Working at the FMI
The Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research offers attractive conditions of employment in an international working environment. We are committed to providing our employees with competitive compensation and benefits, and to promoting an environment supporting the health, diversity, and general wellbeing of everybody working at the FMI. Through our affiliation with Novartis, we can make use of many people and organization related benefits from that pharmaceutical company.
Employment conditions for FMI employees
(including PhD students and postdocs)
Child and family allowance
Employees who take care of children of minor age or children in education receive a monthly family allowance, as well as a monthly child/education allowance per child.
Counseling services
- In-house Guidance Counsellor for students and postdocs.
- Personal and career coaching by Head of HR.
- Novartis internal counseling services in all matters (personal, family, financial, work-related) - free of charge, on a confidential and discreet basis.
FMI grants 18 weeks of paid maternity leave to all employees. Partners of postdocs and students are granted a ten-day leave upon the birth of their child. In the case of permanent employees, partners can benefit from 18 weeks of paid parental leave.
Meals
- On campus kiosk serving highly subsidized hot meals.
- Access to the Novartis cantines at discounted rates.
- Many restaurants and take-away places in the area.
Employees have access to occupational medical services on campus.
Pension fund
Employees are ensured by the Novartis Pension Fund.
Salary
The annual base salary (gross income) is paid in 12 monthly installments. The rates for PhD students and postdocs are in accordance with the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Social security insurance
- In case of illness or accident continued salary payment for limited time period.
- Insurance against occupational and non-occupational accidents.
- Possibility to join the collective health insurance agreement with SWICA on favorable terms.
- On campus fitness club.
- Fitness club on the Novartis campus at discounted annual subscription.
- Several FMI sports teams who train/play together, including a running team, a football team, a climbing team, etc.
- Weekly scientific seminars open to all, at FMI and Novartis.
- Several career-related events per year.
- In-house subsidized German courses.
Five weeks paid leave per calendar year plus nine public holidays in Switzerland. In addition, the FMI grants five days off, which are mainly used to bridge public holidays.
Life in Basel, life at the FMI
Learn more on our Living in Basel page and our Student Life page (several of the activities listed here are open to all employees).
