The year 2012 ended with two straight quarters of decline in the ZRG Partners Global Life Sciences hiring index, closing 2012 at a 76.5% level. While the index was essentially unchanged from Q4 2011, there were some interesting shifts in where new jobs are being sought and the job functions that are now in demand.

What’s Hot?

• APAC Region was the driver of growth with a 17.8% increase in demand
• Pfizer is flexing some hiring muscle as the Q4 leader in the region in open requisitions and new talent openings
• Research & Development hiring globally was the largest category percentage gainer in new openings of any job function

What’s Not?

• Regulatory / Quality and Clinical had an across the board drop globally
• EMEA showed less hiring overall with a decrease of 9.1% in Q4
• Sector wise, Medical Device and Diagnostics are trending down in demand

Looking at 2012 compared to 2011 several macro trends were clear. Hiring in the Pharma sector was up, but driven by specialized roles that were difficult to fill during the year. Broader skill sets in Sales and Marketing became less important and specialized skills in Quality, Regulatory and Clinical and APAC growth potential kept multinationals on the hunt for new talent. Medical Device and Diagnostics showed consistent reduced hiring demand in 2012. Surprisingly, demand for Manufacturing talent was on the rise, perhaps due to shifting locations for existing facilities for many, opening up new roles in regions with better cost structures and geo-political life sciences environments.

What will 2013 bring?

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