Hi, my name is…

...Halka and I come from Germany. I studied food and hygiene technology and completed my engineering studies at the Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, Germany, in 2008. In the same year, I joined Roche in Basel as a contractor in the Parenterals production. In 2010, I got the opportunity to join the Quality department as a Roche employee. Since then, I have worked in several departments (Quality Engineering, QA Sterile Manufacturing, Quality Systems) in Basel and Kaiseraugst. I live in Weil am Rhein, Germany – this is very close to the Swiss and French borders. The Swiss mountains, Black Forest, and a lot of opportunities for recreational activities are nearby.

In my leisure time, I enjoy gardening, reading and spending time with my family and friends.

My typical day at work is...

…diverse, exciting and never boring. As a technical quality assurance manager, I am responsible for a team of six people, and we are basically in charge of equipment qualification, computerised system validation, and a lot of other aspects in conjunction with production, packaging and infrastructure. More precisely, my days consist of reviewing documentation and standard operating procedures or cross-functional team meetings with local and global experts in order to ensure that our processes meet the requirements of the health authorities. I support the inspection management team in terms of audits and inspections. As a lead auditor, I am responsible for the qualification of our suppliers and service providers in the field of plant construction, software development and maintenance. I am in close collaboration with the other quality functions at the site.

The location I am working at is…

…Kaiseraugst, which is just a stone’s throw away from Basel. The Quality Systems department is diverse, with colleagues from Switzerland, Chile, France, Germany, Cameroon, Poland, etc. There are approx. 2000 employees located here. A lot of capital investments are being made – so the site is growing very fast. I commute every day and cross the Swiss border and the Rhine, which takes approx. 20 minutes by car.

My work helps Roche to …

…improve patients’ lives by ensuring that the production lines are properly set up to fill, lyophilise and pack our products. My team supports the execution of projects and the implementation of measures for continuous improvement, and so we are part of the team that ensures the uninterrupted delivery of our products to patients. I am aware of that responsibility every day.

Roche as an employer is…

…supportive and appreciative. From my perspective, Roche does a great deal to foster personal development and values its employees highly. A lot of advanced training is offered and exchange and diversity are highly supported. There are many interesting networks, such as the women’s professional network and the family and career network that deliver valuable input beyond daily business. The Roche sports club offers a variety of possibilities.

How would you describe working at Roche in three words?

Challenging, versatile, exciting.

What do you do to help balance life and work?

When you have an exciting job, and every day you give your best to achieve a greater goal – which is to help patients – it is easy to dedicate a lot of time to a task you are very passionate about. However, to maintain this level of energy, it is also important to balance working life with your private life, choosing other activities to replenish your energy. Spending time with family and friends, joining the above-mentioned sports club, or exploring the beautiful region around Basel are just some examples.

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