Avantages
The benefits and career growth opportunities are huge at Genentech. Although the base pay may not keep up with the start-up and smaller biotech companies, the stability, wealth of knowledge and benefits/bonus make up for it in spades. Senior management is extremely technically strong and do not make decisions without taking into account the scientific impact of any business decision. The company is making incredibly intelligent decisions regarding growth and is very careful to maintain its culture with every move. It's a place that I truly enjoy working at every day and really feel as though the work I do is meaningful.
Inconvénients
Because the company has grown so much over the last few years it has suffered a few growing pains. Some of the long-time employees came in with very large, complicated systems and the company is having a bit of trouble breaking out of some of these habits. There is a push for simplification and hopefully that will change in the next few years. The only current problem is in some of the loss of culture. Down the line when the company starts producing the blockbuster drugs again it may change, but it is in a serious middle ground for the next few years.