June 2026
The Return of Pharma M&A is Reshaping the Talent Market
Insights from Kristiaan Rawlings, Executive Director at EPM Scientific
After a quieter period across pharmaceutical dealmaking in previous years, the market has now shifted dramatically.
Over the past 12 months, biopharma has seen a resurgence in mergers, acquisitions, and licensing activity, and according to Kristiaan Rawlings, Executive Director at EPM Scientific, the impact on hiring is already being felt across the industry.
Speaking on the Real Pharma podcast, Rawlings shared his perspective on how increased deal activity is influencing hiring demand, compensation trends, and the evolving skill sets pharmaceutical companies are prioritizing in 2026.
Pharma M&A is back & hiring is following
The amount of deal flow that's been coming through has been significant.
From multi-billion-dollar acquisitions to strategic licensing agreements, pharmaceutical companies are once again actively pursuing growth through external innovation. According to Kristiaan, oncology has accounted for the largest share of deal activity over the past year, followed closely by metabolic disease, immunology, neurology, and respiratory medicine.
This renewed appetite for acquisitions is being driven by several factors:
- Patent cliff pressures across large pharma
- Increased competition in key therapeutic areas
- A push to accelerate pipeline growth
- The need for differentiated assets in high-value markets
While headlines often focus on the financial side of these deals, Kristiaan emphasized that talent implications are equally important:
Companies aren't just buying assets. They're buying expertise.
Why M&A is creating new hiring opportunities
One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding pharmaceutical acquisitions is that they immediately result in large-scale layoffs.
In reality, Kristiaan says many organizations are actively retaining talent following acquisitions, particularly in specialized therapeutic areas such as nephrology and particularly respiratory disease:
People assume acquisitions automatically lead to slash-and-burn restructuring. That’s not what I’m seeing in the market.
Instead, companies are frequently offering substantial retention packages to keep key commercial talent in place during integration periods. The maxim for what companies will do here is: was the acquisition for a commercial/phase 3 onwards or development asset? If its commercial and a highly competitive market retention is high.
At the same time, acquisitions often create entirely new hiring needs as organizations scale teams, integrate functions, and prepare for future launches.
Historically, large acquisitions have consistently generated downstream hiring activity, and Kristiaan believes that trend is continuing in today’s market.
Market access emerges as a major growth area
Beyond M&A itself, Kristiaan identified market access as one of the fastest-growing hiring areas in biopharma today.
After a slower hiring period over the last two years, organizations are aggressively investing in market access strategy talent, particularly at the Director and Senior Director level.
As pricing pressure, competitive launches, and policy uncertainty continue to evolve, companies are prioritizing professionals who can navigate complex reimbursement landscapes and drive strategic access planning.
The result is a sharp increase in demand and compensation.
Compensation levels continue to rise
According to Kristiaan, salaries across commercial and market access functions have risen significantly over the past 12 months.
Examples include:
- Marketing Director salaries increasing from approximately $235K–$255K to $255K–$295K
- Commercial Operations compensation rising roughly 10% year-over-year
- VP-level commercial salaries reaching as high as $395K base compensation in select cases
Companies understand they're operating in a competitive market. They're willing to negotiate aggressively to secure top talent.
Sign-on bonuses and retention incentives have also become increasingly common, particularly for candidates involved in high-priority launches or acquisition integrations.
The new competitive advantage: Communication & executive presence
While technical expertise remains critical, Kristiaan believes one factor is increasingly separating top candidates from the rest of the market: communication.
The ability to communicate effectively to senior stakeholders is what’s making or breaking interview processes right now.
As organizations become more data-driven and cross-functional, professionals who can synthesize information, present strategic recommendations, and influence executive decision-making are outperforming purely technical candidates.
Interestingly, Kristiaan noted that professionals from management consulting backgrounds are often excelling in final-stage interviews because of their ability to present clearly, structure strategic thinking, and communicate with confidence.
AI is changing recruitment but not replacing relationships
Artificial intelligence is also reshaping recruitment itself.
At EPM Scientific, AI tools are helping recruiters improve candidate preparation, personalize feedback, and identify talent beyond traditional sourcing channels.
Kristiaan sees AI as a force multiplier, enabling stronger preparation, more efficient processes, and better candidate experiences.
However, he also warned against over-reliance on AI during interviews:
Candidates still need to trust their own experience and communicate authentically, and presentation skills and executive presence matter more than ever.
A more optimistic outlook for biopharma hiring
Despite ongoing conversations around restructuring, AI disruption, and economic uncertainty, Kristiaan remains optimistic about the overall health of the pharmaceutical talent market.
Across Boston and other major biotech hubs, he continues to see strong hiring activity among both mid-sized biotech companies and larger pharmaceutical organizations.
Companies are resilient. They still need to develop new drugs, launch products, and build teams.
For candidates with specialized expertise, strategic communication skills, and strong professional networks, the current market may represent one of the strongest windows of opportunity since the post-pandemic hiring boom.
And as pharmaceutical M&A continues accelerating, the competition for experienced talent is only expected to intensify further.
At EPM Scientific, we partner with organizations and professionals across the life sciences industry to navigate these market shifts, identify top talent, and build teams positioned for long-term success.
Whether you’re exploring your next opportunity or looking to strengthen your organization’s commercial capabilities, our team is here to help.
Connect with EPM Scientific to learn more about the latest hiring trends shaping biopharma in 2026.