Science in business

There are many opportunities to apply your technical knowledge and scientific literacy outside of a laboratory environment. You could be helping to bring new products and innovations to the market, articulating complex concepts and information, providing specialist services to clients as a consultant. What many of the following roles have in common is that having a science degree is either essential or confers a huge advantage.

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Business consultancy

Scientific consultants offer scientific advice and problem-solving to other science organisations. Specialist scientific consultancies exist, such as BMT group, but large, generalist consultancy firms often have a science department, e.g. PA consulting. You’ll also find ‘niche’ consultancies that offer specialist services in specific technical areas, such as Cambridge Consultants. Public sector organisations may also run part of their organisation as a private scientific consultancy; an example being the Met Office. There are also specialist consultancies supporting the pharmaceutical sector, in areas like market access, health economics and regulatory affairs.

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Patent law

If you want to work in science innovation sector but not in a technical role, you might consider patent law. It combines innovation, written communication and law, so you need to like all three. You will examine new inventions in order to assess whether they can be patented, either as a patent attorney working on the behalf of the inventor or as a patent examiner on the behalf of the UK’s Intellectual Property Office or European Patent Office. Training will take a minimum of two years but for most people it can take between four and six years. The roles require a solid scientific background and attention to detail. They may be linked to a specific discipline area (e.g. physics) or cover all science discoveries. A lot of University of Manchester alumni work in this field, so use LinkedIn to connect with professionals.

Business development and knowledge exchange

Business Development Officers and Managers work in a range of settings, including universities, where their role is to identify new business opportunities and foster relationships with customers and sponsors. Business development managers in universities play a crucial role in driving growth and forging strategic partnerships. They identify and pursue new opportunities, build relationships with external organisations, and contribute to the overall commercial success of the university. Their work often involves a blend of sales, marketing, and strategic planning.  A postgraduate degree or commercial experience is usually asked for and is beneficial.

Commerce

Recruiters looking for sales staff need graduates who are confident communicators, self-motivated, persuasive and enthusiastic. The product could be a new drug or highly specialised systems or equipment. Whilst recruiters may not specify a science degree, having one will be a real advantage if it helps you to understand the science behind the product you’re selling better. For example, medical sales representatives must complete qualifications recognised by the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority and provided by the ABPI, which examine the skills and knowledge required to promote medicines. For some roles you may be involved in after sales support, assisting with implementation or integration (sometimes referred to as Account Management) or providing expert information on drugs and medical devices (e.g. Medical Science Liaison in a pharmaceutical company).

Health safety, regulation and compliance

Many scientific organisations operate in complex regulatory environments. This could be to protect a company from fraud, to reduce environmental impact or to ensure that a companies products comply with standards and legislation. For example, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) regulates medicines, medical devices and blood components for transfusion in the UK.

Science operations

Business operations roles focus on ensuring that an organisation’s processes run efficiently and effectively, covering areas like supply chain, quality control, production and packaging. These roles are commonly found in various science-related industries such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, food and drink manufacturing, and environmental services. Employers value candidates with a strong understanding of scientific principles combined with operational efficiency, data handling, and quality assurance skills. Major hubs such as Cambridge, Oxford, and the North West (e.g. Manchester and Liverpool) offer numerous opportunities due to the presence of large research institutions and life sciences companies. Entry-level roles often involve supporting production processes, implementing quality standards like GMP, and ensuring accurate packaging and labelling to meet regulatory and safety requirements.

Building skills and experience

Use the job profiles above to check which skills are normally needed for the roles you are interested in.

Use our transferable skills pages to explore ways to gain the top skills employers are looking for

Next steps

When planning your next steps, you may have additional questions or want to explore certain aspects in more detail: