Be ready to go over:

• Excel formulas and functions – Mastery of VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, nested IF statements, and basic financial formulas.
• Budget impact modeling – Calculating the net cost of introducing a new drug to a health plan's formulary.
• Costing analysis – Structuring a clear, error-free spreadsheet that calculates patient-level or system-level healthcare costs over time.

Advanced concepts (less common):

• Markov models and decision-tree architectures in health economics.
• Sensitivity analyses to test how changes in input variables affect the model's outcome.

Example scenarios:

• "Using the provided Excel sheet, calculate the budget impact of introducing Drug X to a health plan with 500,000 covered lives over a three-year horizon."
• "Build a costing model that compares the direct medical costs of a patient treated with oral therapy versus intravenous therapy, accounting for administration costs."

Behavioral & Core Competencies

This area assesses your soft skills, adaptability, and how you handle the fast-paced consulting environment. Eversana values proactive communicators who can manage their time effectively and collaborate across teams.

Be ready to go over:

• Handling constructive feedback – Showing that you are coachable and eager to refine your work.
• Time management – How you manage your workload when multiple projects demand your attention.
• Strengths and weaknesses – Self-awareness regarding your current technical limits and your plan to overcome them.

Example questions:

• "Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult team member to complete a research project. How did you resolve any conflicts?"
• "Describe a situation where you realized you made an error in a data model or report. How did you handle it, and what steps did you take to rectify the mistake?"

As a Research Analyst at Eversana, your day-to-day activities will be intellectually stimulating and highly varied. You are responsible for executing the research and analytical tasks that fuel client engagements.

Your primary duty is to conduct systematic literature reviews and secondary research to support HEOR, market access, and policy projects. This involves searching databases, screening abstracts, extracting data, and synthesizing the findings into high-quality written reports, slide decks, or dossiers. You will spend a significant amount of your time drafting clinical and economic sections of global value dossiers (GVDs) and academy of managed care pharmacy (AMCP) dossiers.

In addition to qualitative research, you will support the development of quantitative models. This includes building and updating budget impact and cost-effectiveness models in Microsoft Excel. You will collaborate closely with senior consultants, health economists, and medical writers to ensure that the mathematical logic of these models is flawless and aligns perfectly with the clinical narrative.

Collaboration is a core part of the role. You will participate in internal team meetings and client calls, presenting your research findings and explaining the underlying assumptions of your data models. Over time, you will manage small project streams independently, ensuring that deliverables are met on time and to the high standards expected by Eversana's clients.

To be competitive for the Research Analyst position, you must possess a strong academic foundation and a specific set of technical skills.

Must-Have Qualifications

• Academic Background – A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a STEM, biological sciences, life sciences, public health, health economics, or a highly quantitative field.
• Excel Proficiency – Strong intermediate to advanced Excel skills, including the ability to build structured spreadsheets, use logical formulas, and troubleshoot modeling errors.
• Research Skills – Proven experience in conducting literature searches, reading and critiquing scientific papers, and synthesizing clinical data.
• Written Communication – Exceptional technical writing skills with the ability to convey complex medical and economic concepts clearly and concisely.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Prior Experience – 1–2 years of experience in healthcare consulting, pharmaceutical market access, or an academic research setting.
• Specialized Software – Familiarity with reference management software (e.g., EndNote) or statistical software (e.g., SAS, R, SPSS) is highly advantageous.
• HEOR Knowledge – A basic understanding of health economics concepts, pharmacoeconomics, and the global market access landscape.

Q: How difficult is the interview process for the Research Analyst role? A: Candidates generally rate the difficulty as average to challenging. While the behavioral questions are straightforward, the written assessment and Excel costing tests require high concentration, speed, and extreme attention to detail.

Q: How long does the entire hiring process take? A: The process typically takes about a month from the initial recruiter screen to the final decision. The scheduling of the written assessment and the subsequent panel interviews with directors represents the bulk of this timeline.

Q: Is a background in biological or life sciences absolutely mandatory? A: Yes, in practice, it is highly prioritized. Candidates without a background in STEM or life sciences often find the literature reviews and clinical data synthesis extremely difficult to navigate, and hiring managers actively look for this domain expertise on your CV.

Q: What is the format of the written assessment? A: The assessment is typically split into two parts: a technical math/Excel section where you perform costing or budget impact calculations, and a written section where you review medical literature and write a detailed report or response based on clinical data.

Q: Does Eversana offer hybrid or remote work options for this role? A: Yes, Eversana offers flexible working models, including hybrid structures for offices like Burlington, ON, and Mississauga, ON, as well as remote opportunities depending on the specific team and region.

To truly stand out during your Eversana interview process, keep these practical, insider tips in mind:

• Master Excel shortcuts: During the timed computer and costing assessment, efficiency is key. Knowing how to navigate Excel quickly without relying heavily on your mouse can save you valuable minutes.
• Be hyper-specific in your writing: Avoid vague generalizations. When writing your assessment reports, reference exact trial names, patient sample sizes, p-values, and specific statistical endpoints.
• Brush up on basic pharmacoeconomics: Before your interview, familiarize yourself with terms like ICER (Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio), QALY (Quality-Adjusted Life Year), and budget impact analysis. Showing that you understand the basic vocabulary of market access will set you apart.

• Clarify your assumptions: If you encounter an ambiguous question during the mathematical or analytical test, write down your assumptions clearly. Evaluators appreciate candidates who can make logical, structured assumptions when faced with incomplete data.

The Research Analyst position at Eversana is an exceptional opportunity for analytically minded professionals with a passion for the life sciences. It is a role where your work directly influences how global pharmaceutical innovations are priced, positioned, and delivered to patients who need them most. The blend of rigorous scientific research, financial modeling, and strategic writing makes this position both intellectually stimulating and highly impactful.

To maximize your chances of success, focus your preparation on the core evaluation areas: sharpen your Excel modeling capabilities, practice summarizing dense medical literature, and refine your behavioral examples to highlight your project management and communication skills. Remember, the written assessment is the gatekeeper of this process—give it the time and focus it deserves.

The compensation details above reflect the competitive nature of this role within the life sciences consulting space. As you prepare to take the next steps in your career journey, remember that detailed, structured preparation is your greatest asset. For more company-specific interview insights, practice questions, and preparation resources, explore the comprehensive tools available on Dataford to ensure you walk into your Eversana interview with absolute confidence.