Meet Andreas, Engineer at Roche Basel | Roche

Tell us a bit about yourself

Hello, I am Andreas, group leader at the Galenical Engineering department at Roche Basel. I joined the Vitamins division of Roche in Sisseln in 1997 and then transferred to Pharma in 1999 as an automation engineer for projects and site engineering. In 2011 I became group leader at the Galenical Engineering department, with responsibility for 20 employees. In my free time I enjoy being together with my family, skiing, playing tennis and working out at the fitness studio.

In which Roche location are you currently working?

I come from southern Germany and I still live in Germany. I drive about 35 km to Basel every day, and I also have an office in Kaiseraugst. There are currently many big projects at both locations. The free shuttle bus service at Roche makes the journey from one location to the other very easy and convenient. Basel is a truly multicultural city that has a lot to offer, such as international exhibitions in the numerous museums, and good pubs and restaurants. Basel has all the advantages of a big city yet has the cosiness of a small town, and this is what gives it its very special flair.

Where did you study?

I hold a diploma in automation from the University of Applied Sciences in Constance in Germany, as well as a diploma in business administration from the University of Applied Sciences in Basel. After completing my studies in Constance I wanted to work abroad to explore other cultures and gain international experience, and then I had the opportunity to start a career at Roche, and I'm still working there!

Why did you decide to join Roche?

I started at Roche as an intern while writing my dissertation. I enjoyed working at Roche so much that I decided to stay. Roche gives people plenty of opportunities to advance their careers. If you work hard you can steer your development in the direction you want to go.

What is your current job?

As a group leader in Galenical Automation, I am responsible for process automation and monitoring systems in projects, in addition to site engineering. Our main projects are in Basel and Kaiseraugst in the areas of solids and liquids (research, development and production), packaging, warehousing and logistics. On a day-to-day basis I have to handle projects, customer support and troubleshooting on top of coaching my team.

What makes it such a great job?

Building new production plants focused on helping patients and improving people’s lives is very rewarding because you are aware that the work you do is making a positive difference. On a personal level, the opportunity to lead a team of 20 people in a multicultural and diverse environment makes the job very enriching and is a good way to develop personal skills. People working here are very motivated, cooperative and flexible with an open-door culture that appreciates communication, which makes working with them very enjoyable and fulfilling.

Can you pick at least three of the attributes of Roche and explain in detail what they mean to you?

In my eyes development opportunities are definitely one of the major advantages of working at Roche. Here you can really grow and develop because the company is huge and has an infinite number of possibilities in the different working areas and departments. Respect is something that we live every day in our team; we respect each other’s ideas and opinions, and we value each person as an individual. Organisational stability characterises our local engineering as it is very stable, which allows you to learn and grow in your team on the long term.

What can you say about the current job opening in your team?

If you are a talented and motivated engineer and fluent in German and English, I advise you to take a look at our engineering openings. You will have the ability to work on the complete production chain from lab to warehousing, managing entire projects and taking part in leadership training programmes. Engineering at Roche is a promising career field that you should definitely explore! Job seekers can also find out about open positions on our social media pages such as LinkedIn, Xing, Facebook and Twitter.