Scientific Recruitment FAQs
Network Scientific Recruitment have spent over 15 years helping scientific employers build their teams and candidates take the next step in their careers. Our team brings first-hand experience of public and private sector laboratories, both at the bench and in commercial roles. Find answers below to common questions about scientific recruitment and how we can support you.
ABOUT NETWORK SCIENTIFIC RECRUITMENT
WHAT DOES A SCIENTIFIC RECRUITMENT AGENCY DO?
As a scientific recruitment agency, we help employers find people with the knowledge and skills their teams need while helping scientific professionals plan and progress their careers. At Network Scientific Recruitment, we start by getting to know the people on both sides of a vacancy.
If you’re hiring, we take time to understand what your new colleague will do day to day, the technical knowledge and practical experience they’ll need, and the personal qualities that will help them thrive in your company and team. We recruit both the people at the bench, doing the science, and those who help bring it to market, from laboratory technicians and research scientists to quality and regulatory professionals, field service engineers, scientific sales specialists, scientific marketers and senior leaders.
If you’re considering your next career move, we’ll ask you what's most important to you in your next position, what you enjoy, what you’d like to learn and where you want your career to take you. Whether you’re looking for your first scientific job, exploring a move into scientific sales or hoping to lead a team, we can help you identify roles that build on your experience, prepare you for interviews and decide whether an opportunity offers the progression you’re looking for.
WHY SHOULD I USE A SPECIALIST SCIENTIFIC RECRUITER?
Specialist scientific recruitment agencies like us understand how the same job title or technique can mean very different things in different workplaces. Our team includes scientists and commercial professionals who have actually worked in industry and it is this experience that really does set us apart. This experience and understanding shapes the questions we ask employers and the opportunities we discuss with candidates.
WHICH SCIENTIFIC INDUSTRIES AND LOCATIONS DO YOU COVER?
Network Scientific Recruitment is based in Harrogate, England. We recruit across the UK and also support appointments in Europe and the US. Our sectors include pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, life sciences, medical devices, laboratory testing and scientific instrumentation.
We work with businesses hiring across technical, commercial and leadership teams.
WHY SHOULD WE CHOOSE NETWORK SCIENTIFIC RECRUITMENT?
Our team knows the scientific industry first-hand. We’ve worked in both public and private sector laboratories and have experience at the bench and in commercial roles. That background helps us quickly understand what you need a new colleague to do, ask candidates about the work they’ve done themselves and recognise who has the skills and motivation to thrive in your team.
Network Scientific Recruitment has been helping scientific businesses hire for over 15 years. Whether you need temporary laboratory cover or a permanent member of your team, we’ll help you define the role, explain why each shortlisted candidate is worth meeting and guide you through interviews, offers and the relevant recruitment checks. You’ll have a consultant who understands your industry and keeps you informed from the first conversation through to start date.
FOR EMPLOYERS HIRING SCIENTIFIC STAFF
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OUR SCIENTIFIC VACANCY?
Start with what you need your new hire to do. A job description is helpful, but often the most revealing question is, “What would you feel comfortable handing over to this person in their first month, first 6 months and first year?” That tells us a lot about the experience they are going to need and helps us manage the candidate's expectations of the position.
We’ll ask about the salary, working arrangements, team and progression opportunities. Good candidates will want to know why the position is open, who they’ll learn from, and what might come next. Understanding those details helps us explain why someone should consider joining you.
In addition, letting us know about the culture of your organisation will ensure we get the right personality profile for the candidate. This is just as important as knowledge and experience as it is this that most often will ensure a successful, long-term appointment.
HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHICH SCIENTIFIC CANDIDATES TO SHORTLIST?
We start by understanding what you need your new employee to do day-to-day. Our team includes educated and industry-experienced scientific professionals who use their first-hand knowledge to help recognise the depth of experience and understanding behind what's actually written in a CV.
We ask candidates to talk us through work they’ve personally carried out, the decisions they’ve made and where they’ve needed support. We also take time to understand what they enjoy and what they want from their next move. When we shortlist someone, we can explain what they’re ready to take on, where they could develop and why they want to join your team.
CAN YOU HELP IF WE’VE STRUGGLED TO FILL A SCIENTIFIC ROLE?
Yes. We’ll start by asking where the search has been getting stuck. If you’ve interviewed several people, tell us who came closest and what was missing. If strong candidates have turned down offers, we’ll want to understand what they were looking for and what ultimately influenced their decision.
Sometimes a conversation with the hiring manager reveals that experience with a particular technique is essential, but experience with the exact instrument model can be taught. That gives us scope to introduce someone you might otherwise have missed. Where salary, package, shifts or travel are causing the issue, we’ll discuss that with you openly so you can decide what flexibility you have.
CAN YOU RECRUIT QUALITY ASSURANCE AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS?
Yes. We recruit quality assurance and regulatory affairs professionals for scientific businesses, including pharmaceutical and medical device companies. We’ll ask about your products, the markets you serve and the decisions the person will be expected to make.
For a regulatory affairs vacancy, maintaining a portfolio of licensed medicines calls for different experience from preparing technical documentation for a new diagnostic device. Even within the same product area, you might need someone to coordinate contributions from colleagues or someone to advise the business on its regulatory approach. We clarify that distinction with you before approaching candidates. Explore regulatory affairs recruitment
CAN YOU FIND SALESPEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND OUR SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTS?
Yes. Alongside our recruitment business, Network Scientific has a team delivering outsourced sales and marketing for scientific companies. That gives us first-hand insight into how scientific products are demonstrated, evaluated and bought, and what that means for the person managing the sale.
If you sell capital equipment, for example, we’ll want to know who runs the demonstration, who makes the technical case and who holds the budget. We can then explore how a candidate has handled those conversations and assess where their experience fits your sales process. Explore scientific sales recruitment
FINDING A JOB IN SCIENCE
CAN YOU HELP ME WORK OUT MY NEXT CAREER MOVE IN SCIENCE?
Yes. You can speak to us even if you haven’t settled on a job title. A good place to start is with the work you’d like to do more often. Perhaps you enjoy investigating unexpected results, training new starters or explaining a technical problem to a customer. Each points towards a different kind of opportunity. We will work with you to help you identify the best next step in your career.
HOW CAN I GET MY FIRST SCIENCE JOB AFTER UNIVERSITY?
Start by showing employers what you’ve already done. Your final-year project, dissertation or industrial placement can provide useful evidence of your practical skills. On your CV, describe the samples you worked with, the techniques you have used and a problem you helped solve. If you learned a technique under supervision, say so. It gives an employer a clear picture of where you could start.
HOW CAN I PROGRESS IF I’M ALREADY EXPERIENCED IN MY SCIENTIFIC FIELD?
Start by defining what progression means to you. A senior scientist might want to lead people, become the technical specialist colleagues turn to, or take responsibility for a project from design through to delivery. Those ambitions can all sit behind the same request for “a step up”, but they call for different opportunities.
We’ll ask what you already own and what you’d like to take on next. Then we can put specific questions to the employer. Would you manage anyone directly? Who decides which methods to develop? How much time would you still spend at the bench? Those answers help you judge whether a move offers the progression you want.
CAN I MOVE FROM THE LABORATORY INTO SCIENTIFIC SALES OR APPLICATIONS SUPPORT?
Yes. Hands-on laboratory experience can be valuable in scientific sales and applications support. If you’ve used an instrument yourself, you already understand some of the practical questions a customer will ask. The best route depends on which parts of working with customers appeal to you.
If you enjoy demonstrating a technique, training users and troubleshooting, an applications role may suit you. If you enjoy opening conversations, developing accounts and taking responsibility for a sales target, scientific sales may be a better fit. We’ll help you explore the differences, including travel, targets and how much hands-on technical work each role involves. View our scientific vacancies
COULD A TEMPORARY LABORATORY JOB HELP MY CAREER?
Yes. A temporary laboratory role can help you gain your first industry experience, return to the bench after a career break or try a different working environment. Its value depends on what you’ll actually get to do during the assignment.
If your aim is to gain experience with a particular analytical technique, tell us. We can ask whether you’ll operate the instrument, prepare the samples or support the team in another way. We’ll also talk through the expected duration, shift pattern and training so you can decide whether the assignment suits your circumstances.
CAN I REGISTER MY CV IF I HAVEN’T SEEN THE RIGHT VACANCY?
Yes. You can register your CV with Network Scientific Recruitment if none of our advertised science jobs are right for you. Tell us where you can realistically work, whether you’re open to temporary, contract or permanent roles, and what would make you consider a move.
A line such as “I’d like to use my microbiology experience in a role where I can also train junior colleagues” tells us something your job title alone can’t. It gives us a better starting point when a relevant opportunity comes up. Register your CV
SPEAK TO OUR SCIENTIFIC RECRUITMENT TEAM
If you’re hiring, tell us about the person you need and what you’d like them to achieve. If you’re thinking about your career, tell us what you enjoy and what you’d like to do next. Either conversation can start with a call to our team on 01423 813520.