NOTE: The following information may pertain to domestic U.S. sites only
What is the difference between an intern and a co-op assignment?
Intern: Internships are for the purpose of providing college students with challenging experiences relevant to their fields of study. Amgen provides assignments for mostly undergraduate and graduate levels with some doctoral assignments. An internship is a paid assignment for a student who has attained at least some academic preparation in a professional field typically following their sophomore year. An intern may be an undergraduate, graduate or Ph.D. working in a professional setting under the supervision of at least one practicing professional. Assignments are typically full-time for 10-12 weeks and normally do not count for academic credit.
Co-op: A cooperative education (co-op) experience is generally completed by a student over more than one or more semesters/quarters. The student must receive academic credit for the work being performed. It includes work assignments related to the participant's academic degree being earned and career interests. The concept of cooperative education is based on paid work typically for three to 12 months or more, followed by full-time school the next.
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When does Amgen accept resumes for intern and co-op positions?
Resumes for intern and co-op positions are accepted between January and late April, depending on the position.
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How do I apply for a position?
Intern and co-op assignments are posted at select universities as well as the Job Search area of this site. Students attending the schools listed on our campus recruiting calendar should contact their campus career centers on how to apply. Most positions are posted on our Web site for 30 days or until a sufficient number of resumes are received. Students may search for intern and co-op positions by selecting College Jobs from the dropdown list when using the Category search field within the site’s Job Search section.
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Will I be contacted once I submit a resume?
If you apply for a position on Amgen’s Web site, an e-mail notification will be sent to you confirming that your resume has been received. No further communication will be made with you unless you are identified as a candidate of interest. Qualified candidates of interest will be contacted directly by an Amgen recruiter or hiring manager.
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How does the selection process work?
Resumes are reviewed by Amgen recruiters and hiring managers. Phone screen or videoconference interviews are conducted with selected candidates, and more than one round of interviews may be held. In some cases, on-site interviews may be scheduled. Offers are usually made by late April. Intern assignments generally begin in May or June and end in August or September. Co-op assignments may start at any time of the year and are typically six months in duration.
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Will I be required to pass a background check or drug test?
Yes. All candidates selected for assignments are required to pass a background check and drug screening before starting an assignment at Amgen. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of both requirements, as well as the candidate’s ability to provide documentation to show proof of eligibility to work within the United States and the candidate’s completion of Amgen’s standard employment documents.
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What are the criteria for an Amgen intern or co-op?
All individuals applying for an internship or a co-op assignment at Amgen must meet the following criteria:
May international students apply?
International students are eligible to apply if they meet the criteria required of all intern or co-op applicants (as noted above) including being legally entitled to work and earn money in the United States. It is the student's responsibility to obtain the appropriate visa, if applicable. As required by current immigration law, an offer of employment is contingent upon the student’s ability to provide the appropriate documentation showing proof of eligibility to work in the United States.
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Does Amgen offer opportunities for high school students?
No. Amgen does not hire high school students.
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Amgen pays a competitive wage to an intern or co-op based on discipline, completed years of education and previous experience. Our salary guidelines are reviewed annually for competitiveness within the industry.
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Does Amgen offer unpaid or volunteer opportunities?
No. Amgen does not offer unpaid intern, co-op or volunteer assignments.
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Do interns and co-ops receive benefits?
Amgen interns and co-ops are currently eligible to use Amgen's on-site gym, attend corporate events and participate in training courses. Amgen also generally offers relocation for those students who qualify under Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidelines, and company holidays are paid. Many Amgen sites provide concierge services through on-site gift shops and company-subsidized cafeterias; interns and co-ops may benefit from both. Amgen-sponsored events and amenities vary by location.
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Will relocation assistance be provided?
Relocation benefits are generally offered to those students meeting applicable IRS guidelines. Eligibility is based upon the student’s summer/permanent residence, the location of which must be 50 miles or further from the work site. More detailed information is provided at the time of offer.
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Which universities are on Amgen’s recruiting calendar this year?
Amgen actively recruits at colleges and universities across the United States during both fall and spring recruiting seasons. Our on-campus activity may vary year-to-year. Refer to our campus recruiting calendar for specific on-campus information. Alternatively, you may also want to check with your campus career center.
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Does Amgen conduct on-campus or on-site interviews?
Amgen may hold interviews on-campus at select universities for intern and co-op assignments. Interviews conducted on-site at an Amgen location are at the discretion of the hiring department. To see if Amgen will be conducting on-campus interviews at your school, refer to our campus recruiting calendar.
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What if Amgen is not making a campus visit to my university?
Although we may not be visiting your campus during our fall or spring recruiting campaigns, you may still apply for an intern or co-op position posted in our Careers section. To find these types of opportunities, visit Job Search, and search by Category, selecting College Jobs from the dropdown list provided.
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Which Amgen locations offer assignments?
Intern and co-op assignments are typically available at most Amgen U.S. locations, including Puerto Rico. Visit Amgen campuses to learn more about the cities in which Amgen facilities are located.
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What departments at Amgen offer intern or co-op opportunities?
The following business functions typically participate each year in Amgen’s Internship Program:
Department participation varies each year.
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What types of student majors does Amgen recruit?
Many of our projects typically target life science and engineering students. Some of the most common majors are:
Other majors include:
What assignments are available?
The following are a few examples of past internship assignments and required qualifications. Internship opportunities vary each year.
Biostatistics
The intern works closely with a senior-level statistician on topics related to the design and analysis of clinical trials and/or non-clinical research. The intern must be a Ph.D. student who has completed work for the master’s degree in biostatistics. Candidates should be proficient in SAS or Splus on either a UNIX or NT platform. At the conclusion of the internship program, the intern will give a presentation summarizing his or her work.
Business Analysis and Information
The intern will take a leadership role within one of four BAI disciplines, with projects focused on addressing critical business questions and developing strategic/tactical recommendations for the organization.
Market Research interns will apply creative problem solving approaches using qualitative and quantitative primary market research methodologies to evaluate commercial issues. Market analysis interns will utilize quantitative secondary analytics and statistical techniques to evaluate market trends. Competitive Intelligence interns will conduct strategic competitor analyses and assist in cross-functional exercises to anticipate and predict competitor activities. Forecasting interns will model the impact of market trends, market research insights and competitive intelligence on revenue potential and market penetration.
Candidates must be in the process of completing the first year of their Master of Business Administration Degree, or enrolled in a masters program with an emphasis in engineering, market research, economics, statistics or related analytical disciplines. Excellent analytical, problem solving, strategic thinking, and communication skills are required.
Chemistry
Intern assignments have been available in the areas of medicinal chemistry, high throughput screening and molecular pharmacology, small molecule analytics, crystallography and modeling, research automation and technology, cloning and expression and cellular screening, and small molecule process development.
Department-specific programs are designed to provide the intern with hands-on drug discovery experience, such as designing and synthesizing novel compounds for potential drug candidates, analytical and chemical database information management, robotic miniaturization automation, and biochemical pharmacological screening of drug targets and candidates.
Minimum requirements include:
Drug Product Process Development
The co-op student will interface internally with Product Development, Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, Purchasing, Manufacturing and Marketing. In addition, the student will interact with external packaging contractors and suppliers. The candidate will also be responsible for packaging test protocol development as well as execution of package testing in a laboratory setting. Candidates must be enrolled in the Packaging discipline or an equivalent engineering field.
Engineering
This intern supports the Project/Construction Management staff in the execution of ongoing capital projects. The student performs limited project management and project engineering tasks on smaller projects. Candidates must be pursuing an undergraduate degree in Engineering, Construction Management or Architecture.
Epidemiology
The epidemiology intern works closely with a senior-level epidemiologist on projects related to the disease areas in which Amgen is developing new therapeutics. The applicant must be a Ph.D. student who has already completed core epidemiology coursework. Candidates should be proficient in SAS or Splus. At the conclusion of the internship program, the intern will give a presentation summarizing his or her work.
Finance
Accounting assignments may include internal audit of fixed assets, participation in accounting close activities, account analyses to support financial statements, transaction research and management reporting. Candidates must have completed their junior year of a B.S. or B.A. degree program in business (accounting, finance or economics). In addition, candidates must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative G.P.A., strong verbal and written communication skills, analytical skills, the ability to work in teams and demonstrate initiative, and excellent Microsoft Word and Excel skills.
Human Resources Intern
The Human Resources intern will fill a challenging role in one of the following areas: Compensation, Benefits, Staffing, Metrics & Analysis, HR Operations, or the HR Area Teams. Specific duties may include (but are not limited to): Market data/benchmarking analyses for competitive salaries and/or benefit plans, assistance in the integration of leveraged HR functions across the business, project management including the identification of at risk processes and successful implementation of improvements, and analysis and interpretation of HR data.
Position requires BA/BS degree in business, economics, statistics, marketing, life sciences or operations or equivalent experience and enrollment in an MBA (Human Resource emphasis) or MILR program. Minimum of 2 years of work experience in HR or organization consulting. Strong oral and written communication skills, presentation skills and interpersonal skills. Ability to forge close working relationships with clients, HR partners and with all levels of management. Demonstrated ability to provide consulting services within a technically complex, fast paced business environment.
Information Systems
The intern creates prototype web site / application modeling opt-in call-to-action registration; creates XML / Web Services interface to expose database information to loosely coupled web-enabled applications, including Siebel and Cognos; creates XML / Web Services interfaces from IBM SurfAid to expose web metrics information to loosely coupled web-enabled applications, including Siebel and Cognos; builds prototype Siebel and Cognos applications using the application database and web metrics information from the prototype site. Required skills include Java, XML, web application development using J2EE, Oracle SQL and XML interfaces, Web Services and UNIX. Candidates must be pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in computer science. Only CS majors will be considered.
Licensing
This intern project entails the development of an online interactive multimedia tutorial on competitive intelligence with Amgen staff and new hires as the intended audience. Working with Library, Information Systems, CI managers, HR, and vendors, the intern develops a 30-minute Web-based interactive multimedia tutorial for integration onto the Amgen intranet and incorporation into the new hire training program. A graduate student with marketing, advertising or training experience is preferred. Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, are required. Candidates interact with all levels of management and staff. Good project management and time management skills are essential.
Manufacturing
The Purification intern provides support for Purification optimization projects including Change Control, as well as support for CIP improvements, BDS pooling and validation and Column Packing enhancements. The intern learns hands-on experience with the Enbrel® (etanercept) Manufacturing Process. Candidates should be pursuing a B.S. degree in biology, microbiology, chemistry, biochemistry, biotech or a similar field. The intern should be a self-starter with good communication skills and strong project management abilities.
Process Development
The primary responsibilities of this position apply HPLC to study real-time protein stability and compare the results with the DSC prediction. The summer intern will work on challenging experiments building on last year's results. Knowledge and experience in chemistry or biochemistry and buffer preparation are required for this position. HPLC knowledge is preferred.
Validation (Quality)
Responsibilities include assisting in validation testing for a number of projects planned for Amgen’s summer shutdown as well as ongoing validation of sterilization and equipment cleaning processes. Equipment to be tested may include bioreactors, automated filling equipment, ultrafiltration/diafiltration and chromatography equipment. Strong science-based thinking and good documentation and communication skills are required. Applicants must be a junior or senior engineering student.
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What is the duration of an assignment?
Amgen intern assignments are typically 10 to 12 weeks, allowing ample time to complete a substantial project and make a significant contribution to our organization.
Amgen’s co-op assignments are generally six months in duration, allowing the student to work on potentially multiple projects, while providing the opportunity to make a significant contribution to Amgen.
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When do interns or co-ops start work?
Intern assignments are generally available during the summer months, starting in May or June and ending in August or September. Co-op opportunities may start at any time of the year; however, most follow the academic calendar of a university.
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Does Amgen provide an intern and co-op orientation?
If selected, candidates will receive a welcome packet and offer letter from Amgen. This information will confirm the student’s start date and details on what to expect on the first day. Interns and co-ops also receive special orientation presentations.
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What would my summer experience at Amgen be like?
Amgen interns and co-ops are invited to learn as much as they can about Amgen’s values, products, organizational structure, and business drivers. We also provide many opportunities to establish a network among fellow interns/co-op students and within the Amgen community. Typical summer activities may include lunch and learn sessions with company executives, plant tours, a trip to a professional baseball game, and other special events. Amgen’s work/life balance philosophy extends to all of our interns and co-op students on assignment.
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Does Amgen offer on-site tours or provide informational interviews?
We are unable to provide Amgen campus tours and/or informational interviews outside of our normal campus recruiting activities.
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