbying; monitoring the most up-to-date information; media management (PR activities with a political focus); organizing and attending events (to invite and meet with stakeholders) and general networking and providing information to stakeholders.
Required skills: enthusiasm for politics and current affairs, communication and research, analysing and summarising written material quickly, time management, working under tight deadlines

Working in Public Policy gives you the opportunity to have an impact on national and international policy in your field. As a technical expert in fields such as environmental issues, healthcare or energy you work directly with lawmakers or advise government programs. Scientific advisors could e.g. write policy briefs to keep politicians informed about the possible impact of technological developments. Positions can be found at international organizations such as the EU and UN, at think tanks and economic institutions and at the parliament.
Required skills: persuasive communication with non-scientists, collaboration, writing, interest in political processes, keeping up to date with new developments, critical thinking and creativity

The Public Health field is wide and can include careers such as epidemiologist, public relations specialist and health educator. The careers can range from identifying diseases, creating public policy or helping e.g. minority groups integrate into new communities. Public Health can be a subfield in public affairs, public policy as well as public administration.
Required skills: Advocacy, communications skills (verbal and written), analytical- and problem-solving skills, empathy

In Public Administration you fulfil often complex administrative roles revolving around event organization, outreach activities, providing information to clients, as well as overseeing and implementing programs for organizations. Often you are directing and advising other employees like program officers, researchers and consultants. When working for foundations, you may evaluate grant proposals and organize panels.
Required skills: coordination and organization, strategic and operational planning, evaluating and understanding proposals and scientific developments, strategic vision

As a scientist in Forensics, you prepare traces of physical evidence for use in courts of law. Rather than working in the field, you mainly work in a lab and analyze samples that are being delivered. You can directly work for the police and in government labs, but those jobs are often outsourced to specialized companies.

Job Positions:

 Public Health Programme Analyst, PR, Scientific Advisor / Science Policy expert, Biostatistician

Skills:

Political process insights, analytical skills, writing & communication to non-scientists, consultation, advocacy, time management

Links with further information

Public Health Programme Analyst, PR, Scientific Advisor / Science Policy Expert, Biostatistician, Epidemiologist, Medical Informaticist, Forensic Expert, Science Founder and Administrator:

Source: Gramlich, P., Bodewits, K. (2018). PhD! And, next? A guide for natural- and life scientists. Munich: NaturalScience.careers   https://phdcareerguide.com/career-information/public-policy/   https://www.publicaffairsnetworking.com/what-is-public-affairs.php   https://www.publicaffairsnetworking.com/guide-to-working-in-public-affairs.php  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_administration   https://www.publichealt...