Pharmaceutical Talent in North America: Key Strengths of 3 Life Sciences Hubs
The global pharmaceutical industry runs on specialized skills and talent, which exist in all corners of the world. However, a number of countries offer talent pools with unique advantages that should be considered for their potential to advance your organization’s growth strategy.
This article on North America’s life sciences talent hubs — the first in a series of blogs that examines the strengths of pharmaceutical talent in different regions — draws from Safeguard Global’s recent report, “Top Countries for Hard-to-Fill Life Sciences Roles.” Based on information from our AI-enabled workforce optimization platform Intelligent Workforce, as well as our in-country HR and recruitment experts, the report highlights established and emerging pharma hubs that are strong sources of life sciences talent.
If your pharma company is poised for expansion into North America — whether through a merger, acquisition, new entity, or simply some added roles — there are three pharma hot spots here with talent benefits you should know about. Read on to learn what makes Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United States compelling from a life sciences hiring perspective.
The strengths of Canada’s pharma talent
Canada has advanced skills for the life sciences sector, and in particular, data sciences roles. Its “adequacy” status under European privacy laws allows for data-sharing with EU member states without the need for additional safeguards. This is due to its Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, which applies to commercial entities.
The North American country is also considered a life sciences talent hub because it offers strong supplies of skills for machine learning and AI roles. With Toronto as a global AI leader and Montreal having the highest concentration of academic researchers in deep learning, companies can find expert talent in Canada to help them establish, grow, and commercialize their AI technologies.
Canadian professionals speak English and/or French, and they often prefer flexible schedules, which may benefit employers in time zones outside Canada. They also possess a strong work ethic and the soft skills needed for innovation, such as strong communication and interpersonal skills.
The strengths of Puerto Rico’s pharma talent
Puerto Rico is an emerging hub for pharmaceutical talent. Identified in our pharma talent report as a “hidden gem,” this country of just 3.24 million people is building a solid reputation as a North American life sciences talent hub. In particular, our experts highlighted Puerto Rico for its pool of quality engineers, quality assurance specialists, and validation engineers.
Despite its small size, Puerto Rico is a pharmaceutical manufacturing power, with four of the world’s top 10 pharma companies located there. Its annual pharma exports to the US and international markets are valued at over $50 billion USD.
Puerto Rico’s progress is made possible by higher learning institutions such as the University of Puerto Rico and Ponce Health Sciences University. And the Puerto Rico Science, Technology & Research Trust offers support by funding promising research initiatives, supporting start-ups, and promoting industry partnerships.
Puerto Rico’s pharmaceutical industry operates under the full oversight of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so the country’s pool of pharma talent is accustomed to the FDA’s drug approval processes.
Competitive compensation packages are needed to attract the country’s most experienced pharma professionals; however, given Puerto Rico’s lower labor costs, their salaries consume a relatively smaller portion of a company’s budget than they would elsewhere.
Finally, with many of Puerto Rico’s pharma professionals speaking Spanish and English, they can easily contribute to global life sciences teams.
The strengths of the United States’ pharma talent
The United States’ life sciences sector owes much of its success to the high quality of pharmaceutical talent available in the country. Safeguard Global’s HR and recruiting experts note that its pool of talent for roles in clinical pharmacology, biomarker science, and translational science is a particular strength.
Graduate degrees are often required for these roles. For example, clinical pharmacologists typically enter the field with either a doctoral degree in pharmacy, known as a PharmD; a doctoral degree in philosophy, typically with a focus on applied pharmacology or pharmaceutical sciences; or a medical degree.
Professionals in these areas also benefit from a funding environment and infrastructure that support early drug development. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical and Translational Science Awards, for example, are an important source of funding for these scientists. The NIH and FDA, both headquartered near Washington, D.C., host significant R&D activity.
Elsewhere in the US, the Boston-Cambridge “Genetown” area, San Diego’s “Biotech Beach,” and multiple locations in between also contribute advanced talent for roles in clinical pharmacology, biomarker science, and translational science. Research Triangle Park in North Carolina is another life sciences talent hub thanks to its biotech R&D and contract research organizations.
Conclusion
In 2024, the North American pharma market was valued at $799.67 billion USD, according to Fortune Business Insights. It is expected to reach a remarkable $1,447.2 billion USD by 2032. These valuations can’t be achieved without a reliable supply of cutting-edge skills that can rapidly develop, scale, and commercialize drugs and therapies.
The three countries covered in this piece have people with these skills, but there are also drawbacks involved in hiring them. Canada has relatively high termination costs. In Puerto Rico, familiarity with specific regulatory frameworks can be hard to find. And in the US, hiring timelines can be lengthy, and salary expectations can be high. But these are the kinds of costs life sciences organizations must bear to remain competitive, and they aren’t unique to North America.
If your goals for expansion are focused on Europe or Asia, watch for our next two blogs, which will look at promising life sciences talent hubs in those regions. In the meantime, download our pharma report, “Top Countries for Hard-to-Fill Life Sciences Roles,” or contact us for more information on global hiring for key pharma roles.
Sources: Mila, Government of Canada Trade Commissioner Service, Stat10, Himalayas, Fortune Business Insights
