Careers in Pharma: Jobs You Can Do Beyond the Laboratory

Working in pharma does not have to mean spending your career at a laboratory bench. The employers in these recordings described regulatory affairs, clinical operations, drug safety, medical information, quality and business functions alongside research and production. The useful question is which part of developing and supplying medicines fits your interests and background.

We analysed eight CareerFairy Live Streams with Novartis, CSL and Teva. They included early-career programmes, pharmacists’ experiences and internships across study fields. The examples show a wider range of roles, while also making clear that some routes require very specific qualifications.

The quick answer: investigate the function before deciding whether pharma is for you. Scientific backgrounds can lead towards regulatory, safety, clinical, quality or medical work; other degrees may fit corporate, analytical or commercial opportunities. Entry requirements differ sharply, so distinguish a general internship from a specialist pharmacist or graduate programme.

Which pharma jobs involve work beyond the lab?

The recordings described roles that use scientific information, organise development, support decisions or help the business operate. Some involve laboratory contact without making laboratory work their main task.

CSL’s July 2026 pharmacist session mapped several functions: pharmacovigilance, regulatory affairs, clinical development, medical affairs, research and quality assurance. Pharmacovigilance means work concerned with medicine safety; the speaker’s own example involved assessing and communicating safety information with other teams.

Novartis’s April and December 2025 conversations described translational medicine as a broad area spanning scientific and operational work. Clinical science and innovation included planning, setting up, running and reporting early clinical studies from an operational and project perspective.

Teva’s broad internship sessions included business support functions such as HR, controlling, finance and data analytics, as well as pharmaceutical and production-related work. Its April 2026 pharmacist-specific session discussed regulatory work, drug safety, manufacturing science and technology, and medical work.

This breadth does not mean that the roles share the same entry requirements. The title pharma describes the industry. Your eligibility depends on the function and the route you choose.

What does regulatory affairs work involve?

Regulatory affairs connects information about a medicine with the requirements and communication involved in its development and approval. The Novartis examples emphasised working across functions rather than only carrying out experiments.

In its April 2026 discussion, Novartis described exposure across development, from early work through clinical phases and later lifecycle activity. The programme was intended to build a foundation in regulatory affairs through practical assignments.

The speakers said prior working knowledge of regulatory affairs was not required for the training route discussed. They did expect applicants to investigate what the function did and explain their motivation. Strong interpersonal skills mattered because the work involved other departments and health authorities.

The April 2025 conversation gave a similar message: hands-on involvement and genuine interest were central. Researching the field, speaking to people or learning about it before applying could help demonstrate that interest.

For a student, the useful preparation is therefore specific. Find out what regulatory colleagues contribute, why it interests you and how your background helps you understand scientific information. Do not write that you want to leave the lab and assume that is sufficient motivation for the alternative role.

What do people in clinical operations and development do?

The Novartis discussions described both scientific and operational responsibilities, with different roles across the development process. It is important to check which one a vacancy actually refers to.

In April 2025, a speaker described clinical science and innovation through trial planning, setup, delivery and reporting. The same conversation distinguished this operational and project work from medical colleagues’ responsibilities and from laboratory-based parts of translational medicine.

The December 2025 session also described early clinical work and a clinical development fellowship. Fellows worked and learned with experienced colleagues and mentors. That is evidence of a supported early-career route, not a statement that every clinical role accepts every scientific degree.

If you enjoy organising complex work and understanding scientific questions, these examples may be worth investigating. Ask how much of the role concerns coordination, data, documentation or scientific decision-making, and which qualifications are required.

Do not use clinical as a shortcut for non-laboratory. Novartis’s speakers repeatedly showed that translational medicine also contained lab-based work. The responsibilities are more informative than the broad department name.

What is a career in pharmacovigilance like?

CSL’s pharmacist described work with safety information, reports and questions from health authorities, alongside collaboration with clinical, regulatory and medical teams. The example shows a role that depends on scientific understanding and clear communication.

The speaker also discussed the importance of critical thinking and scientific judgement as AI tools become more common. In her view, identifying patterns did not settle whether a signal was meaningful in its clinical context or how it affected the assessment of benefits and risks.

That is a professional perspective from the recording, not medical advice or a universal description of every safety role. Its career relevance is the combination of careful interpretation, context and communication.

Teva’s pharmacist session also included medicine-safety work among the available functions. If this area interests you, investigate the tasks in current listings and prepare to explain why careful analysis and responsibility appeal to you.

A relevant academic example might involve interpreting evidence, checking details or explaining uncertainty. Use what you actually did; do not imply that university work gave you responsibility for clinical safety decisions.

What is medical information or medical affairs work?

These roles can involve translating scientific knowledge into information useful to other people. CSL described medical affairs as connecting science and practice and supporting healthcare professionals with complex information.

Teva’s April 2026 pharmacist conversation offered a more concrete example of medical work. The speaker discussed answering enquiries, researching sources and documenting responses. The work drew on scientific literature and product information rather than simply improvising an answer.

For someone who likes science and communication, that combination may be more appealing than a laboratory-only route. You still need to inspect the role’s requirements. A job involving specialised scientific communication is different from a general marketing or communications internship.

Ask who the role works with, what kind of information it handles and how work is reviewed. Those questions help you assess both the scientific depth and the daily interaction involved.

Can you work in pharma with a business, data or other non-science degree?

The Teva internship conversations showed opportunities beyond scientific disciplines, including business support and analytical functions. The September 2025 session explicitly mentioned HR, controlling, finance and data analytics among areas seeking student support at that time.

Those were examples of roles discussed during the recording, not confirmation that the same vacancies are open now. Their broader value is demonstrating that a pharmaceutical business needs more than laboratory specialists.

Teva’s May 2026 conversation also encouraged students to inspect the tasks and requirements in vacancies. It described production-site exposure as a way for interns in different functions to understand what the business made and how it worked.

If you study business or data, start with the function you can contribute to. Explain why its setting in pharma interests you and which evidence supports your application. Avoid presenting yourself as qualified for a specialist pharmaceutical role simply because the industry has broad internship opportunities.

For an adjacent operational route, read what a supply chain career looks like. The article explains functions that can appear across manufacturing businesses, while each employer’s requirements still need checking.

Do you need a PhD for a pharma career?

No single qualification requirement applied across the recordings. Some programmes targeted recent master’s graduates; others had different academic or professional conditions.

Novartis’s April 2026 technical R&D biologics discussion mentioned relevant master’s study in areas such as chemistry, engineering, biology or biotechnology, and said previous work experience was not required for that route. Laboratory experience from study could be helpful. That programme remains lab-related, so it should not be treated as the main non-laboratory option.

Its regulatory and wider early-career discussions described different eligibility conditions across programmes. Speakers also noted that some programmes were designed for first career starts, while the Translational Medicine Academy included routes for different backgrounds and career stages.

CSL’s July 2026 speaker discussed master’s graduates using internships to explore industry. The session also recognised laboratory experience from university or a PhD as relevant evidence for some research roles.

If you have a PhD and want to move beyond academic research, see career options after a PhD. Then check the specific opportunity: a programme designed for someone completing a first degree may not be the right route for a postdoctoral researcher.

How do general internships differ from pharmacist internships?

This is one of the most important eligibility distinctions in the Teva recordings. Broad student internships and a pharmacist’s practical training route were discussed separately.

Teva’s May and September broad internship sessions described enrolled students and opportunities across bachelor’s and master’s study. The May session explained that ordinary internships required student enrolment and generally involved a substantial period with the team.

The April 2026 pharmacist-specific session stated a pharmacy qualification requirement linked to the second state examination for the route discussed. It also explained that the pharmacy background was the basis for those specialist placements.

Do not apply the enrolment rule for a general student internship automatically to a pharmacist placement, or assume a general science degree satisfies the pharmacist route. Read the listing and clarify the route with the employer where needed.

More broadly, Novartis and CSL discussed internships and programmes for different academic stages. The word internship alone does not tell you whether the opportunity is for a current student, recent graduate or a particular professional training pathway.

What should you show in a pharma application?

Show your fit with the function, not only interest in healthcare. Novartis’s regulatory speakers wanted informed motivation and interpersonal skills; CSL emphasised clear presentation of relevant experience and the ability to discuss it.

In July 2026, CSL’s speaker relayed recruiter advice for research applicants: keep the CV concise and include relevant laboratory experience gained during study or a PhD. That was research-specific guidance, but it illustrates why your academic experience should be described clearly rather than omitted because it was not a conventional job.

For non-laboratory roles, choose the relevant aspects: analysing evidence, organising work, presenting information, coordinating people or learning a specialised subject. Teva’s pharmacist speakers also encouraged applicants to highlight experience connected to the particular area.

Our synthesis is to prepare two examples: one showing relevant subject or analytical knowledge, and one showing how you worked responsibly with other people. Explain the task, your contribution and what you learned. Our guide to what recruiters look for in graduates develops that approach.

Can an internship lead to a permanent pharma role?

It can, but the recordings did not support a guarantee. Teva’s sessions included former interns returning or continuing through student work and thesis projects. Speakers also said permanent opportunities depended on demand and available positions.

Novartis’s December 2025 discussion similarly made continuing employment conditional on mutual interest and the business situation. CSL’s employee story included entering through a fixed-term opportunity rather than a single standard graduate pathway.

Assess the internship’s learning value and fit as well as possible next steps. Ask which work you will do, who supports you and what routes former participants have taken, while recognising that your own outcome may differ.

Frequently asked questions about pharma careers

Can I work in pharma without working in a laboratory?

Yes. The recordings described regulatory, clinical operational, safety, medical, quality and corporate functions. Check the specific tasks, since broad departments can also contain laboratory roles.

Can business students apply to pharmaceutical companies?

Teva described internships in HR, finance, controlling and data analytics. Those examples show possible functions, rather than current vacancies or universal eligibility.

Do regulatory graduate applicants need previous regulatory work experience?

Novartis’s April 2026 speakers said prior working regulatory knowledge was not required for the training route discussed. They expected applicants to understand the field and explain their motivation.

Do I need a PhD to start in pharma?

Not for every route. The recordings included programmes and internships with different requirements, including master’s-level routes. Check the qualification and career-stage conditions of the actual listing.

Does a general science degree qualify me for a pharmacist internship?

Do not assume so. Teva’s pharmacist-specific route had pharmacy and examination requirements distinct from its broad student internships. Confirm the exact pathway with the employer.

Want to compare the functions directly? Explore CareerFairy Live Streams and ask employees what they do with scientific information, who they work with and how they entered their first pharma role.