Your Roadmap to R&D Jobs in Life Sciences Innovation Companies

R&D / Application Scientist: What To Expect

You will discover the scope and responsibilities of R&D and Application Scientists in industry. These roles are central to product innovation in Life Sciences companies and therefore differ quite substantially from academic research. Understanding these roles and how they fit into the company’s product development ecosystem will help you decode job descriptions and grasp what employers truly value, so you can tailor your application accordingly and stand out.

A Day In A Life Of An R&D / Application Scientist

You’ll get clear examples of both routine tasks and occasional responsibilities typical for this role, giving you a realistic view of what the job involves. Based on these insights, you’ll be able to gauge your genuine interest and prepare to address skill gaps effectively. Your level of interest is a crucial first step toward building a fulfilling, successful career. And if you spot skill gaps, you don’t need to worry as the next chapter will guide you step-by-step how to bridge them.

Make Your Application Stand Out / Skillsets & Competencies

This is the most valuable part of the guide: a goldmine of industry-relevant skills that hiring managers look for but rarely spell out, but you’ll get to see as if you’re already on the inside. These critical skills are collected based on the author’s 10 years experience working and hiring into these roles. You don’t need to master them all, but showing familiarity will instantly set you apart as someone who "gets it."
This section gives you targeted prompts to reflect on your lab work, side projects, or teamwork experiences and translate them into business-savvy language. The result? A CV that doesn’t read like an academic boilerplate, but one that speaks the language of impact, value, and ROI (return on investment) - exactly what companies are looking for when deciding who to interview.