
PhD-trained professionals continue to find strong career pathways in consulting and medical liaison roles that blend analytical depth, communication skill, and industry insight. This week’s featured jobs underscore the breadth of consulting and science liaison work currently open to advanced-degree holders.
Here is some background on the segments and job profiles:
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The Consulting Career Segment
Consulting roles represent one of the most versatile professional categories for PhDs. The consulting workforce employs roughly 1 million professionals in the U.S., with healthcare and life sciences consulting comprising about 15–20% of that segment. Demand for analytical consultants—especially those with technical or doctoral training—has been increasing at approximately 4–6% annually.
Typical PhD consultants combine subject-matter expertise with client-facing work. They often start as Senior Analysts or Consultants and advance to Principal or Director roles overseeing teams and business development.
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This Week’s Roles
– Senior Consultant, Kx Advisors (Washington, DC)
Focuses on strategy for pharmaceutical and medical device executives. PhD-level employees here are valued for quantitative market analysis, competitive intelligence, and client presentation acuity.
– Consultant, Halma plc (Pennsylvania)
Works with real-time location software (RTLS) in industrial and safety technology contexts. This position shows how consulting now bridges engineering and digital deployment—not just management strategy.
– Consultant, XanEdu, Inc (Remote)
Dedicated to education consulting for K–12 clients. PhD-trained professionals in HSS or education disciplines use instructional design and research communication skills to advise schools and district clients.
– Consultant, Ascendion (Remote)
A digital engineering consultant designing and managing software platforms. STEM PhDs in computer science, applied mathematics, or systems engineering find opportunities here to translate research-driven methods into scalable technology solutions.
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The Medical and Scientific Liaison Segment
Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) and Medical Consultants form a distinct but overlapping career segment focused on bridging research, clinical application, and communication between pharmaceutical companies, practitioners, and the healthcare market. U.S. employment in MSL and related medical consultancy roles has grown by roughly 25% over the past decade, paralleling expansion in biotech and medtech. Entry-level MSL positions typically start above six-figure compensation, with senior liaisons earning 25–40% more.
These roles appeal strongly to PhDs trained in life sciences or health communication because they combine scientific credibility with relationship management and translational work—helping physicians interpret research findings and guiding companies in clinical or regulatory strategy.
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Representative MSL and Medical Consultant Postings
– Medical Science Liaison, Net2Source (Remote)
Involves remote liaison work supporting a pharmaceutical client over long-term engagement. Doctoral training in biomedical or pharmaceutical sciences suits this position well.
– GP Medical Consultant, Mercor (Remote)
Connects AI and medical expertise for advanced research clients. Reflects how AI-healthcare integration is generating new cross-disciplinary consulting roles.
– Medical Science Liaison – Northeast, Cleerly (Remote)
Engages physicians and researchers in heart disease technology. Ideal for PhDs or PharmDs who balance scientific rigor with external stakeholder communication.
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As we have pointed our numerous times in the past, PhD-level consulting and liaison jobs emphasize transferable strengths and skills: analytical reasoning, communication clarity, and the ability to design and interpret evidence. Whether advising companies on market strategy, integrating digital engineering platforms, or communicating medical science, these roles exemplify the growing ecosystem of careers where advanced academic training meets real-world health and technology impact.
Access specific jobs listings on our SmartJobs page.
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Photo by Richard Catabay on Unsplash