What it does: Global pharmaceutical group of companies involved in research and manufacturing.
Mission: To build sustainable, all-round growth that benefits everybody.
Size & Presence: Approximately 50,000 employees across 147 affiliate companies.
Best known for: Being the largest private pharmaceutical corporation in the world.
The good bits: Professional & flexible work environment.
The not so good bits: R&D has a top-down approach where management has more decision-making opportunities.
For over 130 years, we’ve been committed to discovering, developing and delivering advanced healthcare products for humans and animals. We’re a global, family-owned company – so, while we’re always looking for opportunities to grow, we put people at the heart of everything we do. We believe that, if we have talented and ambitious people who are passionate about innovation, there’s no limit to what we can achieve; after all, we started with just 28 people.
With 47,700 employees in 103 countries, Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world's top 20 pharmaceutical companies. Since its foundation in 1885, the family-owned company has been pursuing an ambitious goal: to research and develop innovative pharmaceuticals that improve the health and quality of life of humans and animals alike.
Our vision can be summed up in a few words: Value through Innovation. We’ve adopted this approach to ensure that we can take care of our people, patients and partners, now and in the future. The overarching objective is to build sustainable, all-round growth that benefits everybody. In order to achieve this goal, we continually develop new, effective treatments alongside our established products and encourage our people to move forward. And while we do this, we treat everyone with care and provide a sense of responsibility. Together, we’re dedicated to improving human and animal health.
Our corporate culture is rooted in our sense of responsibility. We strive to be caring, considerate and open in everything we do. We are involved in social development projects worldwide, e.g. our “Making More Health” initiative; and we promote a healthy work-life balance for all our employees. In addition, the fact we reinvest more than 20% of our revenues into R&D to develop our medications organically sets us apart from other pharmaceutical companies.
At Boehringer Ingelheim, we understand the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We understand that this importance is multi-faceted, having for example, social, legal, compliance and economic perspectives. Through each of these “D&I lenses”, we are committed.
We believe the power of diversity is only unleashed in an inclusive workplace. Inclusion creates a working environment where every employee feels a sense of belonging by working towards shared goals, while at the same time being and feeling valued for individual uniqueness. We work globally with integrity and passion. We treat everyone with empathy, respect, and trust to nurture a diverse, collaborative, open and inclusive environment.
We believe that each person has a part to play in creating this inclusive environment. Whether our unique perspectives come from our employees’ backgrounds or from our wide range of partners and suppliers, we proudly weave diversity and inclusion into the fabric of who we are.
As a family-owned company from modest beginnings, we value growth at every level. It’s about broadening horizons and being brave enough to take the next step. It’s setting the bar high and continuing to raise it. Our investment in sustainable growth makes sure that our people reach their full potential so that our medicines can reach more humans and animals around the world.
Job openings are regularly updated on the official website of Boehringer Ingelheim (BI). The four functional channels across which jobs are divided are research & development, manufacturing, commercial, and enabling functions. Aspiring candidates are advised to carefully filter jobs according to these streams and location before making an application. An employee referral also proves to be fruitful in getting hired at BI.
Depending on the location where the applicant is applying, the process may take anywhere between one day to one month. For graduates in the field of business & management, generally, candidates are directly called for rigorous interviews with upper management from BI. Prior to this, a telephone interview may be required, depending on the location of the candidate.
Candidates are advised to hone their soft skills since they are expected to be able to answer questions about work ethics, professional engagements, and personal interest in the respective field. Potential employees are also expected to know about the pharmaceutical industry and the place of BI in it. There may be three to four rounds of interviews, including one with HR, and each may last for about an hour.
For graduates from science, the process may start with a telephone interview with HR or senior research directors. The next step would be an on-site interview, which may be with a panel of scientists or taken in the form of a seminar. Candidates are expected to answer behavioral questions in addition to having knowledge about the subject. The questions during the interview are generally not difficult. In the seminar format, the candidate is expected to give a small presentation on a topic of their interest to a team of scientists, followed by a discussion on the topic. The entire process is designed to vet if the candidate will fit into the lab dynamics and ethics. For most roles, an on-site interview is almost always a requirement, therefore, candidates must be prepared to visit the office of BI where they plan to join.
Employees of BI may choose to move to other global corporations working in the pharmaceutical industry like AstraZeneca, Abbott, IQVIA, and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories. Within the company, employees will have a chance to take advantage of the many collaborations BI facilitates with universities for MBA, postdoctoral programs, and certifications. Such benefits exist for junior employees, as well as senior executives, who are encouraged to apply for the many leadership programs BI runs so that they can expand their responsibilities or advance career paths. BI also fosters a global environment, encouraging employees to consider careers abroad within the company.
As a successful, independent, family-owned company we plan not in quarters but in generations to allow our success story to be long-term and sustainable. And we know: An important factor in the success of Boehringer Ingelheim is the dedication and engagement of its employees.
As a family business, which is geared towards long-term employment, we offer many attractive employer benefits apart from a competitive base pay – Our Benefits. The range of Our Benefits is broad and “colorful”! This diversity is close to our heart. We are convinced that every person is unique, this is why we offer a varied range of benefits to fit many life situations or individual needs, both professionally and personally.
Being dedicated at work while balancing your private life with all its challenges, this is what our offers in the category “Work Life Balance” are all about.
Well-being and health are precious – our offers in the category “Wellness” help you to achieve and maintain them, and ensure a healthy lifestyle in the long term.
From supportive services to safeguards against risks – with our offers in the category “Financial health” you stay in control of your financial situation.
Our innovation power and strengths would not be possible without you – with our offers in the category “Rewards and Recognition” we are also emphasizing our special recognition.
We never lose touch with our mission: improving the health of humans and animals. To do this, we must be a caring, responsible and committed company, both within and outside our core activities. The ethical principles that have guided our company for over 130 years have created a culture of corporate citizenship, mutual respect and fairness. This underpins our commitment to protecting the environment and to the highest standards of ethics and transparency.
We’re dedicated to serving people and animals around the world. That’s why we research diseases to continuously develop effective new treatments and therapies. Responsibility as a corporate culture, for us, means much more than business obligations. It’s our duty to care for ourselves, each other and our world. We consider it our responsibility to promote corporate citizenship by fostering economic and social wellbeing in the countries and communities to which our business connects us.