About the program
The Strategy Portfolio Career Kickstart (SPOCK) program provides an invaluable opportunity to explore pharma Research and Early Development (pRED) at Roche. This two-year rotational program is designed to develop and accelerate early stage high potential leaders with strong strategic capabilities. Further, it attracts individuals with diverse education, thinking, and cultural backgrounds in order to increase diversity among Roche’s future leaders.
Experience
Acquire experience in a world-class and complex portfolio of early development molecules. Develop your project management, problem-solving and many other skills, which are transferable to other parts of the organization and beyond.
Adaptability
Shape your own path in the program with the opportunity of broad exposure and involvement across multiple functions throughout pRED (pharma Research and Early Development) depending on your interests (e.g., Pharmaceutical Sciences, Therapeutic Modalities, Data & Analytics, Communications, pRED Finance & Operations).
Receive coaching from your SPOCK peers, Portfolio and Program Management team, as well as a member of the pRED Leadership Team who will mentor you throughout the SPOCK program.
Network
With our central position in the organization, you will have the opportunity to learn from a variety of functions and build a diverse professional network that will benefit your future career.
slide 1 of 2 I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Maya Angelou
Discover your own path
You will spend the first year in the Portfolio & Program Management (PPM) team, part of the Strategy Portfolio & Clinical Operations function (SP&CO) which optimizes the pRED portfolio value by providing objective insights and guiding quality decision making to maximize R&D productivity.
The PPM team provides a great overview of the key work and projects across all of pRED, so that you can find an assignment you are passionate about - whether in PPM, or beyond. Current SPOCK members have worked in diverse teams on strategic reviews of disease areas, on tools to better predict drug candidate success and on licensing opportunities for new digital therapeutics, to name a few.
You will work on analyses of the pRED portfolio, business options and navigate through a complex data ecosystem. You will interact with key functions and disease therapeutic area (DTA) teams, providing a portfolio perspective that drives quality decision making and supports strategic objectives. Additionally, through your senior pRED leader mentor, you will have exposure to the Pharma Leadership Team of pRED (pLT).
Broad exposure to pRED during year 1 in PPM; find your fit in pRED in year 2
Who You Are
You have one to four years experience in the medical, pharmaceutical or scientific industries, are a life sciences or data sciences graduate with an advanced degree (MBA and/or PhD desirable but not essential).
You show a well-developed strategic and analytical mindset with a demonstrable ability to integrate and synthesize findings from multiple sources to enable informed strategic decision-making.
Excellent oral communication and presentation skills are needed. You can explain your ideas, are persuasive and can demonstrate new approaches to problems.
You have a “can do” attitude, are collaborative and show flexibility to compromise. You are proactive, solution-oriented and have the ability to see the bigger picture.
An experience of influencing in a matrix organization is a real asset for this role.
You also have the ability to develop special skills, are open to new ideas, demonstrate curiosity, and have a thoughtful understanding of how previous experiences have shaped your attitudes, beliefs and behavior.
Are you ready to apply? We are looking for a person who thinks beyond the job offered - someone who knows that this position can be a rare springboard to many other opportunities at Roche.
From Roche leaders
“The SPOCK program attracts diverse talents from all disciplines who want to experience first hand what it takes to make the medicines of the future. For me, initiating the SPOCK program is a dream coming true.
Providing this entry to pRED for talents across the globe will generate future leaders for Roche."
Karsten Jung
Head of Strategy, Portfolio and Operations
From Roche leaders
“With the SPOCK program, we have obtained excellent dedicated support for the immunology strategy of the future China Innovation Center of Roche (CICoR). We find the collaboration invaluable for the future success of the organization, and the program beneficial to colleagues who wish to accumulate experience and develop expertise in strategy and portfolio, and generate impact on our shared ambition. ”
Hong Shen
Head of RICS and CICoR
From Roche leaders
“The SPOCK program is an outstanding opportunity for talented young professionals with a passion for healthcare to develop hands-on experience across a broad range of projects where science and business meet. I’ve been highly impressed by the caliber of the SPOCK members, including their knowledge, enthusiasm, energy and can-do attitude. The program itself is a great platform to launch a career in the pharmaceutical industry”
Neil Campbell
Head of Oncology Insights, pRED Oncology
From Roche leaders
“Since the inauguration of the program, I had the pleasure to experience several SPOCKs in a variety of different projects and I'm deeply impressed by the structure, speed, quality and fun they brought to the teams. While looking forward to continuing working again with each team member, the idea of the initiative is also to provide a basis for next career steps for these young talents. I'm convinced that the skills combined with the diversity and breadth of topics the SPOCK experience during their time in pRED will provide an excellent basis to catalyse their development.”
Stefan Weigand
Head of Large Molecule Research
From the current SPOCKs
“As part of the SPOCK program, I have had the opportunity to combine my love for science with my passion for strategy, helping teams make better decisions and facilitate innovation.”
“I’ve gotten the chance to step out of my comfort zone and learn so much more about what it takes to bring new medicines to patients.”
“During the SPOCK Program, I get to develop both my technical and soft skills with the help of a pRED leadership mentor.”
slide 1 of 2 I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Maya Angelou