As the year winds down and the festive lights illuminate the high street, many of us turn our thoughts to quiet reflection and winter planning. For professionals in the pharmaceutical and medtech sectors, this seasonal slowdown presents a prime moment to secure a truly rewarding career position for the years ahead.
The UK life sciences industries are navigating a significant period of change. The continued roll-out of the NHS 10-year ‘fit for the future’ strategy, the introduction of the new Medium-Term Planning Framework (MTPF), and the ongoing commercial pressures relating to the Voluntary Scheme on branded medicines (VPAG). Familiar operational models are evolving as companies review investment priorities, recalibrate pricing strategies, and fundamentally shift how they partner with health systems.
For the uninitiated, this period may feel uncertain. However, for the savvy, well-informed candidate, whether you are a recent graduate establishing your footing or an experienced senior executive seeking your next pivotal move, times of adaptation generate significant opportunity. When industry structures are in flux, there is scope for taking the next big step in your career. The organisations that adapt quickly are often the ones hiring professionals who can help them meet the new climate. Securing your 2026 career goals starts now, to make sure you unwrap the opportunities change can deliver.
Success rarely happens by accident; you need a detailed plan. So, before you review the market, establish what you want from your career. Identify where you aim to be in 2026: Are you looking for a vertical promotion, a move into a specialised field, or a lateral shift into a new therapy area? Spell out the job title you are aiming for, and list up to ten companies you admire, specifically those actively investing in new pipelines or technologies. As you formulate this plan, consider engaging with specialist recruitment experts, like CHASE, now. They can help you create your career plan and offer additional insight, providing recommendations for employers you may not have considered. Defining a successful outcome for 2026 will give you a clear metric to measure the career decisions you make today against.
The NHS MTPF signposts exactly where resources and focus will be directed over the next three years. For industry professionals, this is essential reading. The NHS is focused on three strategic shifts: moving care from hospitals into community and neighbourhood settings, accelerating prevention programmes, and enforcing a 'digital-by-default' ecosystem.
Opportunities for medtech technologies and new medications will emerge where companies can effectively support Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in meeting these priorities. Field Teams should shift their focus from product-centric details to becoming strategic partners who help drive system improvements and align solutions with ICB financial and patient pathway objectives. Market Access professionals should monitor not just national guidance, but local population health needs. Marketing professionals should design brand plans that move beyond product features, focusing instead on demonstrating the solution’s contribution to achieving system-wide outcomes and addressing specific local health inequalities.
Digital integration is now standard practice, and the ability to work across traditional silos is key. You should look to deepen your digital literacy. This involves fluency with data analytics, understanding how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is leveraged in diagnostics and evidence generation, and comfort with digital engagement platforms.
Candidates who can bridge the gap between scientific expertise and data science, and who can communicate effectively across Medical, Market Access, and Commercial teams, will be sought after. Market Access professionals often need to translate Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) data into compelling narratives for a non-expert audience. Marketing professionals should aim to become expert in omnichannel engagement, ensuring messaging is tailored for digital platforms and targets a wider stakeholder base, moving beyond the traditional clinician.
The pricing and access environment, exacerbated by high VPAG rebate rates and the mandated 2% NHS productivity gain, means that industry success depends on products and services delivering clear financial value. Your value proposition as a candidate should clearly reflect this.
Field Teams (Sales/Key Account Management) should focus on mastering value-based selling. Your key performance indicator is no longer volume alone, but the ability to demonstrate how your product or service contributes to system efficiency, patient outcomes, or reduced system costs. Market Access expertise often extends to designing complex, outcomes-based contracts that reflect shared risk and measurable financial impact. All professionals should be able to articulate how they have previously streamlined patient pathways or secured faster uptake of high-value solutions. Efficiency is now a defining factor for market access.
Review your defined career goals and emerging market needs, then identify any gaps in your skill set. If your five-year plan involves moving into a complex regulatory field like Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) or MedTech (post-UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA)/Medical Device Regulation (MDR) changes), but you lack formal experience, you should put a plan in place to fix this. Targeted micro-credentials, specific Good Practice (GxP) or Quality Assurance (QA)/Regulatory Affairs (RA) training or undertaking a complex internal project that compels you to manage regulatory documentation are effective ways to close these gaps. By being proactive, you turn potential weaknesses into strengths before the market demands them.
Finally, ensure your Curriculum Vitae (CV) and professional presentation reflect your future orientation. Stop listing past tasks and start highlighting quantifiable impact. When documenting achievements, emphasise agility, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to operate in complex, changing environments. For Sales/Key Account Management (KAM) professionals, this means showcasing success in managing multi-stakeholder ICS accounts, not just territory sales. For Market Access, it means emphasising success in generating and utilising local HEOR data. Your professional narrative should position you not simply as a competent operator but as a strategic asset ready to help a company navigate and succeed in the emerging 2026 climate.
The holiday season is a natural pause point, offering the perfect opportunity to reflect and plan your next big career move. The shifts within the UK pharmaceutical and medtech sectors are creating vacancies for ambitious, forward-thinking professionals who understand that future success is built on system efficiency, data fluency, and cross-functional partnership. By applying structured planning, deepening your strategic market knowledge, and proactively addressing your skills gaps now, you will step into the new year prepared to seize the opportunities 2026 will undoubtedly deliver.
For more career advice and guidance on how to reach your career goals, register your CV and speak to CHASE’s friendly, expert Recruitment Team today.
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