Meet Pia from the Roche Internship programme in Global External Quality
“Wow”, I thought to myself when I arrived in Basel on a rather sunny day in February and saw the Roche towers for the first time. I had just finished my Master’s degree in Biotechnology at the University of Graz, Austria, three days ago. Having done my thesis at a pharmaceutical company, I had been able to get a first impression of working in an industrial context. However, before deciding whether to pursue a PhD I wanted to gain more insights into the healthcare industry.
Hi, my name is Pia. I studied chemistry for my bachelor’s and biotechnology for my master’s degree. Having this very scientific background I wanted to learn more about the business side of pharma, which is why I decided to go for this internship.
As an intern in Global Supplier Quality, I mainly manage Quality Agreements, documents which clarify the quality responsibilities of our suppliers. Unlike university, where mostly scientific knowledge is asked for, the demand here focuses on a different kind of expertise. I negotiate contracts with suppliers from all over the world, review contracts and support local and global stakeholders in the area of supplier quality. The Global External Quality programme (RiQEx) helps me to grow because it requires developing networking and organizational skills, learning how to work in a big global company, managing many tasks at the same time and of course acquiring knowledge in technical processes and quality management.
During my internship, I was never “just an intern” but was able to work on many tasks independently and contribute to a cause that has a valuable impact on many people worldwide. Especially for students interested in working in a very global position at a multinational company, I would absolutely recommend to apply and seize the opportunity.