Biotech companies focusing on healthcare applications have an organization structure similar to that in pharmaceutical companies, with departments such as Research & Development (R&D), Clinical Development and Quality Control, besides the regular units, like Finance, Administration, Engineering/Operations, Human Resources, Legal and Business Development. Given the majority of biotechnology firms are small, the following list of departments offering biotech jobs is typical of a smaller firm.
The basic function of an Research & Development department is to seek promising drug candidates by gathering information, conducting experiments and making use of discovery research, animal sciences and bioinformatics. The focus of the bioinformatics function is analyze the finding using the extensive data collected in the research activity.
The Process and Product Development departments work closely with the R&D unit to ensure the establishment of effective production processes and testing methods. They work closely with the Operations department. Operations is in charge of facility planning to prepare of the eventual higher production levels. The goal in production is to operate at the highest efficiency level and when the products are produced in large quantities.
The responsibilities of the Clinical Research department begin after a drug candidate has been identified by the R&D department. It undertakes the necessary clinical trials for obtaining the regulatory approvals.
The Quality Control department works closely with Process Development and Operations and is responsible for ensuring the safety, efficacy and stability of products being developed by the company. When the clinical trial efforts are underway, it ensures that all regulatory norms are followed in the development of various products and processes.
The administration departments include Finance, Legal and Information Technology. The Legal department is a critical division and is responsible for advising the biotechnology firm on matters related to patenting, intellectual property, licensing, sales and marketing agreements and business development tie-ups. Although the Finance area may not be consider the sexiest area in a biotech firm, they hold purse strings and ensure the firm doesn’t run out of cash before licensing or producing an acceptable product.
The functioning of a biotechnology company comprises several operations, which in turn results in varied career options and biotech jobs for scientists, agricultural experts, veterinarians, clinical researchers, sales and marketing professionals, law and patenting experts as well as engineers.
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