A good place to start in BioPharma - Anonymous employee Lonza Employee Review

3.0
Sep 24, 2014
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Since Lonza Biologics is a CMO and there are always new projects, you get exposed to many different techniques and systems. You also get a lot of exposure to the client systems. If you are project-oriented, this is a great place to work. If you want something that provides a more steady work environment, this is probably not the place for you. Benefits were good, but were getting steadily worse every year. I can not say enough wonderful things about my coworkers - they were the reason I stayed as long as I did. Many projects have travel, and that does allow for cross-site interaction with colleagues elsewhere in the US, Europe (UK, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland), and Asia (Singapore, China).

Cons

Constant firefighting. Stress. Portsmouth site has high turnover. Expectation of 60+hour weeks in many departments. Lots of politics which impact lower levels. There is far less upward movement and opportunity now than there used to be. Most of the management is relatively young and will not be moving on anytime soon. Pay in Portsmouth is purposely about 20% less than comparable jobs in Boston. Ladies, make sure your salary is the same as what they might offer a male candidate--while I know of nowhere that has complete pay parity between genders, Lonza can be worse than most (a friend and his wife applied for comparable positions; they offered her almost half of what they offered him despite the fact that she had more education and experience)

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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