Great place to work despite culture changing in the last few years - Scientist Lonza Employee Review

5.0
Jun 21, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- The people at Bend Research are exactly why I loved working there. They are some of the most down to earth and friendly coworkers you could hope to find. Despite the amount of former disgruntled employee reviews here, there was a solid sense of camaraderie among colleagues. Many of my colleagues were close friends outside of work as well. - On site gym / sports facilities. Working out at lunch time is encouraged and part of the culture. - General work environment is fairly dynamic, with r&d scientists involved in a broad array of techniques and projects - Work flow seemed pretty efficient for r&d space, and despite needing to be a lot of things as a r&d scientist, I didn't feel like half my time was wasted with logistics, which is not the case for r&d labs at other companies which try to be GMP spaces at the expense of being horrendously inefficient. - There is no clocking in / clocking out for salary employees and there is some flexibility for working hours which adds to a more relaxed feeling of going to work each morning. - Company provides an awesome breakfast on Fridays (watch out for those interns) - Company will pay 50% (25% post tax) off any gym membership - 401K matching is good - Views around the Tumalo campus are beautiful

Cons

- New Lonza employees are paid better than pre-Lonza employees, but the company won't increase the salaries of pre-Lonza employees to match the new rate. You literally would have to quit your job and be re-hired in order to take advantage of the new Lonza salaries - absurd!! - Yearly salary increases have been lagging the increasing costs of living in Bend for several years. - There is high turnover of employees and it really sucks to see good people leaving all the time. This definitely effects morale.

Explore other reviews about Lonza

5.0
Jun 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Diverse opportunities across departments as one wanted

Cons

Provide decent pay and benefits

4.0
May 14, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Lots to learn about producing API's via fermentation in bioreactors. Lots of room for career growth towards other departments and positions, from the business to the research. Good pay and lots of benefits are offered, such as dental, vision, and medical insurance; they also have a weight-loss program that I'm taking advantage of. Quality is prioritized, so there is no pressure to learn quickly, work faster, or meet quotas to do a good job. Teams are reliable, especially when learning the ropes; they'd be a part of the job I'd miss most if I leave.

Cons

Take careful consideration and be transparent with the supervisors if you're still exploring, as it's not an entry-level job that can hire and train new people at a fast pace all the time (I'm comparing this to retail and fast-food places, though). I live an hour away and work night shift, 7 pm to 7 am, thus the total amount of hours away from home is 14 hours. Please consider your mental endurance as well as your physical endurance for the night shift, as this job requires you to be on your feet, think critically, and can challenge one's work-home life balance.

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