1. Business
Development
Technology
Development
Product
Management R&D
Program/Project
Management
Sales Operations
Future
Today
Strategy Execution
Scientific Careers in the Corporate World
Lehigh Valley American Chemical Society Meeting, September 2016
Dustin Levy, Ph.D., MBA
www.linkedin.com/in/dustinlevy
Although most degreed scientists will enter industry in a
Research and Development (R&D) role, you need not stay there
as there are ample opportunities to move elsewhere.
Keys to success include:
• Choosing the career path that best matches your skills and interests
• Practicing the required skills that aren’t taught in school
• Making yourself an attractive candidate to future hiring managers
Future-Oriented (Strategy) Today-Oriented (Execution)
Product Management tends to be a common shift for R&D
people, the difference being that instead of doing the R&D
work, you set the agenda for what R&D work needs to be
done. You accomplish this through a combination of customer
understanding and technical know-how. A good deal of
business acumen needs to be developed to be successful.
Technology Development is a good path for scientists who
enjoy open-ended, creative work (more “R” and less “D”).
These roles are more academia-like (but without the
students). Be aware that not all companies have these groups,
so options can become limited, and you really have to know
your stuff to be successful. A Ph.D. is often required.
Scientists who move into Business Development like working
with people and traveling. They get to work with face-to-face
with customers to define future business opportunities. Many
business developers have a weak technical background, so you
can stand out from the crowd here if you have the required
people skills and are willing to “play the long game”.
Analytical
Hands-on
People-
oriented
Program/Project Management takes responsibility for
keeping R&D efforts on time, on schedule, and on budget.
Rather than doing direct R&D work, your ability to manage a
team’s day-to-day efforts is required to be successful. Many
people in these roles have earned professional certifications
(such as PMI) to develop and validate their skills.
Scientists who move into Operations typically spend their time
bridging the gap between R&D and manufacturing to ensure
that newly developed items can be produced in quantity.
They must be very pragmatic to make this happen. Those who
are process-oriented may also be successful in quality
management roles where strong analytical skills are required.
In companies where Sales requires effective communication of
the technical benefits of products and services, people-
oriented scientists can add unique value by way of their
credibility. Sales is where gratification is most instantaneous
as your efforts will be reflected immediately in your
company’s performance and the size of your paycheck.