Pros
Working in an organisation that blends science and technology is a really interesting place to be - not just in terms of the work but also the types of people and perspectives that come together on a project. There have been a lot of changes recently in terms of helping IDBS grow up and grow into a more commercially-minded organisation – I have thought that these were changes for the better. As with any smaller organisation, the career paths are less structured, but I see this as a positive in terms of being able to get involved in other areas and projects that interest me. Particularly if you're from a science background you can work towards transitions into other areas of the business. Many people at IDBS can tell you of how they moved between departments. The work is interesting and challenging, and if you’re proactive in sharing plans for career development then this is generally supported. There's a lot of flexibility in terms of working hours, working location etc. if it's manageable for your role. The traffic on the Research Park can be frustrating if there are issues on the A3 but it’s not too often.
Cons
My perception is not that the turnover is high at IDBS – from my experience people move on as they have other opportunities elsewhere that IDBS simply can't support. To me this is both a positive and a negative. It's a smaller organisation - sometimes things can be crazy busy, other times things are more manageable - the headcount is limited and our team works around that. At the same time there's quite a lot of opportunity for autonomy and I like that too - but you might not like that if you want a more structured, defined and clear-cut role.
