SciVida

Vault’s Verdict

At SciVida, growth is the name of the game. The firm is a true meritocracy that values entrepreneurial self-starters and offers the potential for rapid promotion as it grows rapidly year over year. Between this entrepreneurial energy and the firm’s commitment to doing consulting the right way, you might think the firm would be a churn-and-burn operation, but it’s not. SciVida insiders laud how their leadership team cares about them individually and goes the extra mile to protect work-life balance.

One other aspect of SciVida that insiders love is its commitment to promoting diversity in consulting. The firm partners with the nonprofit organization Level the Playing Field, providing donations, pro bono services, and other initiatives to help its partner introduce people from underrepresented backgrounds to consulting. It also hires interns regularly from the program.

Looking ahead, insiders say that SciVida has a strong business outlook. Their only concern, really, is how they’ll be able to maintain the firm’s close-knit culture and high performance as it continues to grow. If you think you’d like to be a part of that journey, it’s definitely worth applying.

Employee Reviews

Firm Culture

• “The quality of life here is amazing! Everyone is incredibly kind and invested in you and your growth as a consultant. They care about you as an individual.”
• “The firm takes care of team members when someone is sick or has a family member or pet in need. It is this personal touch that reminds team members that they are important and the company really cares about them.”
• “My favorite perk is eating lunch together each week. Everyone from interns to partners gathers together to talk about life, so we really know one another and actually care about each other as people.”
• “SciVida is a meritocratic, transparent organization with rapid career progression and robust performance reviews.”

Quality of Life

• “Busy periods are often balanced well with lighter weeks and rewarded well. Busy periods are also still quite manageable, and I rarely work over 60 hours in a week. It is easy to communicate work-life boundaries with managers, and to take time off.”
• “Leadership is very aware of how hard staff work and is cautious to avoid overusing a single individual. High hours and quality work are rewarded with early evenings after deadlines are completed. It is also very easy to take time off as long as you communicate the need with your project team.”
• “Work-life balance is a key priority for senior leadership at the firm (they spend a lot of time monitoring employees’ workloads and take action on staffing when appropriate). We hear consistently that work-life balance is better at SciVida than other competitor firms where our employees previously worked. Travel is limited and very manageable.”
• “Leadership encourages employees to take off and sets the expectation that individuals should not work during vacations, so they are able to enjoy their time away.”

Career Development

• “Promotion is actually merit-based, rather than on a schedule. I've seen individuals who perform above expectations be promoted ahead of the usual timeline. Formal training courses are designed based on recent workplace challenges that our team has faced to be as relevant as possible. Another professional development highlight is that our delivery team has regular one-on-ones with the partners in the firm. I meet with my office partner and my project partner monthly, and with the third partner in the firm on a quarterly basis to discuss my professional development.”
• “The training and development tools at this firm are very robust. New hires complete an entire training project to learn the firm's style and ways of working before being staffed. As I started working on billable projects, I was pulled into many different teams to help with pieces of projects which allowed me to better understand the working styles of my colleagues. Now on my first project that I will see from start to finish, I have confidence in my skills and in understanding how the firm prefers to operate.”
• “We have a wonderful internal program (available to staff of all levels) that provides public speaking and presentations training. Consultants receive frequent feedback, both formally and informally. Everyone has a year-end and half-year review, and new hires have an additional 90-day review. We also sometimes do post project feedback sessions, allowing staff to exchange specific feedback, whether it be related to team dynamics, skills or work products.”
• “Our dedicated learning and development group delivers customized training to all employees (from onboarding to leadership training). Senior leadership is committed to mentoring and coaching, which is one of the firm’s core values and beliefs. The firm has also established clear expectations for each role, which provides clarity for guiding development priorities and promotion readiness.”

Compensation

• “The firm has conducted benchmarking to inform compensation policies. It offers a competitive base salary and bonus that provide substantial upside for strong performance. The semiannual performance reviews allow for rapid progression in pay.”
• “SciVida offers attractive base salaries and a performance-driven bonus that provides lots of upsides. There are opportunities for regular increases in base salary. A true meritocracy.”
• “My firm's compensation package is competitive within the healthcare consulting field. My salary progression has been strong over the past few years, with an increase of around 30 to 35 percent.”
• “The whole package is very nice. I enjoy my salary and the unlimited PTO policy. We also have a very nice benefits package.”

Community Engagement/DEI

• “SciVida partners with a nonprofit organization (Level the Playing Field) that is focused on helping minority students develop skills and get access to opportunities that help them be successful in their careers. This partnership includes providing financial donations, serving on their corporate advisory board, providing substantial pro bono consulting to them, and placing several of their students in roles at our firm.”
• “Our leadership team is predominantly women, which is remarkable in life sciences consulting. I feel everyone is treated fairly and has access to great work and progression.”
• “We work directly with organizations that promote diversity in consulting, have a DEI-focused internship program, and promote women leadership through local chapter memberships and affiliations.”
• “We have an on-site gym and healthy snacks. We often do activities as a group such as bike rides, kayaking, and basketball. We are encouraged to do what we need for our mental and physical health.”

Business Outlook

• “SciVida has continued to grow at a rapid pace, even when competitive firms have had layoffs and stopped or delayed hiring. SciVida continues to expand its client base, and we have a high degree of client loyalty based on our strong performance and results. The firm's winning culture is a competitive advantage.”
• “The best part of our business outlook is the firm's willingness and ability to find new areas to make its teams into experts. We are gaining valuable experience in project types and subject matter that other firms are not very familiar with, which is helping us to grow rapidly. The worst aspect may be that with our rate of growth, while necessary and exciting, adding a lot of new staff to a smaller firm can change the culture quite a bit.”
• “We have fantastic momentum that we continue to build upon! People are excited about where we’re at, as a firm, and where we’re headed. We’re quickly growing in staff, while also deepening and broadening our engagement with clients.”
• “We're on a rocket ship. The only concern I have is how we will manage our growth and remain as high-performing as we are now.”

Hiring Process

• “The firm is very involved in the recruiting process, and candidates will meet with the entire office they will be working with, along with several members of senior leadership. The ideal candidate meshes well with the personalities of the team, has a strong foundation in biopharma and business, and is hungry for growth.”
• “I found the interview and callback process to be very quick. SciVida scheduled both interviews and extended my offer within two weeks of my application. We are looking for individuals who are passionate, bright, and willing to learn. For associates in particular, an enthusiasm to learn is more important than having a large toolbox of skills.”
• “The firm is focused on developing a best-in-class recruiting capability. All candidates reaching out to the firm receive a response, even if they are not a fit. Our ideal candidate has strong aptitude, passion for life sciences consulting, and a strong cultural fit”
• “SciVida is looking for team members with life sciences consulting experience who demonstrate intellectual curiosity, emotional intelligence, and an entrepreneurial spirit.”

Interview Questions

• “In my interviews, the first case was a market sizing question for the use of GLP-1s in Type 2 and Type 1 diabetes. The next case was a problem looking at how a gene therapy for hemophilia should be priced based on current standards of care and the churn of patients among payors.”
• “We conduct biopharma-focused cases, sometimes including a presentation. We have used the Repatha case in the past.”
• “Expect to see case studies that include market sizing problems.”
• “We will ask questions your about fit, cultural alignment, role expectations, analytical capabilities, real-world consulting experience, leadership style, and the requirements to succeed in the role.”