The return-to-office push is gaining steam, and we're seeing location and onsite expectations play a much bigger role in hiring conversations. But that's not the only thing changing as we head into fall. Bonus season is creeping closer. With 3 weeks left of summer, it's time to think about fall hiring strategies and getting people in the door before the end of the year.
T R E N D S
Here's what we're seeing in the biotech hiring landscape right now
M&A Boom
Biotech M&A trackers now count more than 70 acquisitions announced in 2026, making this one of the busiest dealmaking environments we've seen in years. For hiring teams, that should mean a wave of great talent hitting the market. And in many cases, it does. But there's a catch: retention packages. The talent is there. Getting them to move may require a little more creativity around timing, sign-ons, and compensation.
Curium → Lantheus
An ~$8.0 billion buyout of the radiopharmaceutical company positions Curium a notch above Novartis's prostate cancer franchise. The deal is expected to close H1 2027.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals → Actio Biosciences
Up to $1.32 billion for a Phase 1b/2a oral KCNT1 inhibitor in rare pediatric epilepsy, rebuilding Jazz's neuroscience pipeline.
Indivior & Supernus
A "merger of equals" combining two CNS names into a ~$2.2 billion-revenue platform spanning ADHD, epilepsy, Parkinson's, and opioid-use-disorder care.
Trimming their Trials
Large pharma continues to dominate the layoff headlines with Merck, EMD and Sanofi all announcing workforce reductions for the month of August. In addition to the same trends we've seen over the last few months — reprioritizations and M&A consolidations — we're also seeing companies lay off employees who will not comply with the new RTO policies.
👉 Here's the list we thought would be the most helpful:
Ensoma (Boston, MA)
The gene therapy biotech announced another round of layoffs as it narrows its focus around its sole clinical-stage asset.
Aura Biosciences (Boston, MA)
The company laid off 20% of its workforce as it reprioritizes resources around its ocular oncology programs.
EMD Serono (Boston, MA)
The company will part ways with employees who do not comply with its new onsite requirements by the end of September.
Sanofi (Boston, MA)
The company is laying off approximately 230 employees following the completion of its acquisition of Blueprint Medicines.
T R E B L A
A behind-the-scenes look at what Trebla's been up to this month
Trebla's Pick
Are you hiring? We have you covered!
Regulatory Pick · Candidate #3368
Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs- PhD; 25+ years of Regulatory Affairs experience
- Led both Regulatory and Quality Assurance departments
- Experience across immunology, autoimmunity, inflammatory disease, oncology and rare diseases
- Led 11 marketing applications – NDA, BLA and MAA
Clinical Pick · Candidate #12622
Senior Medical Director, Clinical Development- MD, PhD
- 8 years of Clinical Drug Development industry experience
- Currently leading 2 Phase II programs in rare disease
- Bulk of experience in a small biotech setting
- Willing to relocate
Offers for the Month
Recent Compensation Packages
Medical Director, Clinical Development
- Base Salary: $315,000
- Annual Bonus: 20%
- Equity: 10,000 stock option units
- Location: San Francisco, CA
- Company Stage: Public
Medical Director, Clinical Development
- Base Salary: $320,000
- Annual Bonus: 22.5%
- Equity: $250,000 (75% RSUs, 25% stock option units)
- Location: Boston, MA
- Company Stage: Public
Associate Director, Regulatory Affairs
- Base Salary: $220,000
- Annual Bonus: 15%
- Equity: 22,000 stock option units
- Location: San Francisco, CA
- Company Stage: Pre-IPO
Chief Medical Officer
- Base Salary: $535,000
- Annual Bonus: 40%
- Equity: 0.07% company equity
- Location: Boston, MA
- Company Stage: Public
Active Searches
Open Roles
Regulatory Affairs
- Vice President, Regulatory Affairs – Autoimmune (Waltham, MA)
- Executive Director, Regulatory Affairs – Oncology (Boston, MA)
- Senior Director, Regulatory Affairs – Neurology (South San Francisco, CA)
- Associate Director, Regulatory Ad/Promo (Boston, MA)
- Associate Director, Regulatory Affairs – Rare Disease (South San Francisco, CA)
Clinical Operations
- Vice President, Clinical Operations – Dermatology/I&I (Waltham, MA)
Clinical Development
- Executive Medical Director, Clinical Development – HemOnc (San Francisco, CA)
- Senior Medical Director, Clinical Development – Autoimmune (San Francisco, CA)
- Senior Medical Director, Clinical Development – Rare Disease (San Francisco, CA)
Safety & Pharmacovigilance
- Vice President, Safety & PV – Rare Disease (Cambridge, MA)
- Senior Director, Safety & PV – Rare Disease (San Francisco, CA)
Quality Assurance
- Director, Quality Systems (San Francisco, CA)
- Director, Quality Assurance (Boston, MA)
Medical Writing
- Senior Director, Medical Writing – Rare Disease (San Francisco, CA)
T R I B E
Here's what the Trebla team's been doing off the clock
Trebla spent the month of August soaking up the final stretch of summer! Brandon spent some quality time with family cheering on his local MLS team, the Colorado Rapids, as they claimed the Rocky Mountain Cup. Dakota completely unplugged for the first time since starting Trebla, trading emails and LinkedIn for some much-needed fun in the sun across Spain's Balearic Islands.
