GetReskilled

We keep seeing pharma job titles that sound real but... aren't.
• Validation Support
• QA Scientist
• Compliance Specialist
• Compliance Monitoring
• Process Optimisation
• Laboratory Technician - by itself

I’ve never seen any of these exist as actual standalone roles in the Irish pharma or med device industry.

Just for context, I ran Ireland’s largest dedicated jobs board for over 7 years.

Let’s take a look at them.

❌ 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁
Why it sounds plausible:
Validation teams are big, and they do need support.

What is probably meant:
• Validation Technician
• Associate QA Validation Specialist
• Equipment Validation Specialist
• QA Validation Associate
• QA Validation Specialist
• CQV Specialist
• CQV Junior Engineer
• C&Q Specialist

❌ 𝗤𝗔 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁
Why it sounds plausible:
QA + Science = pharma, right?

What is probably meant:
• QA Specialist
• QA Associate
• QA Compliance Specialist
• Quality Assurance Specialist
• Quality Assurance Associate
• Quality Associate Manager
• QA Specialist – Raw Materials
• QA Compliance Specialist

❌ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁
Why it sounds plausible:
𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.

Why it doesn’t exist on its own:
Compliance is always contextual.

What is probably meant:
• QA Compliance Specialist
• EHS Compliance Officer

👉 “Compliance Specialist” without a domain doesn’t make sense.

❌ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴
Why it sounds plausible:
Sounds very inspection and audit like.

Why it doesn’t exist:
That’s an activity, not a role.

What is probably meant:
• QA Auditor
• QA Systems Specialist
• Quality Systems Manager

👉 You do compliance monitoring, you are not a compliance monitor.

❌ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Why it sounds plausible:
Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, etc

Why it doesn’t exist standalone:
𝘖𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

What is probably meant:
• Continuous Improvement Engineer
• Manufacturing Engineer
• Process Engineer
• Operational Excellence Lead

❌ 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻 (𝗯𝘆 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳)
This one is subtle.

Why it’s misleading:
The words “𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻” does appear within job titles but almost never as a standalone job title.

Real versions include:
• QC Laboratory Technician
• Microbiology Technician
• Analytical Lab Technician
• R&D Technician

Most of these titles come from job aggregator sites, copy pasted listings, or people outside pharma trying to name skills instead of roles.

Am I missing any? If you have any thoughts or opinions, do share below.

Ever wondered what pharma or med device manufacturing facilities are within a commutable distance for you in Ireland. Check this link https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1f4cgqfMAH_Nh0foAOZr_wi7XaKFl6PRA&hl=en-GB&femb=1&ll=53.534780481645726%2C-7.987088075328536&z=8

GetReskilled has overlaid the location of (almost)every manufacturing plant on a Google map which lets you explore sites all across Ireland!

Here is the link again. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1f4cgqfMAH_Nh0foAOZr_wi7XaKFl6PRA&hl=en-GB&femb=1&ll=53.534780481645726%2C-7.987088075328536&z=8

NOTE: It took almost 8 years of research to build this map. But we are continually updating this page and trying hard to keep this information as accurate as possible.

Do let us know if we have missed or left out any pharmaceutical or medical device manufacturing plant.

Feel free to reach out if you would like advice on retraining or upskilling in this sector. Our team at GetReskilled includes engineers, scientists and lab technicians who have worked in the pharma industry

Or check out our list of courses and programmes at this link https://www.getreskilled.com/pharmaceutical-courses/

🇮🇪 213 pharma & med-tech factories. 77,500+ jobs. Here’s where every single one is…

We’ve pulled together the most complete public list of manufacturing sites across Ireland - from major biopharma plants to specialised med-device facilities.

Want to see which counties have the most opportunities, where the industry’s expanding, and where the strongest employers are building the future?

This page lays it all out, clearly and simply.

Your next opportunity might be closer than you think.

https://www.getreskilled.com/pharmaceutical-jobs/ireland-factory-table/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=local

Which pharma and med-tech companies are setting the global benchmark for performance in 2025?

TIME and Statista ranked worldwide companies across all industries based on employee satisfaction, revenue growth, and sustainability transparency (ESG), and published a list of the top 1,000.

From this list, we compiled a selection of the top-performing companies in the pharmaceutical, medical device and medtech sectors. The top performers (all within the top 250) were:

15 Novo Nordisk
25 Johnson & Johnson
39 Mckesson Corporation
41 ELI Lilly and Company
43 Astrazeneca
53 Merck & Co.
59 Cardinal Health
80 GSK
105 Roche
114 Novartis
115 Boston Scientific
155 CSL
204 Amgen
214 Boehringer Ingelheim
230 Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

Click here to see the full TIME list - https://time.com/7315547/worlds-best-companies-of-2025/

Every month we check 4 pharmaceutical industry regulatory bodies (the FDA, European Commission, MHRA, and The HPRA) and bring together their news into one handy update.

So here is what happened in the HPRA across October
💡 6 October – Public consultation on proposed fees for 2026: Human Medicines, Compliance Activities, Blood, Tissue Establishments, Organs and Medical Devices
💡6 October – Public consultation on proposed fees for 2026: Veterinary Medicinal Products
💡10 October – HPRA health warning after detention of counterfeit tirzepatide pens containing insulin
💡10 October – Prepraring for SoHo – updates on implementation
💡15 October – EU Biotech Act public consultation opens for input
💡15 October – Human Tissues Act – review existing procedures

Click on the link below to learn more
https://www.getreskilled.com/pharma-regulatory-authorities-news/