About Charles River Associates
is a leading global consulting firm that provides economic, financial, and business management expertise to major law firms, corporations and governments around the world. CRA advises clients on economic and financial matters pertaining to litigation and regulatory proceedings, and guides corporations through critical business strategy and performance-related issues. Since 1965, clients have engaged CRA for its combination of industry experience and rigorous, fact-based analysis that provide clients with clear, implementable solutions to complex business concerns.
About the Internship
CRA’s Practice helps pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical devices and digital health companies achieve optimum performance across key aspects of their business including commercial strategy, pricing and access, innovation, organisation structure, policy analysis, medical affairs, stakeholder management, and reputation, all for the long-term benefit of patients, clinicians, employees, and shareholders. We work with life sciences businesses directly as well as with their legal counsel, industry associations, government organisations, and advocacy groups.
The CRA Life Sciences team operates from offices across the United States, UK and Europe, providing insights on global issues and local market challenges across all geographies.
Our clients’ trust in us is rooted in our emphatic focus on clients and specifically our hands-on life sciences experience, in-depth sector knowledge, from R&D to market entry and beyond, and strong academic credentials in science, economics, policy and business.
Our dedicated works with Life Sciences companies, industry associations, government organizations, and advocacy groups to anticipate and respond to policy challenges. Our projects focus on analysing ongoing or anticipated policy challenges, assessing the impact on patients, competition or innovation, and helping clients with developing solutions that address these challenges whilst supporting their commercial priorities.
During your internship you may work on a variety of project types, including but not limited to:
1. Policy projects: helps clients anticipate how healthcare policies will evolve and what this means for access to medicines and future innovation. Projects range from US debates on drug pricing and Medicare negotiations to global challenges around cell and gene therapies, healthcare financing, and digital health
2. Opportunity assessment: Supporting the valuation of new therapies
3. Value communication: Building evidence-based narratives to demonstrate the clinical and economic value of new medicines
4. Market access planning & payer strategy: Mapping regulatory pathways, evidence needs, reimbursement hurdles and innovative solutions across geographies
5. Forecasting & pricing strategy: Developing models to project product performance, define the optimal launch and lifecycle price of a therapy, inform launch planning activities
6. Commercial strategy & lifecycle planning: Designing go-to-market models and strategies to sustain brand value and portfolio planning
Joining the Life Sciences Practice at CRA over the summer will provide you with a unique opportunity to develop your knowledge of global healthcare. Our Summer Internship program mirrors the analyst experience: you will be treated as an analyst from day one. You will join project teams working on high-impact challenges in life sciences, with opportunities to learn, contribute, and grow.
You can expect to:
7. Work closely with senior colleagues on strategy and policy projects that address real client needs
8. Conduct research and analyse both qualitative insights and quantitative data
9. Contribute your ideas to team discussions and see how your analysis feeds into client deliverables
10. Attend client meetings and expert interviews, gaining exposure to real-world stakeholder perspectives
11. Draft sections of reports, presentations, and Excel models, supported by senior team members
12. Develop your knowledge of the life sciences industry and consulting methodologies
13. Take part in training and practice-building activities
Alongside this project work, you will have a Professional Development Manager dedicated to your growth, an onboarding buddy for day-to-day support, and regular feedback from project managers
Desired Qualifications
14. Penultimate year Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree candidates with strong academic performance from a top-tier institution (minimum 2:1) with focused study in biological sciences, economics (or related subjects including business, health economics and policy, public policy), physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, engineering, or other STEM discipline;
15. Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and Excel), plus an understanding of how to conduct internet research
16. Proficiency using and analysing quantitative data to answer questions;
17. Experience with, or keen interest in, Life Sciences policy and healthcare;
18. Understanding of economic concepts and business processes, as well as familiarity with essential consulting methodologies, tools and techniques;
19. Effective written and oral communication and presentation skills (additional languages beyond English are helpful);
20. Strong self-management (detail orientation, effective time management, ability to prioritise);
21. Demonstrated high level of initiative and leadership;
22. Excellent teamwork and collaboration capabilities;
23. Clear and demonstrated interest in consulting through coursework, work experience, activities, or attendance at CRA recruiting events;
24. Willingness and ability to undertake occasional travel to clients if required.