The pharmaceutical sector in 2026
The global pharmaceutical industry is one of the most R&D-intensive and regulated sectors in the world. The UK sector is anchored by major companies (AstraZeneca, GSK, Pfizer UK operations, Novartis UK, Johnson and Johnson, Eli Lilly) and a growing biotech and med-tech cluster, particularly around the Oxford-Cambridge Arc and the London life sciences corridor. The sector spans drug discovery, pre-clinical and clinical development, regulatory affairs, manufacturing (active pharmaceutical ingredient, API, and finished dose), commercial (sales, marketing, market access), and post-market pharmacovigilance. Each function has a distinct interview profile but shares a common culture of scientific rigour, regulatory compliance, and long development cycles.
Technical questions by function
Regulatory affairs: "What is the difference between a Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) in the UK and the EU post-Brexit?" Post-Brexit, the UK (via MHRA) and EU (via EMA) have separate approval pathways. The MHRA introduced Project Orbis collaboration with the FDA for global simultaneous submissions, and the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP) for accelerated access. The EMA centralised procedure remains the pathway for most EU approvals. Candidates for regulatory roles must know both systems and their practical implications for a company with both UK and EU commercial ambitions. Clinical operations: "What is GCP (Good Clinical Practice) and what are its key principles?" GCP is the international quality standard for clinical trials that ensures data integrity and the protection of trial participants. Key principles: independent ethics committee approval, informed consent, risk-benefit assessment, qualified investigators, protocol adherence, and audit trail. Knowledge of ICH GCP E6(R2) is expected for any clinical operations role.
Manufacturing and quality questions
"What is GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) and what does it require?" GMP is the regulatory framework for pharmaceutical manufacturing: it ensures products are consistently produced to the quality standards appropriate for their intended use. Key requirements: defined processes and procedures, qualified personnel, validated equipment and processes, controlled starting materials, traceability and documentation, environmental controls, and complaint and deviation management. MHRA inspects GMP compliance and can withdraw manufacturing licences for significant failures. For pharmaceutical manufacturing and quality roles: knowledge of MHRA and FDA GMP guidelines, experience with quality systems (deviation management, CAPA, change control, OOS investigations) and familiarity with current GMP expectations (data integrity requirements are a particular current regulatory focus) are assessed directly.
Behavioral questions
"Tell me about a time you identified a quality or compliance issue and how you handled it." In pharma, compliance is not optional. Strong answer: how you identified the issue (routine monitoring, peer review, audit finding), how you escalated it through the appropriate channel (quality management system, line manager, qualified person), how you documented it, and what was done to prevent recurrence. Show you were proactive and followed process, not reactive and informal. "Describe a project where you had to work across multiple functions and time zones." Global pharmaceutical development is cross-functional by definition: drug development requires science, clinical, regulatory, manufacturing, commercial, and medical affairs to coordinate across multiple countries. Show you can navigate this complexity effectively.