Are federal funding cuts in the sciences getting you down?  Don’t despair.

While academia remains competitive and funding-sensitive, healthcare and medicine careers are accelerating at a rapid pace, providing a plethora of jobs across an ever-widening range of skill sets and cross-disciplinary roles.

That is positive for our the VPhD community.

Let’s start off with some key trends for PhD-Level jobs across healthcare.

• • Strong demand in AI-integrated drug discovery, health informatics, and digital health
• • Growth in cross-disciplinary roles melding biomedical expertise with data/tech skills
• • Hiring momentum, especially in industry
• • Demand for public health, regulatory affairs, and digital integration globally
• • Emphasis on the increasing value of interdisciplinary and digital literacy for PhDs in medical and health sectors, offering career paths for both STEM and humanities grads.

For medical and health jobs that generally require a PhD (such as biomedical researchers, clinical scientists, public health researchers, and advanced roles in pharmaceuticals/biotech), current trends are directionally sound, with some new areas in play:

• • The life sciences sector (including pharma, biotech, genomics, regulatory affairs) reached record-high employment in 2024, but then slowed. Employers are expecting modest improvement in hiring by late 2025, with pockets of strong demand, especially in major US hubs like Massachusetts, which projects a 32% sector job growth by 2033.
• • PhD-level roles remain essential in drug research, gene therapy, regulatory affairs, and computational biology, but competition is intense—candidates with cross-disciplinary skills in AI, data science, and digital health are at a clear advantage.

• • Roles in epidemiology, health informatics, and data governance are growing, with PhD holders needed to lead projects involving large health datasets, AI/ML for population health, and digital health initiatives.
• • The rise in telehealth, personalized medicine platforms, and AI-driven health analytics creates new opportunities but requires PhDs with an understanding of both clinical context and advanced analytics/technology.
• • Global organizations, NGOs, and private sector employers are increasingly hiring PhDs for research, policy, and consulting, often favoring candidates who can manage digital tools and address health data privacy/ethics.

As usual, our SmartJobs page has provide some examples of job listings today that reflect many of these areas and also illustrate increasing demand for multi-disciplinary knowledge and skills.  We will have a deeper dive into several of these new careers paths in the coming months.

Take a look and join us, if you haven’t already.

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More than 8,500 job openings for environmental scientists and specialists will be created in the US each year, over the next decade, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Many more climate roles within the public and private sectors will follow in this wake.  But will it last? Last week’s noise around the Trump Administration’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” might give pause to those in the US, given the law’s dramatic roll back of energy incentives, environmental protections, and the expedited permitting of fossil fuel, “drill baby drill” projects.

But that view is parochial and short-sighted. The incentives for abandoning alternative energy initiatives, particularly in the private sector, are not there, and will not persist.  Meanwhile, the hunt for high-level talent continues, as our research on the sector illustrates here.

Consider:

• 1. Many US states have strong climate action and investment plans, led by the private sector, and there is ample demand for environmental expertise, in all aspects of science and business. In California, clean energy jobs grew 4.1% last year—four times faster than the overall state economy. Federal government incentives will not stop them.

2. Clean energy and transportation investment in the U.S. totaled $67.3 billion in Q1 2025, a 6.9% increase from the same period in 2024, accounting for 4.7% of all U.S. private investment in structures, equipment, and durable goods, per research firm Rhodium

3. According to data at Sigmaearth, over 75% of US companies are actively engaged in sustainability, renewable energy, and environmental compliance, creating ongoing demand for skilled professionals in these areas.

• 5.Internationally, from Germany to Denmark, Canada, China and beyond, there is no let up in demand for scientists and environmental specialists, offering even more global career pathways.  (We will more to report on international opportunities in future posts here.)

All of this to say, graduates and post-docs have wide range of career paths to choose from and should be aggressively building their relationships if there desired area of work.  Here is a suggestion: to start, consider looking at…

> State and municipal agencies with strong environmental mandates (e.g., California Air Resources Board

> International organizations (e.g., United Nations Environment Program, World Bank, EU agencies)

Our SmartJobs upload this week provides some examples, including areas such as energy modeling, risk assessment, scientific policy director, toxic and health hazard specialist for corporates and local governments, hydrologist, consultant, scientific editor, and, not least, remote sensing of the Arctic.

There are, indeed, ample career positions on offer in the today’s marketplace.

Don’t be distracted. Demand for environmental skills remains high and is likely to grow, while the sector still offers meaningful, impactful, and growing career opportunities—especially for those with PhD-level, advanced expertise.

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This week it was reported that Mark Zuckerberg was personally leading an aggressive campaign to recruit top AI specialists for Meta, primarily through direct emails and WhatsApp messages to elite researchers at companies like OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and others.  I have never heard of a CEO publicly attempting to shape hiring on a personal basis, but it shows how high the stakes are.

To gauge where many tech jobs are going, it often makes sense to follow the money.  Meta’s leadership has set extremely ambitious revenue targets for its AI initiatives, forecasting $2–3 billion in generative AI revenue for 2025 and projecting this could soar to as much as $460 billion to $1.4 trillion by 2035.  And that is just Meta.

In the automotive sector alone (another sector of interest here), global investment in AVs (autonomous vehicles) is projected to grow from $57 billion in 2021 to over $788 billion by 2028, reflecting renewed momentum and confidence in the sector. Moreover, the AI automotive market is forecast to reach a valuation of $200 billion within the next decade, with autonomous driving alone potentially generating $300–400 billion in revenue by 2035.  Much of that money is in R&D and energy.  Who is going to staff the R&D needed?

The internet of things, autonomous vehicles, generative AI is in deep and increasing need of human talent.  Many will have advanced degrees.  Some might be you.

This week we profile jobs and internships in these areas, from autonomous vehicles, to motion engineering, robotics, automation, general intelligence and more from some of the leading corporations and start-ups.  You can find more at SmartJobs.

Take a read.  Examine the requirements.  Look at a few jobs postings.  Apply if interested. And while this week we focused on more STEM-related work, in future posts we will look at non-STEM demand in the sector.  Yes, there is a ton of opportunities for non-scientists as well as the world needs to make sense of generative AI and its impact.

Keep searching.

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This week’s upload of “quant” positions includes our usual wide range of domain expertise and companies that require deep quantitative skills, from driverless cars to banks to start-up technology firms.

Subscribers can view them and other jobs here.

On a more general level, quantitative skills are in high demand across many non-finance industries, offering diverse career paths for PhDs and other advanced degree holders. Below are more than twenty quant job types and titles.

Get to know the titles and job descriptions for future reference, and check back with us for further information:

• ** Non-Finance Quant Careers **

Machine Learning Engineer: Designs and implements machine learning algorithms to solve complex problems in areas like healthcare, e-commerce, or autonomous vehicles.

Data Scientist: Analyzes large datasets to extract actionable insights, build predictive models, and inform business or research decisions across industries.

Operations Research Analyst: Uses mathematical modeling and optimization techniques to improve processes and decision-making in logistics, manufacturing, and service industries.

Quantitative User Experience (UX) Researcher: Applies quantitative research methods to study user behavior and improve product design and usability.

Computational Biologist/Bioinformatician: Develops and applies computational models to analyze biological data, such as genomics or drug discovery.

Epidemiologist (Quantitative): Uses statistical and mathematical methods to model disease spread and evaluate public health interventions.

Meteorologist/Climate Modeler: Builds and runs quantitative models to predict weather patterns and study climate change.

Energy Quantitative Analyst: Models energy markets, forecasts demand and supply, and optimizes trading or grid management for utility companies.

Quantitative Market Researcher: Designs and analyzes surveys and experiments to understand consumer behavior and inform marketing strategies.

Sports Data Analyst: Applies quantitative analysis to player performance, game strategy, and betting markets in sports organizations or gaming companies.

Quantitative Policy Analyst: Uses data-driven models to evaluate the impact of public policies and recommend improvements in government or NGOs.

Quantitative Software Engineer: Develops high-performance algorithms and systems for applications such as networking, telecommunications, or sensor data processing.

Computational Physicist/Engineer: Applies numerical methods and simulations to solve problems in engineering, materials science, or aerospace.

Quantitative Social Scientist: Employs statistical and computational methods to study human behavior, social trends, and policy outcomes.

** Finance Careers **

Quantitative Researcher: Designs and tests new mathematical models to identify trading opportunities and improve investment strategies.

Quantitative Trader: Develops and executes algorithmic trading strategies based on quantitative analysis of market data.

Quantitative Developer: Builds and optimizes the software infrastructure for implementing and running quant models in production.

Model Validation Quant: Reviews and validates financial models to ensure accuracy, robustness, and regulatory compliance.

Risk Quant: Develops and maintains quantitative risk models to measure and manage portfolio or enterprise risk.

Quantitative Portfolio Manager: Manages investment portfolios using quantitative techniques to optimize returns and control risk.

Machine Learning Quant: Applies advanced machine learning algorithms to financial data for forecasting and strategy development.

Credit Quant: Models credit risk and develops tools for pricing and managing credit-sensitive instruments.

Execution Quant: Focuses on optimizing trade execution and minimizing transaction costs using quantitative methods.

Data Scientist (Finance): Extracts insights from large financial datasets to support trading, risk, or investment decisions.

Derivatives Pricing Quant: Specializes in pricing complex derivatives and structured products using advanced mathematical models.

Quantitative Product Strategist: Designs and structures new financial products by leveraging quantitative analysis and market insights.

In sum, quantitative skills open a wide array of career opportunities for PhDs and graduates, not only in finance but across industries such as technology, healthcare, government, and academia, reflecting their value in solving complex, data-driven challenges and driving innovation. As demand for analytical expertise continues to grow, those with strong quantitative backgrounds are well-positioned to thrive in diverse and dynamic professional landscapes.

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The role of humans in the workforce is evolving, but remains essential—especially as organizations face increasing challenges in hiring, learning and development, and knowledge management. In fact, human resources (HR) are becoming even more vital as companies adapt to rapid changes in talent needs and workplace expectations.

Recent data underscores this trend: 70% of organizations report ongoing struggles with hiring and retaining talent, making HR professionals indispensable. The HR sector itself is projected to grow by 7% annually, reflecting both the rising complexity of workforce management and the critical role that people play in organizational success.

For those with advanced degrees, such as PhDs, HR offers a strong career fit—specialized expertise is increasingly valued for strategic roles, and the market consistently shows thousands of openings each month.  You can see continually evidence on our SmartJobs page, and not just for this week.

Here is one job listing for McDonald’s Corporation who is looking for the following:

PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Organizational Behavior, or other technical or quantitative discipline, including but not limited to Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, Economics, Behavioral Economics, Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry or Statistics

Yes, even McDonald’s needs a lot of PhDs to function.

So where to begin?  What roles are available?  Are there common career pathways to consider?

Let’s start here.

• 1. Backgrounds and Roles

2. Common Career Paths

3. Takeaways

• A variety of PhDs and advanced degrees can lead to successful HR careers, especially at the executive or academic level.  While a direct PhD in HR is most relevant, related fields such as organizational psychology, business administration, labor relations, and organizational behavior are also common. Advanced degree holders in HR are well-positioned for high-level management, consulting, and academic roles, often commanding six-figure salaries.

• The biotech industry welcomes PhDs from most life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering disciplines, not just those with a degree titled “biotechnology.”

• The most common and in-demand backgrounds are in biology, biochemistry, biomedical sciences, chemical engineering, and bioinformatics, but fields like statistics, food science, and environmental science are also highly relevant.

• PhDs can work in research, clinical, regulatory, manufacturing, business, and data science roles, depending on their expertise and interests.

• This week’s upload of representative jobs offer a wide range of skill applications, from Chief Scientific Offer to brand insights to project management, all within biotech and related scientific firms.  You can find this cluster of opportunities on our SmartJobs page here.

• As we note below, the global opportunities in biotech continues to outpace the US, offering a range of opportunities for both domestic and foreign PhDs and graduate students. The global biotechnology industry had total employment reaching 13.2 million and 740,000 new jobs created in the past year, and we are just getting started in many of these fields.

Here is some helpful information to consider.

• Why Types of PhDs Can Work in Biotech?

Biotechnology is a highly interdisciplinary field, and the biotech industry actively recruits PhDs from a wide range of scientific and engineering backgrounds. Here’s an overview of the types of PhDs that are well-suited for careers in biotech, along with examples of relevant roles and sectors.

Common PhD Fields in Biotech

• Biotechnology: Directly related, with training in molecular biology, genetic engineering, bioprocessing, and applied biological sciences1.

• Biology (including subfields like molecular biology, cell biology, microbiology, and genetics): Core disciplines for R&D, genomics, and product development2.

• Biochemistry: Essential for understanding molecular mechanisms, drug discovery, and metabolic engineering3.

• Biomedical Sciences: Covers disease mechanisms, therapeutics, and diagnostics relevant to biotech innovation4.

• Chemical Engineering/Biochemical Engineering: Focuses on process development, scale-up, and manufacturing of biotech products5.

• Pharmaceutical Sciences: Involves drug development, formulation, and regulatory affairs6.

• Bioinformatics/Computational Biology: Increasingly important for data analysis, genomics, and systems biology7.

• Biostatistics: Vital for clinical trials, experimental design, and data interpretation in biotech research8.

• Food Science/Food Engineering: Relevant for biotech applications in food safety, processing, and agricultural biotechnology9.

• Environmental Science/Biosystems Engineering: Applies to sustainable biotech, biofuels, and ecological applications.

• Forest Molecular Genetics: Specialized for plant and agricultural biotech sectors1.

Typical Biotech Roles for PhDs

PhDs from the above fields can work in a variety of roles within biotech, such as:

• Research & Development (R&D) Scientist or Engineer
• Clinical Research Associate or Scientist
• Process Development Scientist
• Quality Assurance/Quality Control Specialist
• Regulatory Affairs Specialist
• Medical Science Liaison
• Business Development/Strategy
• Product Management
• Data Scientist/Bioinformatician10

Global Trends: Growth Amid Regional Variability

• Global Expansion: The global biotechnology industry continues to grow, with total employment reaching 13.2 million and 740,000 new jobs created in the past year. The sector is projected to maintain a strong compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.6% through 203411.

• Innovation Hubs: Key global hubs include the USA, India, UK, China, and Germany, with cities like London, New York, San Francisco, San Diego, and Boston leading in innovation and job creation12. India, in particular, is rapidly expanding its biotech startup ecosystem47.

• Role of Regulation and Infrastructure: International hiring is increasing but is tightly managed due to complex labor laws, IP protections, and regulatory requirements. Companies are using Employer of Record (EOR) solutions to streamline cross-border hiring, especially in regions with strong technical talent and regulatory frameworks13.

• Sector-Specific Growth: Precision medicine, synthetic biology, and 3D bioprinting are among the fastest-growing biotech segments globally, each driving demand for specialized talent in R&D, production, and regulatory compliance14.

• Skill Shortages and Talent Gaps: Despite overall growth, the industry faces acute shortages in critical areas such as advanced manufacturing, regulatory affairs, and data science. Companies are increasingly competing for a limited pool of highly skilled professionals, especially in emerging fields like AI-driven drug discovery and gene editing15.

Summary Table: U.S. vs. Global Biotech Employment Trends

• In summary, any PhD with a strong foundation in biological, chemical, physical, computational, or engineering sciences can find rewarding opportunities in the biotech sector, provided their skills align with the needs of the industry, both here in the US and globally.

Do your research.

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If you’re an economist searching for “Economist” jobs, there are many obviously and direct matches.  But there may be many more PhD-level jobs that might take an Economist, or Anthropologist, or other social scientist, or perhaps anyone with a “Math, Physics, Economics, Computer Science, Statistics, Operations Research” background, as was noted in a recent Research Scientist open position at Upstart, an innovative financial company.

That is a wide net to cast for talent, but many companies do it.  Why?

A typical candidate for many research scientist jobs is judged by skills, not domain expertise.  Nobody generally cares about your dissertation.  Sorry.

Here are a few skills we found in job descriptions for Research Scientists:

Technical and Analytical Skills

Research Methodology: Ability to design, conduct, and analyze experiments or studies using modern scientific methods1.

• Data Analysis: Proficiency in analyzing complex datasets, often using statistical software (e.g., R, SAS, STATA, SPSS, SQL) or programming languages (e.g., Python, C++)2.

• Specialized techniques: Depending on the field, expertise in specific laboratory techniques, computational methods, or instrumentation may be required3.

• Soft Skills

• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving:  Ability to approach scientific problems methodically and develop innovative solutions4.

• Attention to Detail: Precision in conducting experiments, recording data, and interpreting results is crucial5.

• Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills for writing research papers, grant proposals, and presenting findings6.

• Teamwork and Collaboration:  Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team7.

• Time Management:  Managing multiple projects, deadlines, and priorities efficiently

This week over at SmartJobs, we’ve uploading a range of research scientist and related job openings positions at Google, Meta, Amazon, as well as lesser know companies and institutions, to illustrate the diverse approach that employers often take.

Read through the descriptions carefully–as you should any job description–for clues on how you may fit with a current position, and what language is used.

You may be surprised about how many jobs fit your background.

 

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