Teva’s Top Graduates: Developing the Leaders of the Future

At Teva, our newest recruits, part of our Global Graduate program, are offered multiple opportunities to explore and navigate different business units and develop their leadership skills along the way.

It's more than a job—it's a transformative journey that ignites self-discovery, nurtures empathy, and shapes leadership potential through real-world challenges and invaluable mentorship.

We delve into the experiences of two recent additions to our Teva graduate team.

Jessica Buttkus (centre) with Judith Sniatecki, Associate Director of Quality Compliance (left), and Geoffrey Grünwald, Senior Director Plant/Site Quality, TGO (right).

Why did you choose Teva?

Building a career in the field of people’s health is very important to me. I love to help people and volunteer as a paramedic in the emergency services and as a PSNV-B emergency medical responder. I studied pharmaceutical biotechnology, and I aim to become a leader. Teva's innovative work in Ulm greatly impressed me, and it felt like it was a brilliant fit for me both personally and professionally.

Tell us about your experience at Teva so far.

I’m getting a great introduction to the diverse career opportunities Teva offers. I started as a QA analyst at Teva Biotech Ulm, Germany, and then moved to be a project manager in the manufacturing science & technology PMT (Project Management and Transfers) department. I’ve had the opportunity to work with a large network of people in the US, Israel, and Germany.

I was next offered a role in the commercial business unit, working on the EU transformation team. This was out of my comfort zone, but I knew it could greatly expand my understanding of the business. I’ve only been here a short time, but it’s very exciting. I’m learning a lot about marketing and getting firsthand experience working on launch excellence.

What have been the main challenges you’ve faced in your role?

Starting any new role can feel a little daunting—and doing it in a new field that I have no experience in is even more so. It’s a big challenge, but I’m gaining a lot of new knowledge every day. In the evenings and on the train, I also read a lot about marketing and launch excellence. It’s exhausting but exhilarating.

I also need to navigate the matrix environment and get to know a new network of people. However, all the challenges are worth it, as I get to attend very interesting meetings with high-level leaders. So, it's challenging but also very rewarding—I feel how much I'm growing every week.

Has working at Teva met your expectations?

Absolutely. People have been so welcoming and supportive, and I am surrounded by like-minded people who care about the patients we serve. Teva is a place where you can develop a meaningful career that profoundly touches people’s lives. My own sense of purpose definitely connects with Teva’s: “We are all in for better health.”

What’s your next step?

In October, I’m starting a relocation assignment in West Chester, US. I’ll be part of the R&D team working in the area of Biologics CMC (chemistry, manufacturing, and control). I'm incredibly excited about working in a different country and developing my understanding of R&D processes and product development.

Shachaf holds a B.Sc. in Life Sciences from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an M.Sc. in Biomolecular Sciences & Molecular Neurobiology at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel.

What first attracted you to Teva?

Living in Israel, everyone knows Teva, and it was a dream come true to work here. In university, I did very focused research in the lab, but when I completed my studies, I wanted to take a step back and get a fuller picture of what career opportunities exist in pharma. I love biology, but I want to use my knowledge in a business environment.

How are the people you work with?

People have been very welcoming, and it’s a warm and friendly environment where everyone collaborates. When I started, part of my role in R&D was quality assurance, and I needed to assess how the team was working, etc. It's not easy to critique your colleagues' work, but everyone understood it was essential, and I found people were open to it and we got along well. I’m now with the pharmacovigilance department in Teva’s Shoham site and meeting a new group of great people.

What is your career plan, and do you feel Teva supports your goals?

I don't have a specific role or journey mapped out yet. I'm open to exploring different business units to find what suits my skills and interests. Teva has been supportive, and I find it a motivating and nurturing environment. I want to explore as much as I can, and the fact that I can chat with many different people and get advice on my career path is incredibly helpful.

What’s next?

I’ve been offered a six-month relocation assignment in Ulm, Germany. The exact role hasn’t been finalized yet, but it will be in Teva’s Global Operations (TGO). It's such an exciting opportunity for me, and it will be my first time working abroad, so I'm really looking forward to what's to come.

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Find Out More:

• Meet more of our recent graduates – read Vikki and Mareike’s story
• “My Advice to Women: Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself” Chris Fox, EVP, US Commercial, discusses the power of diverse teams and her advice for women looking to progress in their careers.
• See how Teva's Global Operations is tapping into gender diversity to drive excellence