Moderna Reviews

Pros

Moderna is a very exciting work environment. Leaders and team are highly engaged -- especially if you like creating, building and breaking new ground. There are many opportunities to learn, as well as, to leave your mark . The Executive Team is very accessible and open to hearing proposals for making things better and faster.

Cons

Moderna is a young company and still 'under construction' in many areas. If you are not willing to roll-up your sleeves and help to build the future, Moderna might a difficult place. If you are expecting a finely tuned machine with a well-established work routine, you may be disappointed.

Advice to Management

Sometimes there are too many concurrent 'top priorities'. If everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority.

Pros

Friendly collaborative people. The company is based on a single technology platform (mRNA) meaning all employees have a common mission. Leadership believes in the technology . Reasonably good benefits.

Cons

Currently in between the earlier frenetic approach to product development and now as a public company needing to be more frugal and measured.

Advice to Management

Some turnover at upper levels isn't a bad thing.

Pros

You have probably heard that Moderna can be a challenging place to work, so let me share my experience and thoughts on what it's like to work here. Moderna is truly doing amazing things, along with this comes the need to work hard and manage multiple priorities and fill holes as we grow. You are going to need to step in and advocate for what you believe is the right things to do, respectfully question peoples... approaches and come to the best answer. Does this make it easy to get things done? not always, but we are focused on delivering the best outcomes for patients and learning to do things differently. We are doing this while advancing a unprecedented number of drugs through the clinic. This quote comes to mind when I think about Moderna: “When companies grow quickly, there are more things to do than there are people to do them. When companies grow more slowly or stop growing, there is less to do and too many people to be doing them. Politics and stagnation set in, and everyone falters. He told me, "If you're offered a seat on a rocket ship, you don't ask what seat. You just get on." Eric Schmidt in 2001 when he was Google’s CEO Some of the pros of working here: Engaged, Focused, and smart people working to develop a new class of medicines Great benefits; 90% of medical premiums paid, free lunch, 16 weeks paid parental leave for males and females, equity for all full-time employees, free lunch every day, great commuter benefits.

Cons

Workload - you need to be skilled and prioritizing and making trade-offs

Pros

Nice benefits, free lunch in Cambridge or stipend lunch in Norwood, interesting science being worked on, most people are friendly

Cons

Some under qualified employees hold high level titles, it seems priority at some points is for green initiatives and employee swag (instead of the science, maintaining the facilities, ensuring there are enough employees per team, finding desk space for employees)

Advice to Management

Hire more people where needed and slowly phase in cross-training

Pros

Company Culture. Sense of belonging.

Cons

Difficult to move up in the company. Takes longer than expected.

Pros

Great teams, very collaborative. It feels like everyone is working very hard to achieve the same goal.

Cons

Long hours and a bit stressful to meet tight deadlines.

Pros

Insurance is pretty comparable to other companies, subsidized transportation, free lunch is nice if you don’t mind waiting in line and having no where to sit but at your desk most days

Cons

The culture is almost non existent but is talked up constantly by upper management. People are stressed and not happy to be at work, are overworked and cut corners which makes me question the quality of some of the work. Everyone constantly complains how absolutely freezing cold it is in the offices. People have to wear jackets inside in the summer. Space is really limited to the point that it feels like a turf war.... This is one of the most unwelcoming places I’ve ever worked. Some of the language used and stories I’ve overheard are completely offensive and sound like bullying. It’s completely embarrassing to think this has been going on without anyone stepping in. How does this get overlooked? I guess people don’t reach out to HR anymore because they don’t trust that HR is there for the employee. HR is really there for the company.

Advice to Management

My biggest advice: people can handle stress tons of work etc. but once the environment becomes toxic and the culture is ruined by hateful language, and that language is accepted by others around them, then people don’t seem to care about their work anymore. The amount of talking behind people’s backs makes it feel like being back in high school. It shouldn’t be shrugged off and creates a very hostile environment... that needs to be addressed. The new hires shouldn’t come in and look around wondering why this was ever okay.

Pros

Great Benefits and Perks, HR Team is responsive with proven leadership. Could be a great place to work but in dire need of help with living up to the core values with some current managers.

Cons

Communication and expectation setting deplorable. Managers in dire need of leadership training. Environment fosters negativity. Has great potential but there needs to be a solid growth plan, needs assessment and significant improvement with work life balance. Open concept seating meant for collaboration but it is proven to be a detriment not a help. Not enough thank you's for the work being done but a lot of... negativity for what needs to be done with current staff and management.

Advice to Management

Develop management training program with a defined measurement strategy to help managers manage people that includes growth plans and career paths. Develop ways to improve work life balance by allowing 10 hour 4 day work weeks in the summer months to motivate people and allow for ample time with family or providing flexible work schedules that are supported. Improve business processes that are realistic and aren't... micro managed to the extent it impedes the ability to progress. Needs assessment throughout departments for ample staffing. Lastly, remove the managers that are causing dissatisfaction and turnover to allow for consistency, growth and improvements. If it's broken, fix it.