senior research associate

accountant

research associate

clinical research associate

field applications scientist

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Job work-life balance: This is not so great, the shift patterns are based on how "aggressive" the companies growth is, so when it gets busier 24/7 is introduced with a decent shift allowance (depending on which department you work in) and when the growth isn't deemed agressive enough they just chop and change your shifts and in some cases remove your shift allowance completely. Originally Thermo was 24/5 with no weekends and in some cases an early Friday finish however due to expansion there are no early finishes and some weekend work may be required.

Salary/Benefits: The benefit scheme offered is actually decent with an annual bonus/wage rise for performance, private healthcare, dental, buy/sell holiday allowance and life insurance are just some of the things on offer. There is also an on-site gym which you can buy a discounted membership for. The salary however is not up to scratch unless you're a manager or high band level then you're pretty much below the threshold of many competitor companies and the cost of living.

Job security/advancement: This used to be good, during COVID the company hired heavily and the job security was there as we were classed as essential workers however when the pandemic ended and the company was not growing as expected cost savings started coming into place and eventually redundancies. As far as career advanacement goes this can be quite difficult. Like most places it's a "who you know" that is the biggest helping hand for your career. There is plenty of training resources available and the company does actively encourage promotions/hirings from internal candidates however this does create the issue of people within the same department all going for the same job and in some cases a specific position is fixed at either 1 or 2 people max meaning you could potentially be waiting years for someone to move on or be promoted themselves before you can advance into the role.

Management: Generally good but has it's off moments. Like most places managers get it from the top and then they dish it down to the folk below which can create a bit of animosity and friction between departments. Managers are generally so busy with meetings, training and projects that there is times where it's hard to get some needed one to one time with them. 

Job Culture: Thermofisher promotes a very good job culture but again this differs from department to department and from site to site. Generally the culture is there to help employess grow their careers and reach their goals and this is why Thermo focus strongly on internal recruitment.





Too many layers of senior management above the site that add no value and in-fact slow down progress due to their need to be consulted and belief that what they know is industry best practice. If you have a genuine manufacturing background, qualifications, understanding or experience you will not enjoy working here.

At the site level the management team and operating systems have grown with the business, from a small site to a large one. This brings great knowledge of the current processes but huge inefficiencies baked in and a closed mindset to change. This is supported by the senior leadership who also only know what they know. External ideas are dismissed by a culture of passive resistance and denial. 

Blame culture is unfortunately central to how the business runs at all levels. Targets for output are unachievable, with the only strategy being to throw people at the problem, not drive efficiency. Rational discussions about targets are not allowed. The target is set and then when you hit what you forecast you are chastised for not pushing back on the goals! There is no win win. 

HR is from the 1970’s and believes strongly in division of labour and theory X management, rather than theory Y leadership. There is a constant expectation that the team is managed with punitive measures. There is also a hypocritical approach to policy that allows no flexibility for interpretation from managers within Operations, but allows HR to decide if they feel like applying policy when it comes to their work load. Operations is a default scapegoat.

There is good practice in Management training online from Thermofisher and a minority of people who are desperate for change at the site. Sadly the former hasn’t made it into the culture at Cramlington and the latter are silenced by resistance to change from key individuals in critical positions.





The people are amazing to work with and helpful. Ever need help ask anyone and they are always willing to help if they can or know about the area you are in. The supervisors and managers are really good and encouraging. They may give you jobs or presentation to do but if you have never done it or unsure and let them know they will help you which I think is awesome as I have learned things I never thought I would ever do. There are team meetings in the morning to talk about what's going to be done that day and about what happened during the shift the day before and abke to bring up anything you need to. We have 1-1 with our leadership once a month where they see how we are how we feel about the job if there is anything you need or want help with to talk about where you want to be heading in the company how to go about it and work towards it (even encourage you to apply for roles that come up in other departments that is towards what you want to do) if there are any issues you want to bring up and even ask them their opinions on what they think you need improving on (doesn't have to be just at the 1-1 able to speak to them whenever you need or they make time for you that day when not in meetings and doing other vital jobs) . The job is good can be fast paced with some stress sometimes it may be slow and tedious but still I think it's good. the people are amazing. Pay may not be the greatest but for the shifts you do from Monday to Thursday and half day Friday it's good. Better than doing 12 hour shift pattern of night and days. 

Really friendly team at the Loughborough site, everyone will say hello to you and try help you out if you ask for help. 
Management have your back and really look out for their staff. 
During COVID they made sure we were kept really safe. Maybe a bit OTT at times but it was nice that they put in the extra efforts. 
Told us when the company was doing well and gave us recognition. 
Good shift patterns, alternating between 8:30-4:30 and 9:15-5:15 with a 45 minute lunch break. 
Very collaborative with many different teams, which is great and everyone gets to know everyone, so it’s a very friendly environment. 
A few people to get away without pulling their weight but I’ve found this to be the case everywhere, so can be frustrating when you work hard and others don’t, but when you work hard it is recognised. 
Good progression if you put the effort in and ask for the opportunity, there is a lot of support from management to help you progress. 
The role does get a bit same-y, so progression would be needed to not feel bored, but the customers are for the most part lovely, and the account managers are very supportive. 
Don’t have to think about work outside of work which is great, and I’m the customer service department logging off time is logging off time. There is zero pressure or expectation to work longer, but there is opportunities for overtime if you want it. 
Very sad to be leaving, only leaving the company due to relocation, otherwise it would be a company for life I think. 

Firstly the training is non existent, the company has lost a huge load of skilled workers so those who are “training” are mainly self taught and have not been with the company very long. You’re often on your own and left to deal with breakdowns with no help from other operators.

The training you do get, is how to blame people for things! Having to do reports on people not doing things by the SOP properly, whereby you name and shame them or you have to have “safety conversations” with managers.

Communication is poor between each department and due to a lack of staff, you’re often left waiting for materials or product to be produced so you can run the line.

Also dont get sick as even people with serius health conditions are getting disciplinary hearings with HR due to the absence.  Almost every week someone is having meeting with HR for being sick. 

There’s far too much paperwork to do, you’re often left alone running more than one line and expected to do it with zero mistakes, if you want accuracy, you need to stop overloading your workers or train people efficiently BEFORE leaving them to work alone. 

The amount of machines which don’t work properly is a joke, half of the lines are so old that they just breakdown every 5 minutes. You constantly have to take product off one part of the line and run it again.

Don’t expect to be paid correctly either as compay is making billions of dollars of profits every year but giving workers minimal pay rise.

This isn’t even the half of it, if you want to enjoy what you do, work elsewhere.

There has been no such thing as a typical day at work over the last 8 years. Every day is different with new challenges and interesting problems to overcome.
I have learned a huge amount during my time with the Company - My role as a Continuous Improvement Training Manager (PPI Process Manager) gave me a huge boost to my self confidence and my ability to work with everyone in the business. More recently, a drive towards a Lean working environment and a small sideways step into Production Scheduling has opened my eyes to a new world of opportunity for making improvements.
Like every organisation, management varies from department to department with different styles and priorities that may, at times conflict. In the main they are fair and always looking for the best for and from their teams.
I have seen a large number of people pass through the organisation in my time. Almost without exception, people's final comments on leaving include a reference to the wonderful people they have worked with. I think this speaks for itself.
The hardest part of the job is probably the huge variety of tasks that are presented on a day-to-day basis. This makes focussing on any one task and seeing it through to conclusion very difficult.
The most enjoyable part of the job is seeing the results that come after a lot of hard work and effort from the team.

I took this job on as a temporary solution as I’d just left a previous job and fed up of my trade i needed anything else. I didn’t really expect to get it due to my job specific qualifications and it sounded like quite a male dominated environment which it was and the group interview is very intimidating, so I didn’t expect to like it at all when I first started and thought I’d just have to put up with it until something else came along. However I was taken aback at how easily within a month or two it just became more than a job, yes there were risks involved with the job and hazardous chemicals but pretty much all the people there made the place! I enjoyed that I could be left to my own devices as long as I was doing what needed to be done and remained productive then I was mainly left to it. If ever I struggled with anything in work, questions or lifting anything heavy,  everyone was always more than willing to help out. I really got on with everyone and we had such a laugh whilst at work. I have so many funny memories of working here. In other jobs I’ve always suffered with Monday blues but this is the only job I’ve never dreaded going to and even some days I used to look forward to going in and seeing the familiar faces for a catch up. I definitely don’t miss that flam freezer though! 

Evidera offers a welcoming and stimulating environment for people from various backgrounds in health economics, healthcare, life sciences, statistics etc. at all levels. 

In my practice area, there are lots of opportunities to work on various projects with the clients that are industry leaders in pharma and to get experience in a lot of disease areas, new products and follow the most recent developments in market access and HTA across the world. It's a fast-paced environment, so there is always a chance to grow your expertise and progress in your career if you are prepared to juggle multiple projects. 

The team is great -  good work ethics, competent, motivated, helpful, friendly and sensible people that are positive, supportive towards others and provide constructive feedback but are also nice to hang out with during your lunch break and after work.

A big plus is an opportunity for flexible working arrangements that helps to retain the valuable employees even when their life circumstances change - I'd say in general the longer your work here the more flexibility you can get.

Training is almost non existent, as in you mainly train yourself, sink or swim environment with hardly any support as others are in the same boat. It's a very corporate -  focused company and there isn't a very big sense of belonging or feeling valued in the slightest. 
Biased and questionable pay rises (basically minimum wage), which leaves people joining the company later than you on more wages (and no reason as to why). 
Some people are nice most are rude and unhelpful, don't expect much as it has a high turnover of staff for a reason. 
The pace is relentless and standards are high, very quick to point the finger culture, if they can cheap out whether that be on staff or equipment then they will with no regard for working standards or training, they always preach "what we do matters" to tick that corporate box but I've yet to see it.

It's a shame as the work itself is interesting, they need to work on their colleague culture before worrying about customers, if you haven't the people to pump out your product your kits sadly will be nonexistent.

Much more could be said and not all that good but it's an ok place to be temporarily as a stepping stone, especially so as you know what to avoid in the future.

I really enjoy working at Thermo Fisher Scientific; as soon as I started I was set up on training and now have many new skills within customer service, knowledge of the products which we produce, knowledge of the company. It is a very tight knit environment where everyone is supportive in times when it's busy and also supportive on a personal level. A typical day at work is spent 50% taking customer calls for engineer call outs, technical advice, placing orders, chasing orders. The rest of my time is spent calling customers back, arranging engineers to visit sites, e-mailing customers back, e-mailing co-workers for advice and forwarding on anything that’s come to the wrong department, picking up faxes for service calls or purchase orders, creating quotes and raising service calls on SAP.

Unfortunately the site is closing down and we have all be given our notice, it will be sad to leave but we have all got a positive attitude towards the future and look forward to new experiences and applying our skills else where.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Senior research associate 5 salaries reported	£68,200 per year
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Clinical research associate 10 salaries reported	£40,496 per year
Field applications scientist 3 salaries reported	£33,733 per year

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