Crowds Flock to 'Talent Connect' in DC as Life Science Employers Seek New Workers
September 30, 2015
By Angela Rose, BioSpace.com News
Biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device employers in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. are gearing up for the Fall BioCapital Talent Connect as life sciences hiring within the BioCapital hotbed continues to grow. Maryland alone is home to more than 800 life sciences companies, 70 federal labs, numerous elite academic/medical/research institutions and high-profile agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
According to the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, these businesses generate close to $17 billion in economic activity. The department’s data also shows that a broad range of bioscience sectors in Maryland saw significant employment growth between 2010 and 2014, including research/testing/medical laboratories, drugs and pharmaceuticals, medical devices and equipment, and agriculture feedstock and chemicals.
AstraZeneca PLC is one of the many area employers currently planning expansions in the region. The company will spend $200 million to boost production capacity at its Frederick, Maryland, plant in order to keep pace with growing demand for the development and use of biologics. The company expects the project to result in 300 new jobs by mid-2017.
In September, Abigail Bozarth, spokesperson for AstraZeneca, told BioSpace, “AstraZeneca’s Maryland operations are integral to our global business, and to the development, manufacturing and marketing of innovative biopharmaceuticals that benefit patients worldwide.”
GlaxoSmithKline , a British pharmaceutical company, announced plans to establish a vaccine research center in Rockville, Maryland, earlier this year. The project will bring around 600 jobs to the state. Anna Padula, spokesperson for GSK, previously told BioSpace, “Rockville, Maryland, is a prime location enabling our research teams to collaborate with critical U.S. bio-scientific and policy vaccine leaders, particularly in GSK’s emerging focus in biodefense and medical counter measure innovation, along with leaders in global health from around the world.”
Job seekers who want to meet and network with representatives from Aerotek, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, BioReliance, MedImmune LLC, Novavax and other BioCapital region life sciences employers can do so at the Grand Hyatt Washington on October 8 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Each organization will be conducting on-site in-depth private interviews with candidates as they recruit for multiple job openings.
Pre-registration for the event is required, as is the submission of a resume for pre-screening and approval for the one-on-one 15-minute interviews.
It’s likely that venture capital investors are driving some of the area’s life sciences growth. According to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association, software and biotech companies across the nation pulled in huge investments in second quarter 2015, though activity was particularly strong within Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.
Maryland-based biotech companies alone brought in more than $137 million from 19 investment deals. This included a $70 million funding round for Regenxbio and $17 million for OriGene Technologies, both located in Rockville.