Anita Niederhauser started her career at Ypsomed as a trainee. After six months, she switched to a fixed position and has been working in the Regulatory Affairs department at Ypsomed since February 2022. The 27-year-old finished her bachelor's degree in medical technology at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) during the Corona period and had to start looking for a job during this challenging time. As one of the few companies at the time, Ypsomed offered opportunities for young professionals, Anita explains. That's why she moved from her place of study in Basel to Olten, where she shares a flat with her brother. In addition to her work at Ypsomed, Anita is currently studying part-time for a master's degree in biomedical engineering at the FHNW.
Anita, what are your tasks with us?
My main task is to obtain all the necessary documents and records that we need for the registration and approval of our products in other countries. This also includes the notification of changes to the products. For this, I correspond a lot with notaries and embassies to get the documents and have them certified. I gather information, bundle and structure it. In the process, I deal with a wide variety of countries. Besides European countries and the USA, there are also some exotic countries, such as Egypt, South Korea, or Saudi Arabia. Currently, it is difficult to get documents to Russia because of the embargo.
While in Europe and the USA all documents are available in English, in other countries they are only available in the national language. That's demanding and makes for variety; things are a bit different everywhere. I often work under time pressure because a document is needed very quickly. I have to read a lot and be very precise. In the end, the documents should be written in a way that others can understand.
What do you like about the work and the company?
At Ypsomed, I have the feeling that I am working for something good. Our products help people. That's why I studied medical technology. My work is very varied. Every day can be different. I have a lot of contact with other people, partly with colleagues who work in other areas, but also with people from other countries. I like that.
Ypsomed is also incredibly flexible, so I can combine work and study. My lecture times change every seven weeks, but I can attend all lectures. That's possible because I can organise my work very freely. I also like the fact that you can ask colleagues if you don't know something. They always take the time to explain it to you. That has never been a problem. Despite our enormous growth, it remains familiar. As a young professional, I have room to develop. The people help me with that, I find that valuable.
What is a normal working day like for you?
In the morning I never know what might happen during the day, I like that. That's why I check my emails first to see what tasks are coming up. All changes to our products must be assessed by Regulatory Affairs. We assess whether they must be reported or not. And there are quite a lot of changes! I am often on the phone, writing emails or reading documents. There are often spontaneous phone calls and short clarifications. Since my lecture programme changes frequently, I work very differently. But I try to be on site a lot and work full days if possible. If I only have half days available, I work from home.
How would you like to develop?
This summer I will start my master's thesis. After that, I would like to go more into product development.
What is life like in Solothurn and Burgdorf?
I find both Solothurn and Burgdorf beautiful. However, I live in Olten to be able to combine work and my studies. I still have strong roots in my hometown of Zug because I am active in a club - in a Guggenmusik, the season runs from September to March. That is why I am travelling a lot.
Do you commute? What are your experiences with it?
I take public transport from Olten to Solothurn or Burgdorf. It takes between 35 and 45 minutes and that is fine for me.
Which three hashtags would you use to describe Ypsomed?
#open, #flexible, #familiar
