Natural Sciences Manager
Who Is A Natural Sciences Manager?
Natural Sciences Managers are essentially scientists who have matured into leadership positions and are engaged in managing scientific research projects. As a natural sciences manager, you would be expected to develop business through client communication, set project goals, supervise the research, and ensure adequate staffing, quality and compliance, apart from overseeing day to day administration.
Natural science managers are the ones who, for example, lead missions to the Arctic Tundra to understand the ecology of the area. While doing so they would generally lead a team full of marine biologists, botanists, geologists etc.
Roles & Responsibilities
Supervising scientific research. For example, if a team of scientists is working together towards a goal to come up with a new remedy for dengue, the natural sciences manager is the person ensuring that the effort of the team is driven towards the goal.
Developing goals and strategies with clients and top executives. The natural sciences manager typically sits with his key stakeholders to understand their expectations and agree on the overall direction of research.
Presenting the output to the clients and top management. As and when the research and development team makes progress in their work, the natural sciences manager will appraise the client and top management on the progress and also present the final product/finding once the research is complete.
Checking the finances, supplies and requirements of the project. The natural sciences manager will have to regularly check that the project has the required budget available and that work is not stalled due lack of funds, materials, manpower etc.
Pursuing individual research projects. If the manager has bandwidth and interests in a relevant field of research, he or she can simultaneously pursue projects at an individual level, typically in their line of interest and specialization.
Recruiting personnel for the research/project team. As per the requirement of the team, the natural science manager hires physicists, biologists, chemists etc. and ensures their training and orientation.
Take the Mentoria career assessment test, to find out how well-suited you are as a Natural Sciences Manager.
What Skills Will I Need To Have To Do This Job Well?
As exciting as this sounds, there are some things you’ll need to learn to do the job right:
ANALYTICAL SKILLS
Natural sciences managers need to review the work done by the team and suggest action and direction based on the analysis. If a team member brings up a certain research finding, the manager should be able to use their own judgment and advise the team member on the best the way forward.
TEAM MANAGEMENT
Natural sciences managers should be able to keep their team motivated, appraised and focussed towards the goals of the project. They should be able to gauge the enthusiasm level of their subordinates and spot the need for encouragement and advice whenever required.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
This job asks for strong communication skills. A natural sciences manager has to develop and maintain strong business relationship with his own team, the senior leadership as well as clients. He may be required to present business proposals to prospective clients showcasing the talents and capabilities of his team to them, thus convincing them about doing business with the firm.
PLANNING SKILLS
A natural sciences manager is expected to play a key role in planning the overall direction of the research, development, or production activities. For example, he will thrash out the macro level scientific or technical goals in coordination with the top management and proceed to make the detailed plans required to accomplish these goals.
DEVELOPMENTAL SKILLS
The natural sciences manager will have to develop processes, procedures, and policies for any scientific or technical work to be performed. For example, while stabilizing a new project, the natural sciences manager would develop operating strategies, plans, and procedures to be adhered to during the life cycle of the project to ensure compliance and quality control.
RECRUITMENT AND TEAM BUILDING
The natural sciences manager is entrusted with the role of hiring the right person for the right role so that a strong and efficient team is built around his project. Being involved in the goals setting phase as well as planning phase, the natural sciences manager would be expected to have a clear vision of the team required and is therefore closely involved in the hiring phase.
HANDLE LEGAL AND STATUTORY MATTERS
Such a manager should be able to guide the team as well senior management in various legal or statutory requirements that become applicable to the project. It may be related to obtaining patents for a new finding or compliance with certain regulatory matters.
What Will My Workplace Look Like?
Although most natural sciences managers are predominantly from a scientific or technical research background, most of the time they work in offices. Like any other managers, natural sciences managers need to spend a significant time doing the desk job and in communications with subordinates, senior management, and clients. They also may spend time in laboratories; however, that would depend on the size of their team. Managers with larger research group tend to spend their time primarily in an administrative role and devote little time to research themselves. The extent of traveling primarily depends on the nature of the research.
What is my Career Scope?
Natural sciences managers generally don’t start their career as a natural sciences manager. They come from various scientific or technical backgrounds depending on their educational qualification and mature into managerial roles. So this position lies somewhere between a researcher and the senior management in a research firm. A natural sciences manager works as a scientist for several years and along the way develops and demonstrates the skills required for upscaling to the role of a natural sciences manager. Working as a biologist, chemist, physicist etc. can help prepare a person for a career progression as a natural sciences manager.
Years of experience in this role can groom a person into becoming a part of the top leadership in research firms. Natural sciences managers with business acumen can also aspire to become successful R&D entrepreneurs.
Thinking of a career as a Natural Sciences Manager? Take the Mentoria assessment & talk to our career counsellors to get personalized step-by-step guidance for your future career path.
What Is My Scope For Career Growth As A Natural Sciences Manager?
Natural sciences managers generally don’t start their career as a natural sciences manager. They come from various scientific or technical backgrounds depending on their educational qualification and mature into managerial roles. So this position lies somewhere between a researcher and the senior management in a research firm. A natural sciences manager works as a scientist for several years and along the way develops and demonstrates the skills required for upscaling to the role of a natural sciences manager. Working as a biologist, chemist, physicist etc. can help prepare a person for a career progression as a natural sciences manager.
Years of experience in this role can groom a person into becoming a part of the top leadership in research firms. Natural sciences managers with business acumen can also aspire to become successful R&D entrepreneurs.
Thinking of a career as a Natural Sciences Manager? Take the Mentoria assessment test & talk to our career counsellors to get personalized step-by-step guidance for your future career path.
Okay, I'm sold. This is amazing
STEP 1: Class XI-XII/Junior College
Natural sciences managers would start with a scientific discipline in junior college. This would involve chemistry, biology, and physics and may also include mathematics.
STEP 2: Graduate Degree
For the graduate degree, in addition to the generally prevalent choices of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, possible undergraduate majors might include specialized fields like biochemistry, molecular biology, zoology, pharmacology, geology, neuroscience, ecology, genetics, anatomy, physiology etc. Some programs allow students to specialize in an area such as the health sciences, forensic science, or environmental science.
STEP 3: Internship
To get hands-on experience of scientific research students may participate in an internship program. This experience influences prospective employers while searching for a job after graduation.
STEP 4: Land a job
Natural sciences managers need to be specialists in the scientific work that they intend to supervise, so they generally work for several years as a scientist before moving into a management position. In other words, most natural sciences managers start off in entry-level scientist positions in the beginning of their career. Working as a biologist, chemist, physicist, or geologist can help prepare a person for a career as a natural sciences manager.
Congratulations, you are now officially a Natural Sciences Manager!
STEP 5: Consider Earning a Master’s Degree/PhD
A master’s or Ph.D. degree in a natural science discipline is almost a prerequisite for career advancement in research management positions. Master’s degree courses in natural sciences would involve completing a thesis research project and/or an internship in addition to classes. Ph.D. would, however, require that students write a thesis on their selected specialization as a core activity of the program. Apart from the scholastic pursuits, given the number of administrative duties these managers perform, a Master of Business Administration degree program is also recommended for aspiring managers.
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