Hire in pharma and life sciences
Italy is a major pharmaceutical producer in Europe and runs a large number of clinical trials. US biotech and medtech companies hire here for clinical operations, regulatory work and medical affairs, often a year or two before they set up a local company.
Usual CCNL
Chemical-Pharmaceutical (Chimico-farmaceutico) for most roles. Commerce and services for commercial roles in distribution companies.
Typical roles
Clinical research associates, clinical trial managers, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, medical science liaisons, market access, medical sales reps.
Where they are
Milan and Lombardy, Rome and Lazio (including the Latina area), Tuscany (Siena, Florence), Naples. Many CRAs work from home and travel to sites.
Salary bands
| Role | Gross annual salary |
|---|---|
| Clinical research associate | [€ range to verify] |
| Regulatory affairs specialist | [€ range to verify] |
| Medical science liaison | [€ range to verify] |
What to know
- Roles with regulatory duties. Positions such as the pharmacovigilance contact or the scientific information manager may need to be registered with the Italian medicines agency (AIFA). [confirm which roles require a local entity or registration]
- Medical reps. Scientific information to doctors follows specific Italian rules on qualifications and reporting. Hire people who already meet them.
- Car and territory. Field roles cover a defined territory with a company car. We manage car, fuel and expenses.
- Confidentiality. Contracts include clauses on trial data, patient data and inventions, aligned with GDPR.
- CCNL benefits. The Chemical-Pharmaceutical CCNL includes a supplementary pension fund and health fund with employer contributions.
- Moving to your own entity. When you register products or open a local office, we transfer staff to your company without breaking continuity.
Cost example
A home-based CRA on [€ gross]: salary, contributions, 13th month, TFR, sector funds, travel expenses on actuals, plus €250 per month. If the CRA comes from outside the EU, add €2,500 for the visa case.