Think before you apply! - Postdoctoral Fellow AstraZeneca Employee Review

2.0
Sep 10, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great place to work as long as you are not a Postdoc. Would advise applying to a Senior scientist role straight after a PhD.

Cons

Matrix working environment means that Postdocs are at the same career level as graduates, Master and PhD students - Postdocs are not undervalued! Not much effort gets out into reviewing project proposals that eventually get funded - especially regarding resources, budget, novelty of the project. More ideas are based on ill-planned pilot studies. Zero opportunity to get any training on the industry experience - immense pressure to publish while not actually providing ample support. Postdoc projects are disconnected from what the rest of the team does - often making the 3 years very arduous and an isolating experience. The programme does not encourage feedback - good or bad. Always criticized when you challenge the status quo. There is far more value towards career progression when you leave the company, than when you are actually there. Establishing confidentiality agreements with academic collaborators can take up to a year - because Postdoc projects do not fall under any tier / project prioritization, slowing down the entire process. The programme is definitely oversold during the interview and doesn't live up to those expectations once you are actually hired. Extreme limitations and restrictions on attending conferences - often being denied of the opportunity. Sign-on bonuses are team-specific. People have gotten 5k to move from London to Cambridge. But nothing when moving from abroad - goes on to show the overall lack of standardization. Payscale, although better than academia, is very arbitrary - prior experiences don't seem to count towards anything. Little to no power to negotiate starting pay.

Explore other reviews about AstraZeneca

5.0
Jun 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefits, good pay, healthy growth potential

Cons

Big company, not the most flexibility

5.0
Apr 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I imagine this is very dependent on line management but I find my team and supervisors to be true champions of a high performing and highly compassionate work culture. I find my work challenging and rewarding, and have had opportunities to learn and grow and be rewarded and recognized for my output. No job is perfect but I’m truly happy to work here and at a time when AZ is truly rising like a rocket.

Cons

Like any massive global corporate entity, things can sometimes move slowly and it can be challenging to navigate a high number of constantly evolving priorities and initiatives. That being said, AZ is very clear about its north stars and values which makes it possible to prioritize work that has the most impact and alignment with the company’s ambition and business prerogatives. 60% office attendance policy is also a bit funny when oftentimes I am on Teams calls with colleagues sitting in other areas of the world.

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