Run away - Senior Analytical Chemist Lonza Employee Review

1.0
11 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Work life balance and amazing coworkers in the lab

Cons

QC at Lonza is a place where careers go to die. Whoever reads this and is considering working in QC, please take the advice of this review and run away. The management for the most part is not competent. There are always fires to put out and there is always someone else to blame besides themselves. The training is slow and the GMP environment is so bogged down by contradicting SOP’s I am surprised you can go to the bathroom without having to sign paperwork. Management has implemented a “career growth pathway” which only enables those who are favored to get a promotion. Promotion isn’t necessarily based on your experience or knowledge, but how many boxes you tick off. It is intentionally designed in a way to be very difficult to tick all of the boxes, unless management goes out of their way to assist you. There are people who have been stuck as a Chemist 2 for years. These people aren’t slackers, they have made self sacrifices to perform and are still treated poorly. During my time there, I believe there was a turn around of over 10 employees. Please, whoever read this take this advice and run away. The offer they are giving you (a lowball in comparison to the other departments) is not worth it. ALSO do not let HR gaslight you into thinking this is a review from a jaded employee. This is a warning. I am sincerely trying to prevent more people suffering from career suicide by joining the QC department. If you are interested in joining QC, do yourself a favor. Find someone who works in the department on LinkedIn, ask them about their experience and how they like it. I guarantee anyone you reach out to will gladly reiterate what is stated in this review.

Explore other reviews about Lonza

5.0
8 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Diverse opportunities across departments as one wanted

Cons

Provide decent pay and benefits

4.0
14 May 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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