Pharmaceutical Jobs

What is the pharmaceutical industry?

The pharmaceutical industry starts with companies who manufacture biologics or medication that are prescribed by doctors to help patients treat or prevent illness or diseases and are meant to improve a patient’s overall health. Prescribed medications can be generic or brand name, filled by patients at medical pharmacies, retail pharmacies, at the doctor office, or online drugstores and paid for through insurance, medicare/medicaid, or out of pocket by patients.

What to expect working in Pharmaceutical Sales

Someone in a sales position in this industry meets with Doctors in offices or hospitals to explain with a high level of scientific findings, how the medications will help their patients, as well as any potential side effects that may occur. The process then takes time for a patient to present to the Doctor who could use the medication, the Doctor must write the prescription, and the patient must fill the prescription for it to count as a sale. A salesperson could be on a small team of 2-3 peers that split up a territory to ensure coverage, or a salesperson could have an individual sales goal to achieve individually. These sales roles are commission based, in which a salesperson earns a bonus when a predetermined amount of medication is filled by patients in their assigned territory. Most sales people in this industry start their careers in an internship with a pharmaceutical company, or with a non-pharmaceutical sales organization that offers structured outside sales training programs. With a few years of successful outside sales experience, pharmaceutical hiring managers are confident in an understanding of the sales process and can then just train on the clinical product and the new call point expectations.

Roles in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Sales & Sales Leadership Positions

Pharmaceutical Sales Representative, Specialty Sales Representative, Generic Sales Representative, Institutional Sales, Vaccine Sales Specialist, Rare Disease Specialist, Oncology Sales, Associate Pharmaceutical Sales Representative, Associate Territory Manager, Inside Sales Representative, Territory Manager, Account Manager, Medical Device Sales Representative, Sales Executive, Sales Specialist, Post Sales Representative, Sales Support, Surgical Sales Representative, Institutional Sales, Regional Territory Manager, Account Sales Representative, Geriatric Care Manager, Distributor Representative, Territory Business Manager, Senior Territory Manager, Area Sales Manager, District Sales Manager, Business Development, Regional Sales Manager, Regional Sales Director, National Sales Manager, Director of Sales, Head of Sales, Vice President of Sales, Manager, Senior Manager, Associate Director, Director, Senior Director, Associate Vice President, Senior Vice President

Clinical Sales or Support Positions

Clinical Procedure Specialist, Clinical Sales Representative, Clinical Service Manager, Manager of Fellows Programs, Clinical Trial Manager, National Clinical Manager, Clinical Education Manager

Training & Marketing Positions

Field Sales Trainer, Manager of Field Training, Director of Field Training, Product Planning Manager, Product Marketing Manager, Downstream Marketing, Upstream Marketing, Director of Marketing, Vice President of Marketing

Operations & Administrative Positions

Project Manager, Director of Operations, HR Manager, Talent Acquisition, Receptionist, Office Manager, Associate Director, Sales Analyst, Sales Operations Analyst, Field Service Technician, Field Service Manager, Director of Finance

Scientific Positions

Associate Scientists, Scientists, Medical Science Liaison (MSL), Medical Science Director

Executive Positions

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Chief Operations Officer (COO), Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), Chief People Officer (CPO), Chief Science Officer (CSO)