Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences recruitment
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences
Quality, manufacturing, validation, regulatory and R&D talent for pharma, biotech and medical device companies.
What sets this desk apart
- One named consultant on every search
- Permanent and contract (daily rate) markets
- Fast mobilisation for capital projects
How we recruit
Ireland is one of the world's most important life sciences hubs, and the competition for qualified people is relentless. We learn the work before we recruit for it, so we can hold a proper conversation about aseptic processing, CSV, GMP deviations or a Phase III submission before we ever put a candidate forward.
We recruit across pharmaceutical manufacturing, biologics, medical devices, clinical research, regulatory affairs and laboratory science, for permanent roles and the contract market that keeps capital projects moving.
Typical assignments
A validation team of twelve for a new fill finish facility. A Head of Quality for a growing medtech company. QC analysts in volume for a plant expansion. A regulatory lead to take a product through EMA and FDA submissions.
Roles we recruit
- QC Analyst and Microbiologist
- QA Specialist and Quality Manager
- Validation and CQV Engineer
- Process and Manufacturing Engineer
- Regulatory Affairs Specialist
- Clinical Research Associate
- Production Supervisor
- R&D Scientist
- Automation and Controls Engineer
- Qualified Person (QP)
Where hiring gets stuck
Hiring in pharmaceutical is hard. Here is where it sticks.
- 01
Validation and CQV gaps
SOLAS reported in its National Skills Bulletin 2025 that agencies found validation, process, quality and automation engineers among the hardest roles to fill, and a project schedule will not wait. We stay in contact with engineers finishing projects elsewhere and say plainly whether contract or permanent will fill the seat sooner.
- 02
Qualified Persons are few
Batch release rests with your Qualified Person, the pool in Ireland is small and most are not reading job adverts. We approach them directly and in confidence, and we can look for interim cover so that release does not hang on one hire.
- 03
Projects need people now
Headcount approval and long interview processes can outlast the project plan, and qualification work slips while a seat is empty. We agree interview stages and feedback times with you at the start, and where a contractor would protect the schedule we say so.
- 04
Bigger sites outbid you
Medium sized medtech firms and contract manufacturers compete for the same quality, regulatory and automation people as multinational sites in ramp up. We present what a smaller site can offer, such as scope, progression and location, and widen the search to returning emigrants and permit eligible candidates.
Open in the market
Pharmaceutical roles employers are advertising now.
These roles are being advertised by employers in Ireland. FH Recruitment has not been instructed on them. If one suits you, tell us which. With your agreement we approach the employer on your behalf, and nothing is sent anywhere without your say so.
Questions
Pharmaceutical hiring, answered.
Practical answers to the questions employers and candidates ask most.
Which pharma and medical device roles are hardest to fill in Ireland in 2026?
SOLAS lists analytical, process and medical scientists, quality, process, design and automation engineers, and laboratory and manufacturing technicians as shortage occupations in its National Skills Bulletin 2025, published in October 2025. Agencies surveyed by SOLAS in November 2024 added validation engineers, regulatory affairs and pharmacovigilance specialists and microbiologists. For these roles we suggest agreeing the salary range before going to market, keeping the interview process short and deciding early whether a contractor could cover the first phase.
Can we hire pharmaceutical technicians or engineers from outside the EEA on an employment permit?
Often, yes, though the Department of Enterprise decides each application. Pharmaceutical technician was added to the General Employment Permit occupations in May 2026 without a quota, according to a Mason Hayes & Curran summary of that year's changes. For degree level roles on the Critical Skills Occupations List, the minimum salary from 1 March 2026 is €40,904, according to the Department. Lists and thresholds change, so check the current position before relying on them. We check eligibility for the specific role before any overseas search begins.
Should we use a contractor or a permanent hire for a validation or CQV project?
It depends on how long the work lasts and what knowledge has to stay on site. Contractors suit a defined phase such as commissioning, qualification or technology transfer, and permanent hires suit process ownership after handover. Timing matters too. In the Employment and Recruitment Federation's Irish Labour Market Monitor for Q2 2026, published in August 2026, 58% of recruiters reported longer times to fill permanent roles, against 40% for contract roles. We set out both options with realistic start dates so you can choose.
How do I move from a QC laboratory role into QA, validation or regulatory affairs?
Start by collecting evidence from the job you have. Hiring managers look for people who have written or reviewed deviations, investigations, change controls and corrective actions, taken part in method or equipment validation, or supported an inspection or audit. Ask to join that work, keep a short record of what you did and put it near the top of your CV. We tell you honestly which roles your experience fits today and which need another step first, and we never charge candidates a fee.
Insights
Reading for this sector.
Other sectors
Hiring in pharmaceutical?
Brief a named consultant who will run your search from start to finish. We aim to send a first shortlist within 48 hours on permanent searches.