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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Market Research continues to be a versatile and high-demand career pathway, as our postings on the SmartJobs page illustrate this week. But does a PhD or advanced degree help land these jobs?  And what are the career prospects?

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“Strategy” is one of those catch-all corporate phrases that can actually represent an incredible array of job opportunities.  It can also provide maximum flexibility for PhDs and graduate students pursuing these jobs to showcase their various skills beyond a narrow domain expertise.

What are strategy jobs?

They are a diverse and growing category of roles across industries that focus on high-level planning, analysis, and decision-making to guide organizations toward their long-term goals. For PhDs, these positions leverage advanced analytical, research, and problem-solving skills developed during doctoral training, and offer intellectually stimulating alternatives to traditional academic careers.

These jobs can be represented across corporate, government, nonprofit, and consulting fields, often involving cross-functional collaboration, leadership, and the ability to translate complex data into actionable plans125.

PhDs are well-suited for these roles due to their expertise in critical thinking, data analysis, and managing complex projects12.  

Here are a few examples:

Strategy Job Titles Across Fields

This week we compiled a cluster of representative strategy and consulting jobs on our SmartJobs page. These include a range of positions across healthcare, financial services, non-profit NGOs, climate businesses and technology firms,to name a few.

Bottom line: strategy jobs are ideal for PhDs seeking impactful, intellectually engaging careers beyond academia. These roles exist in every sector and value the advanced skills PhDs bring—making them a natural fit for those ready to make an impact.

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Psychology degrees–and, more generally, any discipline that touches upon behavioral science–continues to be prized in the job markets, from research-intensive careers in companies such as Meta, to  traditional careers in counseling, psychoanalysis and other clinical work.

Back as early as 2019, it was already clear that the marriage of human behavior, technology and the consumer, was an enviable combination for those PhDs with research and related experience that could make sense of the rapid changes in the marketplace.  We wrote about this here, and the job opportunities have only expanded since then.

Here are some typical and new jobs roles for Psychology majors:

Clinical and Counseling Roles

• Clinical Psychologist
• Counseling Psychologist
• Psychotherapist
• Marriage and Family Therapist
• Child Psychologist
• School Psychologist
• Addiction Counselor
• Behavioral Health Specialist
• Diversity and Community Mental Health Psychologist15

Academic and Research Positions

• Psychology Professor
• Research Psychologist
• Psychological Researcher
• Social Psychologist
• Developmental Psychologist
• Cognitive and Perceptual Psychologist124

Applied and Specialized Psychology Careers

• Industrial-Organizational Psychologist
• Forensic Psychologist
• Educational Psychologist
• Health Psychologist
• Sports Psychologist
• Psychometrics Specialist124

Leadership, Management, and Corporate Roles

• Clinical Director or Supervisor
• Human Resources Manager or Director
• Business and Marketing Manager or Director
• Management Consultant
• Advertising Director14

Additional Career Paths

• Community Psychologist
• Psychological Specialist
• Director of Human Resources

SmartJobs

We have listed a sampling of these positions on our SmartJobs page this week and there will be many more openings to come, highlighted by training AI models to UX (User Experience) Research positions in the world’s leading companies and medical groups.

Happy hunting.

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Internships are a significant pathway to full-time employment for PhDs and graduate students, both within the public and private sectors.  Although PhD-level internships represent a smaller subset of overall internship opportunities compared to bachelor’s and master’s levels, in 2023-24 roughly 28.3% of employers reported hiring doctoral-level interns, indicating limited but specialized opportunities1.

As we have noted previously here at VPhD, industries such as technology, pharmaceutical and biotech, e commerce, financial services and research organizations are heavy recruiters of PhD graduates. Internships can provide a leg up in the process.

We have collected a few representative internships on our jobs page, and have content on our PhD Career Finder as well.  If you haven’t considered an internship due to time or other constraints, consider again.

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