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Which PhD did you do?

I completed my PhD at Grenoble-Alpes University in polymer science on the following topic: “Biomimetic lipidic vesicles coated with a cellulose/xyloglucan multilayered assembly: elaboration and mechanical characterization”.

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What did you want to do after your PhD? What was your dream job?

When I decided to start a PhD, I already knew in the first place that I would not target academic positions. At that time, I wanted to become a scientific journalist.

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How did you transition from Academia to the private sector? How did BIOTechno help you to get the job you wanted?

While doing my PhD, I volunteered during 2 years in a young researcher’s association called Glob’Alps, which was, and still is, an active member of the BIOTechno network.
That’s how I got involved in the organization committee of two BIOTechno forum:

• Forum BIOTechno Rhône-Alpes 2016 in Grenoble
• Forum BIOTechno Rhône-Alpes 2017 in Lyon

During these two years, I was in charge of the community management on social media, at local scale.  My other missions in this framework consisted in finding financial partners and speakers. Being involved in these events provided me with a strong experience in project management, and team work. It really helped me to develop transverse skills, and also to become more confident.

I went to the parisian edition of the BIOTechno forum, simply as a visitor and took this opportunity to chat with professionals at their stand.

That’s how I discovered Leyton, my actual employer. Few weeks after the forum, I applied on their website for a position in Paris and got hired within a week.

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What is your new position? What is your daily life into this new position?

Today, I’m working as an innovation funding consultant at Leyton, in Paris.

My job consists in helping private companies (from startups to mid-cap companies) to benefit from the French R&D Tax Credit (Crédit Impôt Recherche).

More precisely, it means that I frequently interact with CEOs, technical and financial managers. A typical mission takes place according to the following planning:

• Technical auditing of the company’s internal projects;
• Identification and collection of all the R&D related expenses;
• Calculation and declaration of the tax credit;
• Writing of a technical report that describes precisely the content of the company’s R&D projects (it’s just like writing a thesis, but in shorter and on a topic that can be very far away from your expertise area !)

I strongly recommend that kind of job just after a PhD: it’s a very fast way to gain experience on both technical and entreprenarial topics, and it’s a good opportunity to build an extended professional network.

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What would be your advice for young researchers?

I would advise them to get involved as soon as possible in events where they can meet and discuss with professionals, whatever kind of job they’re looking for !

 

PS :  We are currently recruiting new consultants in Paris, feel free to get in touch with me for more info at hradavidson@leyton.com !

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