Hays : Japan's Life Sciences sector sees growth but remains talent short

n recent years, the healthcare landscape in Japan has been experiencing positive developments in terms of deregulation and increasing the speed to market for new treatments. This movement has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic along with efforts to service the medical needs of Japan's ageing population. These factors, along with rapid digitalisation, have led to a healthy demand for jobs in the sector. As a result, hiring within the areas of clinical research, medical affairs, medical science liaison and regulatory affairs remains competitive, exacerbated by the ongoing talent crunch in Japan.

High demand for skilled talent
These are some of the findings from The Inside Story of Japan, a monthly regional recruitment analysis undertaken by global recruitment expert Hays. Focusing on the Life Sciences sector, the analysis found that the current hiring demand is led equally by domestic and multinational companies, with requirements for highly specialised candidates on the rise. However, the candidate market remains acutely talent short in these areas, with the pandemic further highlighting the strong demand for quality human capital.

Requirements increase
There is a healthy demand for both technical and commercial skillsets, with the most in-demand junior-mid level roles at this time being clinical research associates (CRA), medical science liaisons (MSL), medical experts, pharmacovigilance (PV) staff, quality assurance (QA) staff and marketing specialists. A PHD in the life sciences is an increasingly important qualification for such roles, while before a bachelor's or master's degree may have been enough. Communication is an important prerequisite across the board, alongside stricter requirements for English language proficiency. In the light of rapid digitalisation, that the usage of real-world data has become more prevalent, resulting in the life sciences sector putting a larger emphasis on quantitative skills and the ability to analyse health-related data.

Demand for senior professionals on the rise
There has also been a high demand for senior level candidates for roles such as clinical director, head of safety, medical director and head of marketing. Experience in cross functional environments, the ability to cater to and devise precision medicine, high scientific expertise in pathologies and quantitative analysis are key skills needed to succeed in such roles. This shift to a more patient-centric outlook will also pish companies to seek senior leaders who are sensitive to and can discern industry trends and future changes in health care practices.

Richard Eardley, Managing Director of Hays Japan commented, 'Now is a time of innovation and opportunity for Japan's Life Sciences sector as more companies adopt new technologies that can improve treatment quality and advance precision medicine. This is a positive direction as the challenges that businesses face today require fresh perspectives and bold decisions to overcome obstacles and continue growing. To keep up and emerge as early successes in this shift, candidates will benefit from upskilling themselves in areas like data analysis and coding that are increasingly in demand, in addition to English language proficiency and domain knowledge.'

To read the full Inside Story of Life Sciences in Japan, please click here.