Medical devices and biotechnology are two of the most rapidly expanding sectors, driven by the demand for innovative healthcare solutions, technology advancements, an aging global population, and increased healthcare spending.
According to a recent report by Grand View Research, the global biotechnology market is expected to reach USD 727.1 billion by 2025, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 7.4%. Similarly, the medical devices market is projected to grow from USD 542 billion in 2024 to 886 billion by 2032. But to capitalize on this rapid industry growth, companies need to look beyond borders and scale their teams to win new markets. However, hiring globally brings many compliance challenges.
Global hiring compliance is never easy for companies to tackle alone and can be especially tricky for the biotech and medical device fields. These industries must navigate strict operational regulations and quality control standards that vary by region. But with the help of an Employer of Record (EOR), companies can ease the legal and administrative burden of global employment, including contract generation, onboarding, payroll, benefits, reporting, and more.
While there are general aspects of hiring compliance that apply to every industry, let’s explore the unique hiring and compliance hurdles the medical device and biotechnology industries face, and how an EOR can help unlock global business success.
Top hiring hubs for regulatory compliance roles
The rigorous regulatory landscape of both the biotech and medical device industries ensures that products like pharmaceuticals, GMOs, and diagnostic tools meet the highest safety and quality standards. However, these requirements and standards often differ by region.
For instance, the FDA oversees medical devices in the U.S., while CE Marking is required in the EU. To maintain their competitive edge, medical device manufacturers and biotech brands need to hire from top and emerging global talent hubs to gain regional insights into regulatory compliance, quality assurance (QA), and quality control (QC) in target markets.
Let’s review the key areas of compliance specific to both biotechnology and medical device industries, and some of the world’s top hiring hubs for roles in each area:
Intellectual property rights and data protection
Protecting intellectual property (IP) and handling sensitive data is crucial for biotech and medical device companies. Compliance with international IP laws and data protection regulations, such as GDPR in Europe, is essential. This means hiring global employees with expertise in IP management and data security is a must.
Top IP hiring hubs include:
- North America: Boston, New Jersey, and New York, U.S.
- Europe: Munich, Germany
- Asia-Pacific (APAC): Tokyo, Japan
Top roles recruited in these regions include intellectual property managers, patent agents and attorneys, patent examiners, and IP strategists.
Quality assurance and control
Maintaining high standards of quality is vital in these industries. Compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and ISO standards requires hiring specialized personnel for quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) roles. These professionals ensure that products meet regulatory requirements and industry standards.
Top global QA and QC hiring hubs include:
- North America: Minnesota, U.S.
- Europe: Zurich, Switzerland
- LATAM: Campinas, Brazil
Top roles recruited in these regions include quality assurance manager, quality control analyst, GMP compliance specialist, and GMP auditor.
Health and safety regulation
Ensuring workplace safety is key in both the medical device and biotech sectors. Companies must comply with local health and safety regulations, which are significantly different between regions and countries. This involves hiring experts who can implement and monitor safety protocols in lab and manufacturing environments.
Top health and safety hiring hubs include:
- North America: San Diego, U.S.
- Europe: London, UK
- Asia-Pacific (APAC): Hyderabad, India
Top roles recruited in these regions include health and safety officer, compliance manager, occupational health specialist, and health and safety manager.
Clinical trials regulation
In the U.S., biotech companies must conduct clinical trials under strict FDA guidelines to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of their products. The Clinical Trials Regulation (CTR) streamlines the assessment and supervision processes for clinical trials across the EU.
Top hiring hubs for clinical trials and regulation:
- North America: Boston, U.S.
- LATAM: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Asia-Pacific: Mumbai, India
Top roles recruited in these regions include clinical operations manager, clinical data manager, clinical research associate, clinical trial manager, and regulatory affairs specialist.
National biosafety frameworks
Each country has its own biosafety regulations to control and monitor the use of GMOs and other biotech products.
Top biosafety hiring hubs include:
- North America: Toronto, Canada
- Europe: Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Asia-Pacific: Seoul, South Korea
Top roles recruited in these regions include laboratory safety officer, biohazard specialist, containment facility coordinator, and biosafety manager.
EPA and REACH regulation
In the U.S., The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates biotech products that may have environmental impacts, such as pesticide production. In the EU, biotech companies must comply with REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals)
Top EPA and REACH hiring hubs include:
- North America: San Francisco, U.S.
- Europe: Brussels, Belgium
- Asia-Pacific: New Delhi, India
Top roles recruited in these regions include compliance officer, REACH coordinator, environmental risk assessor, EPA consultant, and regulatory affairs manager.
These hubs provide an overview of the global talent pool available for medical device and biotechnology companies. Hiring professionals from these regions can help companies like yours meet specific needs in intellectual property, quality assurance, health and safety, clinical trials, biosafety, and environmental regulations.
EOR in action: How G-P helps biotech companies enter new markets compliantly
Many companies in these industries have successfully used EOR solutions to enter new markets and grow their global workforce compliantly. One example is Cogstate, who partnered with G-P to streamline global hiring operations in record time. Let’s take a closer look at their expansion journey.
Cogstate unlocks global success with G-P.
Cogstate, a company offering quality assurance services for clinical trials, has supported the research needs of pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions around the world for 20 years. When the Australian-based company needed to hire talent in a new country, it recognized the importance of partnering with an EOR.
“Employment laws can be challenging to navigate in countries where you lack familiarity. With G-P’s support, we confidently ensure compliance. This helps us engage with the best candidates for the job even in new geographical areas,” said Jessica Teunissen, Manager, People & Culture at Cogstate.
With G-P’s support, Cogstate’s leadership team has the expertise they need to ensure the company is adhering to local regulations. Our health and safety program has experts in the field to assist with hiring professionals for niche roles in clinical trial management, compliance officers and biosafety management. With our expert guidance and comprehensive compliance management, Cogstate and other biotech and medical device companies can reduce key uncertainties and risks associated with operating internationally.
Employment laws can be challenging to navigate in countries where you lack familiarity. With G-P's support, we confidently ensure compliance. This helps us engage with the best candidates for the job even in new geographical areas.
Jessica Teunissen
Manager, People & Culture at Cogstate
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