2025 was… a lot. Especially for anyone in UK regulatory affairs. Big pharma was reorganising left, right and centre, and London definitely felt the squeeze. RA roles in the capital dropped by almost a third, largely because global cost cutting hit UK HQs first.
But here’s the bit people often miss; this wasn’t about companies losing interest in regulatory talent. It was just a big sector reset. Outside London, things held up much better, vacancies were down only 7.7%, and places like Yorkshire and the Humber actually grew their share of the market. The UK life sciences footprint is slowly spreading beyond the usual Golden Triangle bubble, which is no bad thing. The good news?
The recovery has already started. In the first two months of 2026, UK regulatory affairs vacancies were up 6.9% compared to the same time last year. Companies can’t keep delaying hires now that three major regulatory frameworks are finally locked in with real timelines. The MHRA backlog is easing, the new clinical trials framework arrives in April, and crucially big players like J&J, Moderna and BMS have committed fresh investment into the UK. That’s a very real signal that they’re planning to build here, not pull back. And when you zoom in at company level, the story gets even more interesting. J&J doubled their RA hiring last year.
AbbVie tripled theirs. Meanwhile, GSK and Novartis slowed right down, but both have strong pipelines heading into 2026… which means they can’t put off hiring for long. So, if you work in regulatory affairs, the market is shifting from “hold steady” mode back into genuine growth. The people who position themselves now before the next wave of framework driven hiring kicks off are going to be in the best seat. We’re already seeing it in our own live roles, and this report shows exactly where those new opportunities are starting to pop up.
For the full report Click Here