associate director

scientist

senior scientist

senior associate scientist

director

Biogen

During my time Biogen Hemophilia was a mostly separate entity that was collaborative with the R & D group in Cambridge. That system had its drawbacks but it did allow for rapid decision making and clear communication within the group. We did have a management change during my tenure and while it did lead to some staff turnover, the development of the drug candidates continued rapidly and the quality of the science continued to be excellent. In the last two years at Biogen I personally spent much of my time overseeing assay development and sample testing for both pre-clinical and clinical studies. I learned about cell line development and characterization, clotting assays, SOP writing and review as well as how to implement and execute testing in a GLP setting.
The hardest part of the job was meeting deadlines and keeping up with regulatory reporting guidelines that governed our types of assays.
The most enjoyable part was seeing our candidate molecules go from early pre-clinical studies into human trials and have real, positive impact on patients' conditions. My colleagues were very talented, driven scientist that worked well together and were dedicated to delivering the highest quality science to back the development of life-changing therapies.

•	Research on Development and Characterization of Mouth Dissolving Tablet formulation.
•	Extraction of the anti-cancer agent from broccoli seeds.
•	Develop models and analyzes data for formulation and process optimization using design of experiment methodologies.
•	Has a good working knowledge of polymer chemistry, use of excipients in solid oral dosage forms and film coating systems. 
•	Operating experience with equipment including, but not limited to, weighing, blending, mixing, compression and coating of solid dosage formulations. 
•	Perform analytical testing to evaluate material and formulation performance, including, but not limited to, suspension pH, viscosity and solids content, color measurements,disintegration, dissolution and tablet testing.
•	Perform routine stability testing in accordance with ICH guidelines and written stability protocols to assess product shelf-life and stability.
•	Assisted in analysis of raw materials, in-process and finished products using HPLC, Dissolution and bench Chemistry tests such as LOD, Residue on Ignition, Id tests such as NMR and FTIR, Heavy metal tests, Karl fisher Titration and other tests. 
•	Assisted in maintenance and calibration of instruments such as UV Spectrophotometer and HPLC.
•	Recognized for having strong organization skills and for being highly efficient with minimal supervision.

Typical day at work as an EA involved meeting with SVP to review calendar, travel, expenses, meetings. "Gatekeeping" when answering his telephone.

I learned how to interact with all levels of an organization and made sure that I fostered good relationships.  Pitched in with other EA's when necessary. Supervised two, inrterviewed candidates and made hiring recommendations.

Most co-workers were great to work with. There are always some who were unfriendly, shy or just didn't like to interact.

All of my managers were supportive and encouraged me to follow my ambitions.

Hardest part of my job was supporting a group of very busy people alongside my SVP.

Most enjoyable part of my job was being an active contributor and being recognized as such.

Bear in mind that I had two jobs at Biogen Idec (formerly Biogen): first as an EA to SVP and subsequently, upon his departure, transferred to US Neurology Consumer Marketing as an Associate Product Manager for their Multiple Sclerosis (MS) website initiatives.  See below.

Work always began with a shift exchange which ensured the incoming shift knew what was in process. Usually production would be in process and at times it would be in a fast paced environment. Each shift had a Team Lead and a Manager. The Lead delegated who worked on what piece of equipment of activity in the process. The Manager was always there for guidance and would be the decision maker should something go wrong. Throughout the time I was at Biogen I worked as a Manufacturing Associate (MA) and that is when I learned how to operate all the equipment in Large Scale Purification. Biogen granted me the opportunity to work on other projects unrelated to being an MA and I was able to establish new programs and work on providing a safer environment for MA's with the newest Biogen safety program. The hardest part of the job was when you had to think quick if something went wrong or there were stressful time constraints. My favorite part was knowing that the product I produced went on to helping someone in need.

What is the best part of working at the company?
We have experts in each field of research that helps us to do high standard of research through networking and collaboration 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
I have not experienced any so far in my 9 months of working here at Biogen.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
I am highly dedicated to advance the research we are doing. The work environment is highly supportive of my research passion and at the same time I am also ready to adapt to changing priorities. I enjoy a lot to contribute with creativity and discuss novel ideas that the projects demand. My team leader is a great scientist and a manager and sees carefully if the researchers are updated with all new information from the company as well as knowledge acquired from publications that are available in public domain.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Never typical. We always are intrigued from our day-to-day findings and learning concepts that most of the time modify or extend our daily schedules to quickly accommodate the plan of work arising from recent discussions.

They will impress you with all of the free things during training making you feel like you're a part of something important. There are a lot of free things given but the training is mediocre at best. 

I wasn't impressed with the managerial style and the company seemed to lack experienced managers. The culture is terrible on the manufacturing and Patient services side. I used to love what I was doing until they did a huge layoff and people that were there for 10 yrs were let go. While I had only been there for 4 years. It was a very sad day and I realized I was a number then. When I was there, the domino effect had already started and good people were leaving to find a better atmosphere. Sometimes the money isn't worth not having your peace of mind at the end of the day and only being regarded as a number and not an actual contributor to the company.

What is the best part of working at the company?
At first the company was wonderful under the CEO George Stangos. Then it became this corporate bureaucracy forgetting the commitment of helping patients!  The stock options was the perk!  I had the worst manager I have ever had in my professional career! No support, no direction, & it was the same of the overall Director of the department. I should have quit within the first year, but I cared about my staff! 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The corporate internal turmoil that seeps into all departments.  The fear of layoffs, watching the method used for layoffs was pretty horrible!  The department itself lacked a cohesiveness & communication so there was ongoing unrest from within! 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Bureaucratic & political without allegiance to the mission of helping patients!  It became more cutthroat unfortunately. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Going to meetings, reviewing documents, and writing policies & protocols .

As business analyst in Biogen Idec, I participated in some large-scale projects, for example, Implement and Validate UNIX SAS 9.3 as well as the upgrade of the production servers’ hardware for the biostatistics department and R&D IT Clinical LOT Release.

I build reporting capability for CTMS (Clinical Trial Management System).

I Collaborate with consultants and vendors to prepare validation deliverables and execute test scripts, developing and maintaining change control documentation for GXP systems to achieve FDA 21 CFR Part 11 compliance(Deliverables and Test Scripts includes: Functional Specification, Infrastructure Requirements, Backup and Restore Requirements, Design Specification, System Test Scripts, Backup and Restore Test Scripts, Test Plan, Installation Plan and Qualification, Test Plan UAT Test Scripts , Test Report and SOP).

I collaborate with the Team to prepare for the system go-live and testing and follow up with issues after it go-live.

I am proficient in Unix SAS, Crystal Reports Server, Web SDM, CMdR and East Installation, troubleshooting and Configuration.

My review is based on 26 years working in the Technical Development Department.  Working at Biogen Idec is greatly rewarding but demands the most from you.  The company has always run lean on headcount so expect to have more than enough work.  Compensation is excellent including vacation days.  Management is moving towards flexibility in work schedule and working out-of-office but this has not translate to the TD department.  Biogen historically has done business in a matrix/team effort which at times results in no one owning a final decision. Your colleagues are excellent people and dedicated to the job.  As Biogen matures into a prominent biopharmaceutical company, other job opportunities become available for employees to consider.  It is not unusual to find employees who have been with the company for 10+ years.

Management was focused more on having staff give and show them complete personal loyalty. This was placed above actual professionalism and work performance. Dress code was nonprofessional which created a atmosphere that was more like working in a plant or factory. Dressing professionally was actually frowned on by management and co-workers. A extremely competitive atomosphere has been created, one that is not conducive for actually trying to work together to accomplish goals. Management struggled with speaking respectfully to staff and often took a superior approach in meetings, both individually and in groups. Management enjoyed when staff "cowered down" to them and "attended to their personal needs".

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Associate director 3 salaries reported	$190,000 per year
Scientist 4 salaries reported	$142,500 per year
Senior scientist 4 salaries reported	$143,750 per year
Senior associate scientist 5 salaries reported	$102,370 per year
Director 3 salaries reported	$235,000 per year

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