Swissmedic employees tell their story Why we like working here
What makes a good employer? When employees feel involved and valued? When there is room for further development? Or when employers bear employees in mind and respond to their needs? The answer is: “Everything is important!” At least that is the opinion of ten Swissmedic employees we interviewed.
Katrin Bürk
Unit Head, Clinical Assessment
Katrin, a neurologist and adjunct professor at the University of Tübingen, switched sides in 2021 – from everyday clinical practice to Swissmedic.
“I worked in clinics for over 30 years, mainly in the field of neurodegenerative and rare neurological diseases. Clinical workloads changed fundamentally over this time and had become increasingly more regulated. At some point, I began to want to develop myself further and discover new areas of activity. Since I had always enjoyed working as a scientific expert, Swissmedic seemed to be the right move. As a clinical assessor, I reviewed the texts of information for healthcare professionals and assessed new substances for three years. In the summer of 2024, I then took over as unit head. Just like when I first joined Swissmedic, I was able to immerse myself in something completely new. And that’s exciting! This time, I also have the advantage of being able to better assess the needs of my team, based on my own role as a clinical assessor.”
Ronny Hediger
is an infrastructure/IT architect in Enterprise Architecture and Portfolio
After ten years, the IT specialist quit Swissmedic – and returned a year later.
“During my first appointment at Swissmedic, I was involved in many exciting projects and introduced systems that were ground-breaking at the time. When not much was moving forward after a restructure, I quit. But I always kept in touch with my old boss. When he offered me an exciting project, I didn’t think twice and returned to Swissmedic. You often don’t realise what you have in an employer until you quit. What fascinates me about my job is being involved in digital change. Funnily enough, our new platform will soon replace the very system that I helped introduce during my first appointment.”
Anja Corniel
Special Infrastructure Assistant, Operational Support Services, Submission Management
Anja Corniel initially worked for Swissmedic as an external employee for seven years. She has been an internal employee since 2022.
“After working for Swissmedic in IT support for a long time via an IT company, I wanted to change careers. I liked the appreciative atmosphere at Swissmedic. So when I saw the job advertisement for a specialist infrastructure assistant, I applied – and ended up in Operational Support Services. As an internal employee, I have much better employment conditions; I am more flexible thanks to annual working hours and can work from home. At first, such freedoms almost overwhelmed me, but now I can’t imagine it any other way. Although I used to work for Swissmedic, I wasn’t really part of it. This was most evident at events like Christmas parties, which are only for internal employees. Now, I’m part of the team.”
Stefania Camerata
Specialist Assistant, Stakeholder Engagement Division
After many years within hospitals, Stefania Camerata has been employed at Swissmedic for six months. She tells us how she has found these first few months.
“I’ve been working as a specialist assistant at Swissmedic since March 2024 and feel very much at home here. The onboarding process also has a big effect on how you feel in a new job. At Swissmedic, there are various induction events for new employees. But the little things are also important: If you have a workstation set up, a laptop that works and a name tag ready, you feel welcome right from the start.”
Michael Köhli
is Head of the Medical Devices Surveillance 1 Unit
He holds a doctorate in biology and came to Swissmedic from industry in 2014. He initially monitored medical devices as an inspector before moving into management.
“My role has changed radically compared to before: As an inspector, I would review documentation on medical devices and carry out fact-finding inspections. Today, I’m constantly in contact with people and deal with questions such as how we can achieve goals together. It’s a whole different way of working – but this is exactly the type of change I was consciously seeking. In general, changes in the world of work and the opportunity for further development appeal to me. A lot has changed at Swissmedic since I started: We have grown and become more diverse and younger as a team. I recommend that specialists who, like me, move into a management role specifically develop their own leadership skills early on.”
Fabienne Biétry
Scientific Officer in the Medicinal Product Licences and Surveillance Sector
A doctorate pharmacist, she has been tracking down illegal medicinal products for Swissmedic for around two and a half years.
“Swissmedic is an expert organisation, with doctors, chemists, pharmacists and biologists working here. This mix is what makes the work so interesting for me. In the past, I was mainly surrounded by engineers in the medtech industry, which is why I appreciate the stimulating environment at Swissmedic even more. I also like the fact that you can approach anyone and exchange ideas at any time. External input is welcome – which is also reflected in the lunchtime presentations, at which employees and guests regularly give interesting talks.”
Martin Ziak
heads the Complementary and Herbal Medicines Division
Martin, a biochemist, has been with Swissmedic since 2009 and has already taken his first steps towards digitalisation: Once, documents used to be delivered by the truckload in paper form; today, everything is done on screen.
“I’ve always found learning new things exciting – whether in my previous work as a researcher or through further training. I’m currently doing a CAS in Change Management. In addition to professional and personal development, it gives me the opportunity to exchange ideas with others, learn from each other and network. I’m encouraging my team members to take advantage of this opportunity: ‘Thanks to further training, you have something else up your sleeve and are competitive!’ In our role as an agency, we also need to have at least the same level of knowledge as our stakeholders, so we have to keep up-to-date at all times. It’s never too late to acquire knowledge, learning knows no age limit!”
Regina Wittwer
Divisional Assistant in the Medicinal Product Licences and Surveillance Sector, Laboratories Division
She has been working at Swissmedic since 2018 – including a one-year break.
“A personal stroke of fate made me realise that plans cannot be postponed forever. As I couldn’t take unpaid leave of more than three months due to my short period of employment, I looked for another solution. I had many talks with HR managers and superiors, during which I felt much appreciated. In the end, I quit my job and at the same time applied for a position that was to become vacant a year later. It worked! I was able to return to Swissmedic in June 2022, for which I am very grateful. As part of a postgraduate course in project management, I am currently writing my thesis on the topic of “How internal assistance networks can tap into previously unrecognised synergies”. Here, too, I have received much support from Swissmedic, where doors are always open – which shows how much Swissmedic values active participation. This freedom fills me with enthusiasm and drive.”
Jasmina Huber
Specialist in the Medicinal Product Licences and Surveillance Sector
Jasmina, who holds a doctorate in chemistry, is deputy head of a laboratory unit and has been with Swissmedic since 2018. She will soon embark on further training at the University of Basel.
“I was looking out for further training in the medical field – because it interests me and we can use the know-how in our Division. I came across the Diploma of Advanced Studies in Pharmaceutical Medicine at the Medical Faculty of the University of Basel – my manager Magali Gobet was likewise enthusiastic. The course lasts for two years and, with regard to content, it fits the bill perfectly. It will give me an insight into the world of clinical studies and everything that is needed – from the development to the marketing of new therapeutic products. This knowledge will be valuable not only for our Division but also beyond, as cross-divisional cooperation is essential at Swissmedic.”
Thomas Pulver
Specialist in the Facility Management Division
Thomas, a trained and fully qualified electrician, appreciates the openness to ideas and the ability to make a difference.
“Whether it’s technical systems, cleaning or troubleshooting – together with my team of four, I’m responsible for all on-site operations at Freiburgstrasse. Before I started at Swissmedic in 2022, I was responsible for supporting Swissmedic’s infrastructure on behalf of another company. So I knew what to expect when it came to the buildings. What’s new is that I now have a lot more responsibility. This is because Facility Management makes a lot of decisions itself and works quite autonomously. After completing further training as a maintenance specialist last year, I am now training to become Head of Facility Management. I’m attending courses every Friday and every other Saturday, over four semesters. And I’m learning so much.”
