by Heidi Riley
BioVectra is a leading Canadian biotechnology company looking to hire 40 people at their locations in Charlottetown and in Windsor, Nova Scotia.
The company is focused on contract manufacturing and product development of active pharmaceutical ingredients, pharmaceutical intermediates, and bioreagents.
BioVectra has operated on PEI for more than 50 years. It was started by former UPEI professor Dr. Regis Duffy in his garage as a way to keep his brightest and best students employed on PEI. Now, the company has over 150,000 square feet of production space in five buildings in Charlottetown and one in Windsor, Nova Scotia.
There are currently about 400 employees on PEI, and about 150 in Nova Scotia. A few Business Development employees work in the US and one in Europe.
Hiring needs
BioVectra is looking to hire a range of positions between its two locations. Below is a list of recent and current employment opportunities with the company:
- Production Technician (NS and PEI)
- Quality Control Chemist (PEI)
- Maintenance Coordinator (PEI)
- Quality Control Chemist (PEI and NS)
- Manufacturing Team Lead (PEI)
- People Development Coordinator (PEI)
- Process Development Senior Scientist, Biologics (PEI)
- Operational Technology Controls Technician (Controls Specialist) (NS)
- Process Steward (NS)
- Automation System Integrator (NS)
- Analytical Chemist, Quality Projects (NS)
- Lab Steward – Quality Control (NS)
The effect of the pandemic on hiring
Lester Wood, Vice President, People and Corporate Culture, says the company’s hiring needs are the result of company growth and attrition.
“For many industries, COVID-19 has dramatically impacted the labour market,” says Lester. “As a result of COVID-19, many people are reassessing their lifestyle and what really matters to them, including where they live. The Canadian labour market is seeing unprecedented turnover due to people wanting a change of lifestyle or career or deciding to go back to school.
“PEI’s labour force is small, and we depend on immigration. The slow-down in immigration due to the pandemic has also affected the number of people available to hire.”
Even the process of recruiting, which traditionally has been “high touch” in-person face-to-face, has changed and is now more reliant on technology. “When speaking to candidates virtually, it is harder to make eye contact, read body language, and get a sense of who you are talking to.”
Lester has also seen unforeseen benefits come from the pandemic. “There has been an influx of people leaving bigger centres for Atlantic Canada. As many people question how and where they want to live during this time of uncertainty, a lot of very interesting and qualified candidates have moved to PEI.
“For example, someone with experience doing scheduling for a media outlet in Vancouver will be using those skills in the context of BioVectra’s production needs. We also recently hired a new Vice President of Supply Chain who is semi-retired and moved back to PEI. We would probably not have had access to these people pre-COVID-19. These candidates will add a lot to the fabric of PEI.
“Probably 40 percent of our workforce was born outside Canada, or their parents were. A few years ago, it was hard to retain people on PEI because there were few members of their culture living on the Island. Now people are able to find a like-minded community and can raise their children in their culture and religion. That really helps with retention.”
Skills needed
“All skillsets and experience levels are needed, and a science background is not necessarily required for some entry-level jobs.
“It is a bit of a myth that the biotech industry is all PhD scientists. We do have a lot of Masters and PhDs, but in reality our entry-level roles, such as Production Technician, do not require a post-secondary education. We do like to see a high school diploma and basic math and literacy skills and the ability to read and follow instructions.”
Growth opportunities
Lester says employees are encouraged to move into different departments throughout the company. “For example, our Vice President of Manufacturing started in an entry-level job as a bench Chemist.”
Employee benefits for full-time positions
- Group insurance plan, including life insurance, dependent life insurance, accidental death & dismemberment, long-term disability, health & dental
- Pension plan
- Continuing education
- Wellness program: a set amount to pay for activity memberships and hobbies
- Corporate golf discount program
- Health spending account to help offset items the health plans don’t cover
Except for pension benefits, employees become eligible for benefits when they are hired.
Recruitment using job fairs
Before the pandemic, BioVectra held a job fair in Charlottetown that attracted about 300 people. Plans to hold another job fair were put on pause because of COVID-19. In mid-September 2021, a job fair was held at the Windsor Nova Scotia location. “About 40 people attended, and they were amazing quality candidates. We will probably hire 20 of them.”
Lester says holding an onsite job fair is a great way to introduce people to BioVectra and find out what the company does. “We let them know that you don’t need to have a PhD in biology or chemistry or bioscience to work for BioVectra.”
A new recruitment plan
“Pre-COVID-19, we started a recruitment and education plan for BioVectra to hire Indigenous people, and now we would like to continue that initiative. I want to reach out to that community and let them know we have training opportunities and we welcome them to join us.”
Training programs
BioVectra is partnering with the Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL), which helps upgrade the skills of existing employees and helps create a pre-trained labour market.
“CASTL has partnered with NIBRT, the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training in Ireland. All our employees who come to work in biologics go through standard training from NIBRT, which is offered through CASTL. We have hired people from the first two cohorts of that program. We also have students spend time with us through on-the-job training as a result of the CASTL program.”
For more about CASTL, visit https://castlcanada.ca/
How to apply The best way to apply is to check the list of open positions at www.biovectra.com/join-our-team and apply for a specific position.
For more information, call 902-566-9116. Applicants can also email a resumé to [email protected]
For a list of open bioscience positions on PEI, visit www.peibioalliance.com