Where can your STEM degree take you?
11.03.25 ArticlesSo, your STEM degree – you’ve been there, done that, got the graduation gown, now what? After spending years in academia, heading out into the big wide postgraduate world is daunting, and you may find yourself quickly pigeonholed into a rigid career path you don’t properly align with.
Though science-specific roles like teaching and academia offer tempting job security, it’s important to remember that a STEM degree unlocks a wealth of career options outside of the more traditional routes. Just ask our very own Lead Talent Partner superstar Megan! Her own personal journey from the lab to Lead Candidate is proof that you don’t need to be limited by linear career paths.
A STEM degree is the perfect foundation for an exciting array of diverse and rewarding roles, and your journey into the professional world can take many different paths. Let’s look at our friends over at INCOG – as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO), there are a plethora of unique and fulfilling opportunities that your education has equipped you for.
Let’s break down seven key functions available to you and the skills needed to succeed.
Engineering
Engineering is a wide ranging function and plays a pivotal role in the day-to-day running of a CDMO. An engineer’s job involves optimising manufacturing efficiency whilst maintaining that all important product quality that a pharmaceutical company’s reputation and future success relies upon. Whether you choose to flex your communication skills with technical writing, practice your precision in metrology, or put your problem solving expertise to the test in a troubleshooting team, engineering offers an enriching career path where no one day is the same as the next.
🌟 Skills needed: Problem solving, strong communication (in order to clearly and concisely explain technical concepts to a non-technical audience), and analytical thinking.
Find out more about engineering roles here.
Supply Chain
Within a CDMO, the supply chain involves a complex network of companies, people, and processes. They are all involved in procuring raw materials, manufacturing a pharmaceutical product (from development stages all the way up to commercial production), and delivering the finished product. As a more admin-heavy division, supply chain roles are all about constantly adapting strategies in order to overcome challenges (take, for example, the COVID-19 pandemic). Some key supply chain roles include specification writing, operations planning, and shipping logistics.
🌟 Skills needed: Keen eye for detail, strong organisational skills, data analysis, and a good understanding of logistics and risk management.
Find out more about supply chain roles here.
Manufacturing
It’s in the name! The ‘M’ in CDMO represents (often large-scale) manufacturing facilities that pharmaceutical companies can outsource production of their life-saving medicines to. This vital function expedites the drug development process and provides the production capacity necessary to meet overwhelming market demand. There are many roles within a manufacturing division, such as: equipment specialist, formulations specialist through to inspection and packaging specialist (to name a few).
🌟 Skills needed: Technical expertise in manufacturing processes (for example, bioprocessing), great adaptability, project management and leadership, and an ability to work well under pressure (manufacturing involves meeting a lot of tight deadlines!).
Find out more about manufacturing roles here.
Quality Assurance (QA)
Quality assurance is a key part of the work done not only by INCOG, but all CDMOs. Without effective quality assurance, there is no patient ready product. QA involves a comprehensive system of processes and procedures implemented to guarantee the quality and consistency of products throughout the whole development and manufacturing process. By proactively identifying and mitigating risks at every stage, quality assurance ensures the delivery of safe and effective drugs to patients, with strict adherence to regulatory standards. Whether it be technical operations, floor support, document control, or regulatory compliance, all of these roles require meticulous attention to detail and a sharp awareness of industry standard requirements.
🌟 Skills needed: Comprehensive understanding of relevant regulatory standards – e.g., Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), data analysis and interpretation, problem-solving, root cause analysis, and attention to detail.
Find out more about QA roles here.
Quality Control (QC)
The like minded cousin to quality assurance, quality control is all about making sure a product is as safe and perfect as it can be once it’s made its way out into the world. Think of it this way – where quality assurance is a proactive, preventative process, quality control is reactive. In this sense, it can be considered as one of the most important aspects of a CDMO as it’s all about ensuring the wellbeing of the consumer. These roles are lab heavy, so they’re perfect if you’re wanting to keep those practical skills sharp. Though most of the work is found within chemistry and microbiology, there are also roles in compliance, method transfer, and LIMS (Laboratory Information Management Systems – software that allows all the data from the lab to be logged, routed, and managed.
🌟 Skills needed: Proficiency in laboratory techniques, deep understanding of relevant quality standards (like GMP), data analysis, problem-solving, and the ability to work effectively within a team.
Find out more about QC roles here.
Commercial / Corporate
For those of you wanting to try your hand at a more people focused role, there are a whole host of opportunities waiting for you. Commercial and corporate roles are just as important as the more science-based positions and are responsible for supporting the structure of a business. We’re biased, of course, but talent acquisition is a great way to make the shift from technical to people-focused work and put your interpersonal skills to good use. If recruitment isn’t for you, don’t fear! There are other opportunities available in project management, marketing, finance, business development and more – if you’re a natural people person, this might be the move for you.
🌟 Skills needed: Great interpersonality, strong communication skills, the ability to build relationships with clients and stakeholders, commercial awareness, and an understanding of market dynamics.
Find more about commercial roles here.
Find out more about corporate roles here.
Concluding thoughts
So, still think a STEM degree means a life in the lab? We didn’t think so.
Though we’ve primarily focused on CDMO and pharmaceutical outsourcing here, it’s important to note that the skills you’ve gained throughout your academic career are equally transferable across a myriad of different industries. You could go into Research & Development, Biotech, Med Devices…the list goes on.
STEM graduates are in high demand by employers for a reason. There are so many doors your degree can unlock – don’t leave them waiting.