FDA Workforce Shake-Up: New Hires, Leadership Moves & Why it Matters for Public Health
A Hiring Surge Despite Challenges
In early January 2026, the FDA reaffirmed plans to expand its workforce — a striking development after a period of notable staff departures and organizational turbulence. According to recent reporting, FDA Commissioner Martin Makary confirmed the agency is onboarding approximately 450 new hires, with 40 already on board and more to come. These additions are part of a broader approved hiring plan that called for roughly 1,050 new positions overall.
This hiring drive reflects the FDA’s effort to rebuild critical capacity after a period marked by workforce losses, leadership turnover, and reassignments.
Why This Matters: Filling the Gaps
Over the past year, the FDA has seen significant fluctuations in personnel. Many veteran leaders and scientific staff exited through layoffs, resignations, or early retirements, leaving gaps in core regulatory functions such as drug review, biologics evaluation, and inspections. This had raised industry concerns about delays and institutional knowledge loss.
The new hiring push aims to stabilize these areas by bringing in fresh talent — especially across scientific review teams and inspectorate staff — even as the agency grapples with the lingering effects of prior staffing cuts.
Leadership Turnover Still in Focus
Alongside rank-and-file hiring, the FDA has seen notable movement at the leadership level over the past year. While early moves under this administration included changing key leadership positions within review centers, the latest reports formally highlight the onboarding of staff rather than specific new executive appointments. However, continuing shifts in leadership — including acting directors and reassignments in major centers — remain a backdrop to the agency’s hiring narrative.
Balancing Staffing with Mission Delivery
Despite the personnel flux, data show the FDA has largely maintained its core regulatory functions. For example, drug reviews held steady in 2025 even amid staff losses, meeting most performance commitments for review timelines.
Still, experts caution that sustained, strategic hiring — beyond filling seats — is vital to ensuring scientific excellence, timely approvals, and robust inspection and compliance.
What’s Next for FDA Staffing?
As the FDA moves through 2026:
Hiring execution will be key. It’s one thing to authorize positions; it’s another to attract and train qualified regulatory scientists and inspectors in a competitive labor market.
Retention matters. Alongside new hires, retaining institutional expertise is now a priority for many stakeholders concerned about continuity in regulation.
Public and industry expectations remain high. With pressures around drug innovation, food safety, and new technologies like AI in healthcare, the FDA’s workforce structure will be a crucial factor in how effectively the agency delivers on its mission.
Bottom Line
The FDA’s latest hiring efforts represent a major pivot point as the agency strives to rebound from workforce turbulence and rebuild regulatory horsepower. For patients, industry partners, and public health observers, these staffing developments are more than HR news — they’re signals of how the FDA is positioning itself for the future of health regulation in the U.S.
