Pros

AstraZeneca is a good place to work, and they have a long history in drug discovery, so it's also a great place to learn. There are several employees with 20+ years of experience and they're valuable resources. The compensation is inline with industry standards and the benefits are some of the best available. 6% match, dollar for dollar, on 401k, a retirement plan too, all the usual health care benefits, signing bonus, cost of living adjustments and relocation $$, and a very strong annual bonus system -- 20-30% in cash, and the same percentage in LTI stock.

Cons

The downside is that the company loyalty is strong and very few people leave the company, resulting in limited promotion opportunities. Since pharma is contracting right now, many of the divisions are not growing, so that also limits opportunities. The annual salary adjustments are usually 3-4%, which is sometimes out of line with inflation, but the bonus can make up for it.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep the research sites separate, as it is good to have individualism as long as we share best pactices between sites for everyone's improvement.