Vault’s Verdict

Blue Matter continues to go from strength to strength, leveraging an ever-more-lustrous reputation within the life sciences sector to win both repeat and new business from an expanding client roster. As such, insiders have no shortage of interesting work to sink their teeth into, and a range of exciting career progression opportunities.

Thankfully, the firm also offers excellent work-life balance management, ensuring that insiders don’t get burned out, even as the work continues to flow in. Definitely one to consider for those seeking a high potential career in life sciences without huge personal life tradeoffs.

Firm Culture

“Blue Matter is a great place to start out your career. There is a lot of support and they put a lot of time and thought into the development of their consultants.”

“Continuous learning opportunities on interesting, high impact projects.”

“Perfect boutique consulting firm to step in: very interesting and demanding projects within the healthcare supply chain, strong coaching and training offered whilst allowing to make a contribution very quickly. Great office area and location, not just to work but also to socialize.”

“The culture is better than any I have come across. The leadership really values its people and their happiness.”

“Everybody is extremely nice and ready to help out a fellow colleague. We actively try to achieve work-life balance compared to other companies that view the consulting staff as a resource and is running them into the ground. We want to make long-term consulting viable for all employees.”

Quality of Life

“Best: Blue Matter has a great culture, with regular team building activities and a relaxed feel to the office. There are global team meetings across all the offices which really helps to build a company-wide culture. Additionally, there are opportunities to interact with clients almost immediately, alongside very supportive management and you are able to progress at your own rate. Currently in the office 2-3 days a week, which is perfect to maintain the team culture, with client travel required on a project-by-project basis.

Worst: As with the majority of consulting firms, there are periods of high workload which impacts work-life balance. These have increased recently as the firm is growing but have not yet become unmanageable.”

“Blue Matter provides an excellent quality of life and flexibility. Hours are reasonable, travel requirements are low and it is easy to take time off.”

“Simply spectacular while still delivering highest quality work on exciting and challenging projects. Individual needs are respected, acknowledged and our time not taken for granted.”

“Upper management are extremely proactive and accommodating to ensure employees are happy with work-life balance and arrangements including things such as holiday, mat/pat leave, working hours, project staffing etc.”

“Work-life balance and good work culture are a huge part of working at Blue Matter and are very important to the entire team. A lot of time and intention goes into ensuring this.”

Compensation

“Great compensation package, especially if you are breaking it down to the hours we work compared to other consultancies out there. Additional wellness efforts & education programs are extremely broad and can be used for almost anything.”

“Best aspect is base salary - I believe at the upper end of the range in our geography. Worst aspect is parental leave policy - not in line with other European firms, although probably more generous than most US-based firms (our company is US-headquartered).”

“Blue Matter's salary is very competitive versus other firms and there are salary reviews twice a year which often result in a good percentage increase. In addition to the health & wellness benefit, there is also a continuing education benefit which puts money towards learning a new skill outside of work (pretty much anything!) which promotes a healthy work-life balance.”

“The firm offers a competitive salary and bonus scheme.”

Career Development

“I could not imagine my opportunities to work on my development opportunities being any better. The leadership team encourages everybody to be very proactive and is making a huge effort in actively giving you the opportunities you wish for as you communicate them.”

“Best: Blue Matter really stands out in terms of the mentoring received as a consulting team member. The family feel of the company allows you to build strong relationships with your managers, who are keen to help you progress and develop in your career. The management team keep an eye on your experience across different project / client types and discuss your professional development goals within staffing meetings, so you develop a strong core consulting skillset. The promotion process is more regular than other firms (every 6 months). 

Worst: There is some variation between offices in the skillset required for each level, which makes it unclear what the expectations are for promotion. Time in role also influences the promotion process, rather than being based solely on individual performance.”

“Excellent review and promotion process every 6 months with great internal promotion and retention rates of employees. Strong representation and support for diversity, LGBTQ+ and charitable pursuits.”

“Our performance management and professional development programs are on par or better than most large firms. We have formal programs in place for new consultants, new managers, and new leaders. We have twice yearly performance reviews that include 360 feedback and are taken quite seriously by senior leadership.”

“The firm puts a lot of intentional discussion into the development of their consultants. It is important to them and there is transparency around it.”

Community Engagement

“Blue Matter is a firm that wholeheartedly promotes and respects diversity across all groups.”

“Blue Matter's D&I efforts are excellent. We have a broad representation of people from multiple nationalities, speaking a wide range of languages, and coming from an extensive range of backgrounds.”

“Overall very inclusive; active DEI team leads our efforts in this space.”

“There are some internal groups such as Blue Matter Female & Femme, LGBTQ+ Pride group, Racial Diversity group however they seem a bit more US-focused. The hiring process does not seem to account for unconscious bias in any way, which I see as harmful to D&I.”

Business Outlook

"Since I joined Blue Matter in 2019, each year has been a record-breaking year in terms of revenue and we also experience healthy growth in size. The leadership team makes it clear that they are willing to sacrifice short-term monetary gain to keep the growth healthy and retain our company's values and culture.”

“Best: The firm is growing both in terms of employees and office locations, highlighting the growth of the company. There are also new company offerings being developed which provides new business for the company. The expanding capabilities and client base will lead to interesting and impactful projects for the consulting team...so the outlook looks good!

Worst: There is space for some additional senior level positions which could help drive new business at an office level. There is a lot of reliance on a single partner for business which can be limiting.”

“Firm has been growing substantially and consistently with phenomenal client feedback. Have struggled to hire due to highly competitive market.”

“The life sciences sector is well positioned, and Blue Matter is focused on the highest growth and most important new areas within life sciences. Blue Matter continues to add and build capabilities that differentiate it versus other consultancies.”

“Very strong YoY growth for past 5-7 years and strong strategic plan to further fuel growth into the future. Healthcare by nature is somehow conservative. So far we stay close to this core.”

Hiring Process

“Academically very selective - we look almost exclusively for PhDs in the life sciences. Occasionally offers will be extended to exceptional Masters students. Most entry level candidates in the UK come from Oxbridge or London universities and have recently completed their PhD. Interview process for entry level is: 2 phone screens, in-person assessment centre (2 case studies, a couple 1:1s with peer level consultants and behavioural / fit interview with managing partner), and a final callback for a presentation on a passion subject.”

“Character of the individual is extremely important due to the exceptional culture currently fostered and the seriousness with which founders and employees take company values. Interviews tend to be longer case studies, in depth, and with several ‘informal’ interviews to meet the team.” 

“There are usually two phone screens, an in-person assessment day and a follow-up interview (if needed). The ideal candidate will have a PhD in life sciences, have demonstrated business / consulting interest and be a good fit with the team.”

Interview Questions

“Ask people what their passion is, what makes them 'tick'.”

“Life science case studies and behavioural interviews.”

“Typical business case, role play, presentation, behavioural.”