Someone reached out to me for a Sr Associate / Manager - Clinical Development Trial Lead role in Cork. I’m just wondering if it’s worth pursuing. How is the work culture, the salary, load, etc? Thanks!

Hey lads just looking for advice , I work in a well known pharma company in MFG it’s shift work and realistically I dont want to be doing it for the rest of my working career ( probably max 2-3 years). What does the progression pathway look like from MFG or has anyone went abroad to do potentially something similar.

Edit - I have a science degree and I work as a BPA
Thanks !

I am a master’s in Biotechnology student from University College Cork and I recently started my 6 months work placement at the a reputed Food innovation research hub in a company that specialises in Research and development of infant formula, adult supplements and pet nutrition: a very holistic approach towards all paradigms.
I’m primarily working in cell culture , also learning analytical techniques , simulating in vivo conditions and will be doing lots of qPCR, ELISA and a bit of HPLC too . I will also be analyzing samples from animal studies.
How can I extrapolate this role to land a reputed role in the Pharma giants like Eli Lilly and J&J? I’ve always dreamed of working in Eli Lilly . There were very very few R&D roles amidst all the QA And QC roles in our placement and I feel lucky to have got this , but I don’t really know where to apply next . Any kind of advice on the same is truly appreciated🙌🏼

Hi everyone,

Does anybody know the salary of a maintenance engineer at Pfizer?

I have been accepted to take part in the aptitude test (1st stage of 4), but im wondering is it worth going through all of it just to find out the salary isnt worth jumping jobs for.

I am currently in the same role for another large company on over 60k.

Thanks

Hi, will be graduating with an undergrad microbiology degree and a bit lost on what to do or where to go with it career wise. Its not accredited so would like to try and be accredited, but how does one get a job within the HSE, or is it hard done, as a lab aide that is. Or is getting a job with them a bad/good idea?

Hi all,

I was approached and I’m currently interviewing for an External Quality role (QA) with Amgen in Dún Laoghaire and wanted to get some insight from anyone working there (or familiar with the setup).

I’d likely be commuting weekly/ bi-weekly from Edinburgh, so I’m trying to understand:

how flexible the hybrid model actually is,
whether “flex commuter” arrangements are common (can someone explain what this is?),
how often people are expected onsite, and what the general work culture is like within External Supply / Quality.

The role sounds very interesting, but the commute would obviously be a major factor, so I’m trying to understand how sustainable it is in practice.

Anyone else apply to the Graduate Validation Associate Scientist / Engineer grad programme at BMS?

It seemed a bit late for a graduate programme to be advertised, since most are done a year in advance, has anyone already been contacted?

just trying to see if i’m getting another ghost rejection even if I meet all the requirements lol

this is more of a curiosity thing, has anyone ever got anywhere by cold emailing/contacting pharma companies in ireland for jobs?

I’m mainly referring to smaller companies/sites, I have no direct GMP experience and not in a position to do a masters right now so the market is soul sucking.
have plenty of biological lab experience, cell culture, aseptic, micro, some organic chemistry but in a research setting

i’m curious if that era has passed where cold emailing companies actually ever got anyone in the door, even say an interview for operator positions

Hi everyone,

I’m currently feeling a bit confused about my career direction and would really appreciate some advice from people with experience in IT, pharma, healthcare systems, or engineering.

I have a background in Biotechnology Engineering and recently completed a Master’s in Pharmaceutical Management in Ireland. My original plan was to build a career in the pharma industry, and I also have some exposure to industrial automation systems like PLC programming and DeltaV through some certs.

However, due to visa pressure and difficulty finding entry-level pharma opportunities, I recently accepted a Level 1 IT Support Engineer role. The role is for a healthcare client environment, and honestly I’m very grateful and happy to finally get my first proper professional job experience.

Now I’m trying to understand how I should move forward from here.

Should I:

1. continue progressing deeper into the IT/infrastructure side,

2. Try to combine my pharma + automation + IT background into a more specialized path,

3. Or continue searching for pharma industry roles and move back later?

I’m not interested in software development/programming, but I do enjoy systems, troubleshooting, operations, process-oriented work, and technical environments.

I also have visa/salary threshold pressure before next year, so I need to make smart long-term decisions rather than starting over repeatedly.

If anyone has gone through a similar transition or works in healthcare IT, pharma systems, manufacturing IT, automation, infrastructure, or regulated environments, I’d really appreciate your perspective.

Thank you.

Hey all,

Got a first-round phone interview with BMS this week for a role at their new Drug Product facility in Dublin — pretty excited but also want to go in prepared.

It’s just a 30-minute call so I’m guessing it’s fairly introductory, but I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been through their process recently. Mainly curious about the structure, what kind of questions come up, and whether it leans more HR/behavioural or actually gets into technical stuff at the first stage.

Cheers!

I’m living in Ringsend currently so it looks like luas and bus. But not sure how consistent it’ll be. I don’t mind taking the luas and then walking to the site.

Hi everyone,
I’m a high school student in Ireland deciding between
TCD: Medicinal Chemistry
UCD: Medicinal Chemistry & Chemical Biology

I’m interested in medicinal chemistry and drug
development, but I’m not yet sure whether long-term research is the right path for me. If I enjoy it, I may pursue an MSc or PhD; otherwise, I’d likely go into industry roles such as QC or lab-based positions.

I’d really appreciate advice on:
Job prospects in medicinal chemistry/pharma in Ireland
Any difference between TCD and UCD for employability or industry links
Which course is better if I’m not sure about research yet

For context, I take Physics, Chemistry, and Applied Maths, and prefer maths/physics-style thinking over heavy memorisation (I dropped Biology for that reason).
Thanks in advance!

Hi all,

I’m looking for some advice from people who have been through apprenticeships, engineering roles, or automation.

I’m currently doing a manufacturing engineering/automation apprenticeship and a year in with a large pharma company. On paper, it is a very good opportunity. The company is well known, the industry is strong, and I know having pharma/automation experience could open doors in the future.

However, I’m starting to have a few concerns about the apprenticeship and whether it is the right fit long term.

The main issue is that the learning structure feels quite poor at the moment. I expected there to be a clearer training plan, with regular exposure to systems, troubleshooting, projects, and hands-on learning. Instead, I often feel like I have to push or “annoy” people to get work or learning opportunities which sometimes happens othertimes I can be left to my own devices for days .

My manager is not always on site and barely interacts with me, and while people are generally nice, there does not seem to be a very organised pathway for apprentices in the team. No one is generally responsible for my learning and sometimes the days of doing no real work can get to me.

I’m also worried about whether I’ll actually come out of the apprenticeship with strong practical skills. I don’t want to spend years in a role where I’m technically in automation/engineering but not really developing enough to be useful or confident later on.

Im wondering at this point am I just wasting my time or is it just about toughing it out to get the degree st the end.

Thanks

​

Hi all, looking for some perspective on a situation in work.

A few years ago, a role was essentially created for me as part of a promotion (I skipped a few grades). It came as a surprise, but I was delighted and my background suited the position. I stepped into a gap that needed to be filled.

Fast forward to now: I’ve had performance and career discussions with my current manager (different from the one who promoted me, as she has since left). I’ve been open that I want to progress, and we both agree I’ve probably gone as far as I can in my current role. He also said he’d like to keep me, but understands I’ll likely move on since there’s no clear upward path.

During my time here, I’ve led multiple projects that have supported the broader business. I’ve mostly done this “quietly,” so I suspect some people don’t fully understand what I do day-to-day, despite receiving some public recognition within the company.

Now the company has decided to hire team leads to take over more of the day-to-day work, which would free me up to focus on bigger, strategic projects. I raised a concern about whether this means my role is being phased out, but I was told the opposite — that my role is actually being redefined, looking to promote me.I’ve even been asked what I’m interested in so it can be built into the new version of the role.

I’m not sure how to interpret all of this. Is this a genuine opportunity to shape a more strategic role, or should I be cautious?

Would really appreciate any advice or similar experiences.

Hello all, how are you doing? I am a registered Pharmacist with an MPharm degree from India and I also hold a masters degree in medical device Technology from Grifith College, Dublin Ireland.

I’m trying to get into the PSI course to register myself as a registered Pharmacist in Ireland. I would love to connect with people who can guide me further.

Even a small lead would be highly helpful for me so could you at least point me towards a place where I can connect with more people?

Thank you have a great day!!

Hi all,

Hope you are all enjoying the sunny days we have (occasionally)

I was asked to provide with a salary expectation for a graduate intern position( 6 months) in Newbridge Pfizer. I was wondering if 34-36k would be a reasonable expectation.

Please let me know what you think. Thank you in advance.

Ps: i have a 6 months QC student experience in an analytical lab and currently want to gain experience in a manufacturing environment

My accountant has told me that since I have been the director of an umbrella company in Ireland for more than 280 days in the last 2 years, when I am completing my form 11 I will need to declare my Danish income and pay Irish tax on it. There is a DTA in place for Ireland & Denmark but I’d still end up paying a far higher effective tax rate.

Is this accurate?

Why wouldn’t I just qualify for split year treatment?

Hi all, posting here as a query for some advice.

Recently out of college with 10 months process engineering experience for a Pharma company in Limerick, as a graduate process engineer on 40k.

I’ve been offered a 12-month contractor process engineer role at 40euro/hour, in a different Pharma company in Limerick also. Wondering if this is too good to be true and is possible cause for concern? (Since I have less than a years experience) Is there any caveats I’m not aware of in the contractor engineer world?

Thanks in advance.

Got offered 39k as a graduate for a role in QC with no prior work experience. Just wondering if this is underpaid or decent enough for a graduate. Its also shift work but mornings and evening only so that bring my salary up to slightly over mid 40s

Hello all! I am looking for advice. When I graduated with a 1st class honours in biopharmaceutical science in 2025 I was told doors and opportunities would fly open for me. It’s been a year since then and…nothing. My degree did not have an internship/work experience component and I feel as though that has been a huge disadvantage to me. I find myself feeling burnt out 24/7 with the competitiveness of the field, I apply for jobs every day, tailor my cv and cover letter to said jobs and either hear nothing or am rejected. I feel hopeless because entry level positions either want 1-2 years of experience coming in or you need connections to even get a call back. I have a masters position in Biotherapeutics in DCU for this autumn but I feel as though I’ll be overqualified with a masters and no professional experience so I’m thinking of putting off the masters so I can save and study abroad for the next academic year (but I’m praying I can find a job before then). What advice would you give me, a recent graduate, in landing a graduate job either in Ireland or in Europe (Netherlands, Berlin are where I’m most eager to go). I just feel so lost and like I wasted my time doing my degree despite how passionate I am for life sciences

What’s the starting salary for a qc separations analyst at BMS if anyone works there or knows? Also is it shift based work or normal working hours?

Hi all,

Just finished university last week (food science) and now looking towards full time employment.

Been applying to a lot of the dairy processors and meat processors in the country aswell has a couple of pharmaceuticals. Hearing sweet fa back from anyone.

Wondering if maybe my cv is completely misaligned.

If anyone had any tips on what these employers are looking for I’d greatly appreciate it. Please feel free to dm me if it’s easier.

Thanks for yere help👍🏻