With the industry focused on vaccines and virus-associated therapies, particularly within mRNA vaccines and therapeutics, the pandemic increased the demand for staff to support the operations scale up across biomanufacturing.
The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 increased the demand and competition for a skilled biomanufacturing workforce whilst accelerating a technological change in the field, specifically the advancement and exploitation of new modalities such as automation, artificial intelligence, and supply chain expertise. With the industry focused on vaccines and virus-associated therapies, particularly within mRNA vaccines and therapeutics, the pandemic increased the demand for staff to support the operations scale up across biomanufacturing.
The industry is currently experiencing personnel retention and attraction challenges, combined with an associated large scale rise in compensation demands from ‘experienced talent pool’ making career transfers. The industry demand increased by 28% in 2021, measured by job postings, which unfortunately does not correlate with staff availability and more importantly, development. As industries emerge from the impact of COVID-19, 2022 is likely to be a year of readjustments. While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to restrain economic recovery, pharmaceutical companies will leverage innovative technology to enable and accelerate business growth, with further personnel shortages set to remain for the many companies competing in the same limited talent pool.
Figure 1:- Biomanufacturing Hiring metrics Q1 2022. (Source:- Evolution Search Group/EMSI data)
Figure 2:- Biomanufacturing Hiring metrics Q1 2022 – Role Type. (Source:- Evolution Search Group/EMSI data)
Research conducted by Evolution Executive Search, in collaboration with both the University of Dundee and University College London, have developed a predictive analysis model to highlight strategic market intelligence to industry leaders specific to the talent market. The aim is to measure, model and predict a ‘supply versus demand’ of biomanufacturing human assets across ‘business-critical’ roles required for the successful operation of the biomanufacturing industry. The outcome data aims to allow specific planning, where required, on creative talent acquisition, specific to segments of biomanufacturing workflows.
Current modelling, over the previous 3 years, illustrates a critical shortage of biomanufacturing talent is due to arrive in 2023. However, this assumes similar talent growth demand to 2021, which is unlikely, as the biomanufacturing industry growth forecast is expected to reduce slightly by 20% in the first half of 2022. This is due to biopharma & CDMO consolidation and readjustment, pushing the ‘equilibrium’ point to the right, deferring the impending challenge to
Figure 2:- Biomanufacturing talent dynamics, ‘Supply/Demand’ (Source:- Evolution Search Partners & UCL, 2022)
Market evidence is already instantiating substantial increases in compensation demands from experienced talent. Geographic supply and demand dynamics, particularly in the east-coast area of USA, Central Europe and China, are stimulating commodity price spikes in the form of elevated wage demands, specifically within commercial and operations roles. Alarmingly, the scale of market growth is set to surpass the availability of skills and experience at all levels and functions of the supply chain.
As we experience a candidate ‘bull market’, and a continued down spiral of the specialised talent pool availability, an evaluation on retention, attraction, development and compensation benchmarking must be considered to reflect the talent availability and the emerging, hybrid technical experience required from candidates to match the rapid evolution of biomanufacturing industry.
Dr Jason Beckwith, CEO, Evolution Search Partners
Dr Stephen Goldrick, Associate Professor, Digital Bioprocessing, UCL.
April 2022.
Further Information
For further information please contact:
Jason Beckwith, Evolution Search Partners, j.beckwith@evolutionexec.com