Careers in Switzerland

Life Sciences

Use your medical or science degree to improve health and well-being around the world

You might not have thought of management consulting as a possible career choice if you have an advanced medical or science degree. By joining McKinsey, you will work together with our clients in industry, government, and public health—clients who provide you with opportunities to help them achieve breakthrough innovations and to make substantial improvements in the health and well-being of people around the world.

Why join us

Life sciences is one of the most exciting and fastest-changing industry sectors served by McKinsey. The Swiss office has a strong group of consultants dedicated to our pharmaceutical, healthcare, and nonprofit sectors. You will work in teams with colleagues and members of client organizations. You will focus on arriving at practical solutions that powerfully address our clients’ greatest challenges.

For many of us, our most meaningful work is with leading global public-health organizations, often on a pro bono basis. Recent projects with urgent health implications include assisting world leaders with the response to the Ebola outbreak from 2013–2016, helping WHO significantly improve the global vaccine deployment plan. Other projects include for example designing a phone application to increase the quality of life of patients suffering from ultra-rare diseases and preparing the launch of an innovative diagnostic platform for a new startup. This work changes the lives of those we help and of those who offer that help.

Transition from science

Almost half of our consultants don’t hold business degrees; they’re doctors, scientists, lawyers, and professionals with an astonishing range of academic qualifications. We do everything we can to ensure that your transition into the unfamiliar territory of business is as smooth as possible. We provide intensive business immersion training for those from nonbusiness backgrounds. And we continue to invest in your professional development throughout your tenure, offering training in strategy, finance, nonprofits, social issues, and leadership.

Who we are looking for

We are particularly interested in the unique skills, knowledge, and perspectives that come from your medical, scientific, or healthcare-policy background. You can join us after having completed a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degree. We look for candidates with an excellent academic record, a first practical experience preferably in industry (in the form of internships/first work experience) and a desire for personal impact demonstrated through specific projects, and/or extracurricular engagements. In addition to English, it is a strong advantage to speak German (C1) for our Zurich office or French (C1) for our Geneva office. If you want to help make significant, lasting improvements in healthcare, we invite you to get to know us.

Many routes to McKinsey

When I realized that I could continue building on my scientific knowledge of both food and biomedical engineering while working in the fast-paced world of consulting, I took the leap.
Corina Curschellas
Partner, Zurich

Advanced degrees and experience in biomedical engineering and food science

Recent projects

Leading biotech company prepares global launch plan

A global biotech company was launching a follow-up blockbuster drug. For phase 1, our consultants worked with several countries—across different functions—to optimize their launch plans. For instance, we worked with Market Access to develop scenarios to better understand the elasticity of the pricing. We collaborated with Medical Affairs to develop a communications strategy to reach physicians and identify key patient groups. The launch plan we developed with the first set of countries served as a blueprint for the follow-on countries. It also provided insights at the local level, such as competitive intensity, and how to position the new product within the portfolio.

Global healthcare company defines “best in class” digital learning

A healthcare company wanted to innovate how they deliver medical education in a transparent and compliant way. We interviewed 200+ physicians, opinion leaders, and online-education specialists to understand the requirements and the trends in medical education. Working with McKinsey Digital Labs, we developed two solution prototypes, which we tested and rapidly iterated, using the latest development techniques. Finally, we developed the business model, defining the partnership between our client and their customers. One year later, our client launched this digital solution and redefined best-in-class medical education in the industry.