Market access careers in the Asia-Pacific region: it’s a great time to join our team 

Policy, Access, Value, and Evidence in the Asia-Pacific region is now high on the agenda for major pharmaceutical companies. So much so, PRMA Consulting’s Asia-Pacific (APAC) market access team is expanding. The team has many successful partnerships with leading biopharma manufacturers and key opinion leaders in the region, and is always keen to hear from candidates looking to join its community of experts who think big as well as deep.

In this careers update, two members of the APAC team, Carol Kao, Senior Consultant, and Vesshnu Sutharsan, Senior Analyst, share their thoughts on what a role at the company looks like and why anyone looking to pursue a career in market access consultancy should consider applying to PRMA Consulting, part of Fishawack Health. 

For those starting out in their careers in a strategic market access consultancy – what does the first year in the team look like? 

Vesshnu: In your first year, you will be performing a lot of research about new drugs and treatments and then collating that information into a presentation for our clients, who are typically the market access or cross-functional teams within biopharma companies. 

You are likely to be working on a number of projects at a time, and by supporting a variety of tasks, you’ll be able to learn quickly. The aim is to first shape your technical skills, and then your project management and client engagement skills. With time, you will have the opportunity to start managing larger projects and business development initiatives. 

With the nature of our work, we often collaborate across teams throughout our international hubs and our core disciplines (Medical; Marketing; Policy, Access, Value, and Evidence; and Consulting). You can work from home or in the office as virtual and hybrid working are an essential part of our daily lives at PRMA Consulting and within the wider Fishawack Health organization. 

Carol: As a rapidly growing team, there are opportunities for everybody, including junior members, to take ownership in both client work and internal initiatives. With coaching and support, junior members can have exposure to work that will help them develop their experience and progress their career in market access. 

I’d encourage anyone interested in a career in market access to look at the role descriptions on our vacancies page.

What does career development look like within the Asia-Pacific market access team and wider organization?

Vesshnu: We have a dedicated Career Experience Team whose mission is to provide every colleague – from new hire to long-standing member – a personalized and purpose-driven career where they feel valued and have opportunities to progress. 

For example, through both formal and informal performance conversations and goal setting, we identify our personal values, career engagers, and work style, and are helped to articulate our needs and aspirations to our managers. We also have online platforms and tools where we can learn from others with different roles and skills across the organization, explore personal skill gaps, and consider what career pathways we might be interested in. 

The organization is invested in helping colleagues progress and flourish, so you will have the support to make the most of the opportunities available. 

This collaborative thinking is at the heart of what we do. If there is a senior member of the team that you’re working with, either here in Singapore or in one of our hubs in the US or Europe, you can reach out and arrange regular catch-ups. We’re all working together to deliver value to our clients; we all imagine a healthier world and are creating the connections to make it happen. 

 
Why is now a great time to join the Asia-Pacific market access team?

Vesshnu: The future of health in the APAC region is fast-paced and complex and demands a different approach to market access. Right now, we’re seeing an increase in APAC-centric projects coming in from clients as the region is becoming of increasing interest to global pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturers. There is also an increasing number of emerging biotechnology firms regionally. 

It’s a great time to join our team if you are looking for exposure to rapidly evolving insight and learning within the Policy, Access, Value, and Evidence sphere.

What are some of the key skills that candidates need for a role within the Asia-Pacific market access team?

Carol: We’re looking for team players with a can-do attitude; people who understand that together we can achieve so much more. 

Candidates need to be able to work well under pressure, and be skilled in time and project management. We understand that many people will be coming straight from university, but if they have worked on any projects that can demonstrate those skills, we want to hear from them. 

Vesshnu: I think one important quality needed for this job, especially for those who are coming into the field fresh, is a willingness to learn. You will need to put in the time and effort to learn and pick up everything that is going on relatively quickly. 

I think this job is perfect for someone who likes to work collaboratively on a variety of things, who wants to challenge themselves and take on tasks. 

What is your favorite thing about working in the Asia-Pacific market access team and the wider Fishawack Health group? 

Vesshnu: I love the people that I work with. They’re all very knowledgeable, motivated, and are very dedicated to the job. We play for the team, and it’s nice to work with colleagues who are all committed to make better health outcomes a reality. 

Carol: In my experience, colleagues in the company are very friendly and supportive and always happy to share their own experiences in order to help you. 

There’s a sense of solidarity in the team and across the organization. We’re all working together to deliver value to our clients; we all imagine a healthier world and are creating the connections to make it happen. 

What makes PRMA Consulting, and Fishawack Health, so special is our diverse, dynamic, and inquisitive global team. Anyone joining our organization will immediately see that we recognize that people are individual and everyone has different needs; and that is integral to our culture and success. Diversity drives innovation and we encourage different approaches and perspectives in our collaborative partnerships. 

Get in touch to find out more about our market access career opportunities within the Asia-Pacific region

An early-career role at PRMA Consulting and Fishawack Health provides an opportunity to gain practical experience in a collaborative environment. It’s the perfect way to develop industry knowledge and gain confidence.

We are always looking for people who will deliver first-class work, so please get in touch to find out more about our career opportunities.