Market Update – Pharmaceutical Sector
Market Outlook
Recruitment activity in the pharmaceutical, medical devices and biotechnology remained fairly active in 2016, despite a slowdown in the Asia Pacific region.
Besides replacement positions, recruitment activity was driven also by newly created positions at the junior to mid‐levels. In particular, these requirements were driven by business growth in the south east Asian region. Singapore‐admitted lawyers with relevant and region industry are often preferred. Besides recruitment from established and mature pharmaceutical players, we have also seen US, UK or Europe headquartered multinationals recruit for their first APAC counsel.
Another notable trend we’ve seen is a preference for candidates with strong Mandarin capabilities. China is becoming an increasingly important market for a number of the pharmaceutical and medical technology multinationals. There is a strong preference for the candidate to be based in Singapore however, so they are able to support the south-east Asia region in addition to the mainland China business.
| PQE | Base Salary Range | Bonus Range |
|---|---|---|
| 1 ‐ 3 | 60,000 SGD – 90,000 SGD | 10 ‐ 15% |
| 3 ‐ 5 | 80,000 SGD – 140,000 SGD | 10 ‐ 15% |
| 5 ‐ 7 | 100,000 SGD – 160,000 SGD | 10 ‐ 20% |
| 7 ‐ 9 | 150,000 SGD – 220,000 SGD | 15 ‐ 20% |
| 9 ‐ 11 | 180,000 SGD – 250,000 SGD | 15 ‐ 25% |
| SEA Head of Legal | 200,000 SGD – 280,000 SGD | 25 ‐ 40% |
| APAC Head of Legal | 250,000 SGD – 500,000 SGD | 30 ‐ 50% |
Candidate profiles:
Candidate 957911
• 5 years’ PQE
• Legal Counsel with a European pharmaceutical multinational
• Strong ASEAN experience, provides legal support to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam
Candidate 623181
• 20+ years’ PQE
• Close to twenty years’ in‐house experience in the life sciences and medical technology industries
• Strong APAC legal and regulatory experience
Candidate 1117841
• 20+ years’ PQE
• 5‐6 years’ experience with a global medical technology multinational
• Provides legal, commercial and transactional support for businesses
For more information, please contact us today.