Greg Coir
Former Head of Vertical Strategy-Healthcare and Life Sciences, NA, ManpowerGroup
Greg is a healthcare staffing executive with over 25 years of experience delivering staffing and consulting solutions to life sciences and healthcare organizations across the U.S. From 2024-2026 he led the Healthcare and Life Sciences Vertical Strategy at ManpowerGroup North America. Greg holds a bachelor's degree in business management from Merrimack College and is recognized for his strategic leadership and growth-oriented approach. He is based in the Greater Boston area.
Life sciences occupations are among those with the lowest levels of unemployment, with a rate of less than 2%. This scarcity of available talent makes the competition for qualified workers exceptionally tight and hiring timelines longer. Talent acquisition has become one of the most strategic levers in determining which companies will lead the future of human health.
Life sciences recruitment, particularly within pharmaceutical and medical device organizations, involves securing the scientific and technical expertise required to drive regulatory success and deliver life-changing therapies at scale.
Demographic pressures, digitization and an acute scarcity of technical skills are redefining what it takes to compete for top-tier talent. These forces challenge traditional recruitment models and are accelerating a wave of strategies you will need to remain competitive and relevant in these fields.
A Demanding Landscape: What's Driving Change in Life Sciences Recruitment
A close examination of the current talent market across pharmaceutical and medical technology sectors reveals the underlying dynamics driving this increasingly complex landscape.
Exploding demand, minimal skill transferability
The life sciences industry is growing at a rate that far outpaces the available talent. Employment in medical science alone is projected to grow 11% by 2033 — faster than the average for all other sectors.
A similar trajectory applies to clinical research and regulatory affairs roles, where rising drug development activity and global trial complexity are intensifying the demand for highly skilled professionals.
This industry's recruiters compete globally for a scarce class of deeply specialized talent. Where other sectors, such as manufacturing or IT, can draw on adjacent skill sets, life sciences offers limited cross-sector mobility. As a result, workforce planning has become a long game of pipeline cultivation and skills forecasting.
Shifting demographics
Over 20% of workers across pharmaceutical sciences and medical manufacturing are 55 or older. As senior scientists and technical leads transition out of the workforce, succession planning becomes increasingly complex and urgent.
This demographic shift is especially pronounced in specialized functions such as clinical trial management and regulatory affairs. These roles aren’t easily backfilled from adjacent sectors, nor are they functions that can tolerate knowledge attrition without operational risk. As decades of institutional expertise phase out, organizations must accelerate internal pipeline development or risk prolonged competency gaps.
Early-stage tech adoption
AI, machine learning and predictive analytics are accelerating progress across the life sciences, from expediting drug discovery to refining clinical trial design. That same transformative potential extends to talent acquisition. Intelligent algorithms can now predict candidate success based on skill profiles, flag attrition risks and, within seconds, match specialized professionals to roles they might not have previously considered.
However, AI-based hiring tools are only as effective as the datasets they rely on. Life sciences organizations, especially those in early growth stages, often lack the clean, structured talent data needed to realize the full value of these tools.
Key Recruitment Trends Defining the Industry
These underlying forces are setting trends that are redefining the execution of life sciences recruitment. This area is where the most consequential shifts occur, and talent strategy must evolve from static processes to agile, future-facing systems.
Digitization and AI
Digital transformation extends well beyond the laboratory bench. Its influence permeates the full talent acquisition lifecycle and embeds intelligence into core recruitment functions. AI-powered platforms analyze thousands of candidate profiles and identify high-value combinations of technical skills such as CRISPR-Cas9 proficiency and GMP manufacturing knowledge.
Natural language processing and machine learning technologies are changing how organizations assess candidate qualifications. These tools parse scientific literature, patent filings and research citations to better understand a candidate’s domain impact and potential trajectory. This signals a shift: recruitment in pharma is becoming increasingly data-informed and technically augmented. The evolution of life sciences recruiting hinges on integrating intelligent systems that find candidates faster and do so with contextual awareness.
The need for hyper-specialized talent profiles
Scientific fluency, industry-specific knowledge and role-critical experience are essential for supporting complex workflows and meeting accelerated timelines in pharma and medical device innovation. However, according to the ManpowerGroup U.S. Talent Shortage Survey, 69% of life sciences and healthcare employers report difficulty sourcing skilled talent. The search for specialized candidates has become more competitive.
Specialized roles with the highest demand include:
- Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians — projected 24,200 job openings annually, according to a Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News report
- Epidemiologists — projected 19% demand growth (average occupational growth is 4%)
- Medical scientists — projected 11% demand growth by 2033
- Biomedical engineers — projected 7% demand growth by 2033
In a market where hyper-specialization is the new baseline, proximity to talent creation has become a critical first-mover advantage.
Academia-industry partnerships: Engineering tomorrow’s talent
Formal collaborations between academia and industry are a cornerstone strategy to address life sciences talent shortages.
Leading pharma and medical device organizations recruit from academic programs and help design them. Co-developed curricula and apprenticeships embedded into career tracks shape the next generation of scientific talent before it enters the open market.
Co-sponsored PhD tracks align with real-world commercialization needs. On-campus innovation labs allow students to work on industry-grade challenges using enterprise tools and processes. Structured apprenticeship programs blend mentorship with hands-on lab experience. These alliances function as talent insurance that secures a pipeline of future-ready professionals equipped with the skills modern life sciences and pharma jobs demand.
The upskilling and reskilling imperative
The shelf life of technical skills is shrinking as the pharmaceutical and medical device industries undergo rapid technological evolution. Emerging therapies, digitized workflows and AI-enabled platforms are redefining job roles at a pace that often outstrips organizations’ ability to adapt.
As a result, an estimated 50% of employees need upskilling and reskilling due to the accelerating adoption of new technologies. In response, organizations are reimagining internal training through approaches such as:
- Microcredentialing in AI, machine learning and data visualization
- Hands-on lab simulations for new medical device manufacturing techniques
- Cross-functional learning tracks that support lateral mobility across departments
Contract roles and talent fluidity
Contract-based hiring has evolved far beyond administrative functions. Today, a core talent strategy across scientific and technical roles makes contract roles a mutually beneficial solution.
Clinical research associates are a prime example. Typically engaged for specific trial phases, their expertise is essential during intensive monitoring and compliance periods. Once that phase concludes, demand naturally subsides, making a contract arrangement ideal.
Similarly, pharmacovigilance, remediation and safety data management professionals are often brought on to manage surges in adverse event reporting. As compounds move through clinical phases, data volume spikes and requires temporary but highly skilled support. Contract talent absorbs this influx without permanently increasing headcount.
For organizations navigating early-stage growth, contingent hiring strategies can scale R&D efforts without committing to long-term payroll expansion.
A Strategic Approach to Life Sciences Recruitment
Macro-level trends, labor market insights and industry forecasts offer helpful context to understand the broader economic environment, anticipate future changes and plan accordingly. The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey is a comprehensive, forward-looking survey that measures employers' intentions to increase or decrease their workforce in the upcoming quarter. For the healthcare and life sciences industry, the survey reports a 28% net employment outlook.
This figure represents the difference between the percentage of employers planning to reduce their staff and those anticipating an increase in hiring, indicating a growing demand among employers. This trend suggests that hiring will intensify over the coming quarters.
Your organization’s true competitive advantage stems from how you act on this knowledge. One of the most impactful ways to get ahead is by taking an early, proactive approach to workforce development.
Invest in targeted upskilling
Rather than waiting for candidates to arrive with a complete skill set, leading organizations are developing internal academies, microlearning pathways and structured mentorship programs. These initiatives encourage employees to evolve alongside scientific progress and prepare them for emerging roles and responsibilities. Such proactive talent development accelerates readiness for upcoming positions and mitigates hiring bottlenecks.
Major industry players exemplify this upskilling strategy, some aiming to upskill thousands of employees in digital competencies. This initiative addresses skill gaps and fosters a culture of continuous learning and innovation.
Offer adaptive workforce models
Only about 10% of postings for pharma jobs in recent months were listed as remote opportunities. The life sciences sector has historically been rooted in on-site operations, but this limited flexibility can significantly narrow your access to high-quality talent. Skilled professionals increasingly prioritize work-life balance and geographic flexibility in their job searches. Nearly 40% of employers say that relocation requirements have led them to lose out on highly qualified candidates.
Structured hybrid models offer a practical, scalable solution. They broaden your talent reach while maintaining the on-site presence necessary for specific functions. While roles such as lab research, quality assurance and quality control must remain on-site or hybrid due to their hands-on nature, many non-lab-based roles are ideally suited for remote work.
Consider functions such as:
- Medical writing
- Regulatory affairs
- Clinical research oversight
- Data analysis
- Pharmacy operations support
- Research and market analytics
These roles rely heavily on digital tools, analysis and cross-functional communication, not physical presence. In this way, they present a high-impact opportunity to integrate remote work into your workforce strategy.
Leverage advanced recruitment tech
AI tools increasingly outperform traditional methods in various aspects of the hiring process and offer significant advantages in candidate screening and evaluation. Eighty-five percent of employers have reported saving time and increased efficiency by using automation or AI tools in recruitment.
AI-powered systems can identify key skills and experiences that align with your job requirements. This technology also standardizes assessments and anonymizes candidate information to contribute to merit-based hiring decisions.
Focus on talent engagement before the application
The most successful talent attraction strategies focus not on perks but on purpose. Communicating a transparent and authentic mission narrative increases your ability to attract top talent driven by purpose and eager to make a meaningful impact. While a part of employer branding communicates what your organization offers, the rest prioritizes the difference you make in science and healthcare.
Establishing credibility and thought leadership within the industry is also critical to attracting top talent. High-impact content positions your organization as a science leader. Candidates are drawn to companies committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation and research.
Developing Specialized Talent With Experis
As scientific advancement accelerates, life sciences organizations are pressured to recruit faster, train smarter and align technical capabilities with long-term R&D and commercialization strategies. Talent must meet regulatory and research demands and be equipped to evolve with them.
Experis directly addresses this challenge. Experis Academy delivers highly targeted, role-relevant development programs to build job-ready talent. Partnerships with leading academic institutions and industry bodies create scalable pathways to prepare professionals in areas of critical need.
Experis Academy provides practical, high-impact training in:
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning
- Cloud computing architectures used in regulated R&D settings
- Applied data science for clinical, manufacturing and regulatory applications
Training is certification-aligned and delivered through flexible formats. Virtual instructor-led sessions, modular microlearning and structured apprenticeships ensure learners graduate as qualified talent ready to contribute within high-performance environments.
Experis offers a dual mandate: closing immediate technical skill gaps and helping organizations achieve breakthrough innovations. You can address your organization’s need for workforce agility and move in lockstep with the evolving demands of science, regulation and innovation.
For the advancement of your life sciences initiatives, specialized services in biostatistics, pharmacovigilance, requirements management and PK/PD support give you access to a wealth of knowledge and resources. These services enable you to optimize your workforce strategy, accelerate scientific discovery and achieve product acceleration with the power of big data.
Define the Next Era of Industry Leadership
The race for innovation in life sciences won’t be won by the companies with the most capital or the longest legacy. Those with the foresight and ability to align their workforce strategy will lead. When you choose Experis as your life sciences solutions partner, you get a direct line to talent that is informed and upskilled through best-in-class training programs.
Technical and specialized expertise prepares your business to scale and achieve its goals now and in the future. Start building your long-term talent pipeline with Experis, and ensure your business is as future-ready as your innovation strategy.
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