Northern California Readies for Talent Connect As Biotech Bay Booms
June 11, 2015
By Riley McDermid, BioSpace.com Breaking News Sr. Editor
Bay Area biotech is gearing up for the Spring Biotech Bay Talent Connect on June 25, as the Bay continues to be a powerhouse for some of the best science in the world, said local experts.
“There has been steady demand for science professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area,” said Harvey Yau, director of the Americas Science Center of Excellence at Kelly Services. “We are seeing healthy growth in job opportunities that’s trending back to the region’s peak in 2011.”
The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco on Thursday, June 25, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Candidates looking to attend must pre-register and submit their resumes for pre-screening in order to be approved for one-on-one 15-minute interviews.
“We are growing, come join us!” Tim Flynn, the senior manager for talent acquisition at Depomed told BioSpace .
Depomed recently acquired U.S. rights to Nucynta from Jansen for $1.05 billion in April. "With the closing of the Nucynta transaction, the transformation of Depomed into a leader in the pain and central nervous system market is now complete. We closed the deal ahead of our original schedule and will re-launch Nucynta with Depomed's expanded sales and marketing resources in June," said Jim Schoeneck, president and chief executive officer of Depomed in a statement.
Depomed will be hiring candidates for Brand Marketing, Forecasting, Help Desk, Financial Analyst, Senior Systems Administrator, Investor Relations, Inventory and Purchasing Specialist, Clinical Research Associate and a Sales Specialist.
Kelly Services has more than 150 open scientific positions in the San Francisco Bay Area, and more than 1,250 scientific job openings in North America for professionals who are open to relocation opportunities.
“Biopharmaceutical remains the strongest sector, with high demand for science professionals in cellular immunology, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, bioinformatics, clinical trials coordination, clinical data management, bio-manufacturing and virology,” said Yau.
Local professional group California Life Sciences Association said the Bay Area is commonly considered “the birthplace of biotech,” a region that now includes nearly 1,000 companies, directly and indirectly employs 125,000 people, and generates $29 billion in revenue.
Biotech Bay also represents “the full spectrum of life sciences,” including digital health innovators blending technology and medicine to transform healthcare; biotechnology, medical device and diagnostic companies that are advancing medicine; agricultural companies that use biotech to improve their yields; and bioindustrial organizations that lobby and reform all worldwide.
The PricewaterhouseCoopers/National Venture Capital Association MoneyTree Report based on data from Thomson Reuters found that Bay Area businesses grabbed $1.15 billion in funding in 2013, a number which dipped slightly to $839 million in 2014, as Boston captured the most VC investment.
The jobs that are here are certainly unique and committed to building a lasting local ecosystem. This winter Johnson & Johnson debuted its new 30,000 square foot life science incubator, JLABS @South San Francisco. The site will eventually accommodate up to 50 life science startups in the Bay Area and hopes to spark an “innovation revolution” across the region, Melinda Richter, head of Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS, told BioSpace at CALBIO 2015 exclusively.
“We look forward to building relationships with innovators in the region and filling JLABS @SSF with cutting-edge startups across the healthcare spectrum, as well as kicking off our education events at the site,” Richter told BioSpace in an interview. “In addition, we are also always continuously evaluating additional life science hubs that may be a good fit for the JLABS model, in order to enable more entrepreneurs to gain access to the resources of JLABS.”
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