Working at Safran Vectronix

This is what you can expect from us.

Would you like to develop in an informal working environment? As a team member, does personal responsibility mean a lot to you? Is it important to you to be challenged and encouraged? Then you should read on!

 

At Safran Vectronix, we are convinced that a positive working atmosphere as well as friendly and cooperative teamwork are the keys to joint success. That is why we invest in our employees and with vision for the long term, ultimately in the company. Some is perhaps self-evident. Therefore, we are proud to offer many more benefits for our employees. Benefits that are certain not to be found with every employer.

 

And another point that is important to us: in the “equal pay for men and women” Safran Vectronix Ltd. is one of the audited & successfully certified companies in compliance with the Equal Pay Act.

«I have always had the courage to embrace change and to learn. It is precisely this agility that is valued at Safran Vectronix».
Barbara, Teamlead Intra-Logistics

Barbara started with us as an assembler, has done several job rotations and has been in her current position since 2020.

Team Safran Vectronix awakens potential that make us better together.

Our corporate values form the cornerstone of our actions and how we work together.

Our benefits - they are something worth looking at!

Work-life balance - work and leisure in harmony

Performing at the highest level every day requires an appropriate balance for body and mind. Only then can you combine work, family and the equally important time for yourself. As an employee at Safran Vectronix, you work a 40-hour week with a minimum of 25 days’ holiday. Depending on age, these increase to up to 30 days. In addition, each employee earns six bridge days over the course of the year via their hourly account.

Flexitime and remote work - greater flexibility for our employees

At Safran Vectronix we have a flexitime model for all employees. This means that not only office workers benefit from flexible working hours, but also employees in production. There are no fixed working hours in any of our departments.   And we are also positioning ourselves as a modern employer when it comes to working outside the office: Our remote work model allows our employees to decide for themselves when and where they can best perform their tasks. In the office, at home or at any other location. We believe that this is the ideal way for employees to develop their full potential.

Optimally equipped workplaces - working well and healthily

Ergonomically designed workstations, high-quality furniture and modern work equipment are, in our opinion, prerequisites for being able to do your job. Our computers and furniture are always state-of-the-art. For example, height-adjustable desks are already part of many workplaces.

Uniting work and family - crèche facilities nearby

We believe that a full-time or part-time job should also be compatible with one’s own family. Therefore, we participate in the financing of crèches in the middle Rhine Valley. Therefore, we can offer several crèche places on a permanent basis for our company employees. Employees only have to pay 50% of the usual costs.

Participation in the company's success - A shared bonus

All employees contribute to the success of the company. With our bonus scheme, everyone benefits equally, regardless of their position. According to defined criteria such as turnover, free cash flow, EBIT, order intake, the amount of the annual profit-sharing bonus is calculated as a percentage of the individual’s annual salary. And this percentage is the same for everyone. We do not have departmental bonuses or personal bonus schemes, but work together as a team to achieve our annual targets.

Feel good at work – Offers for relaxing moments

We enjoy free coffee or tea every day. Water dispensers are also available to our employees, of course. We also regularly receive a box filled with fresh fruit on each floor. Everyone can take their “fair share” from it. Even before you get here, we have a little tip: our Technics department always has a well-stocked supply of delicious ice creams – to be found on the third floor. Then there are our #WIR activities. This covers a wide range of activities for employees – for example, a ski day, motorbike rides or football tournaments. We have also become known for celebrating: Our lab parties are legendary.

Commuting from home to work - by public transport, bike or car

As an employer, we want to encourage the use of public transport and bicycles. Not everyone can or wants to commute to work by public transport. Those who come by car therefore have the opportunity to rent a parking space at a reasonable price. This way, you can walk from the company premises to your own workplace at ease. Those who do not use a parking space receive a mobility allowance of CHF 250 per year in return.

Insurance in the event of illness and accident - Well protected for all eventualities

Through SWICA health insurance, all employees receive worldwide cover as a private patient in the event of an accident or illness when travelling on business. This also applies to private travel in the case of an accident. If the salary is not paid due to illness or accident, this can have a major negative impact on those affected. That is why we have set up a salary compensation scheme for our employees in such a way that it takes effect even if they have only been with us for a short time. According to the collective labor agreement, this would only be provided for from the fourth year of service.

A wide range of training opportunities - important for both sides

«What happens if we train our employees and then they leave the company»? The counter question is: «What happens if we don’t and they stay?» The latter question reflects our philosophy: As an employer, we aim to do things in such a way that we offer our employees long-term perspectives. In our eyes, continuous training is one of the most important components in order to remain successful on the market in the future.

Staying fit - thanks to company health management

We support various ways of keeping fit. In our immediate neighborhood is the Dreivital Fitness Center, where our employees receive a 20% discount on all 6 and 12 month subscriptions. If you are more of an app enthusiast, we participate in the Freeletics fitness subscription. And after a run during lunch time, shower facilities are available. Keynote presentations on health topics such as mindfulness and resilience are also part of the regular program. In addition, we also have various internal activities as part of our company health management, such as soccer tournaments, participation in company runs, various bike-to-work campaigns, and back exercise courses with trained instructors.

At home in the Rhine Valley - An attractive place to live

The Sankt Gallen Rhine Valley offers a high quality of life with a lower cost of living compared to the rest of Switzerland. With our company headquarters in Heerbrugg, we are located in the four-country region of Switzerland-Austria-Germany-Liechtenstein. Those who prefer it mountainous as a place to live, concentrate rather more on the southern part, near the ski resorts. If you like it to be more flat, head in the direction of Lake Constance. Bregenz in Austria or Lindau on the German side of the lake are very popular. For all city lovers, the city of Sankt Gallen in Switzerland has a lot to offer. It is only a 30-minute drive from there to our company headquarters.

ONE Safran - the advantage of being part of a large multinational

Our company is part of the Safran Group. With 240 employees at our company site in Heerbrugg, we are only a small part of the group, compared to the approximately 81,000 colleagues worldwide. But our size and, at the same time, our connection to the Safran Group bring us many advantages. This applies, for example, to access to further training opportunities at the Safran University in Paris. And with development and financing projects, as well as exchange rate fluctuations, we stand always on a firm and forward-looking foundation.

Becoming a part of our company from the very beginning

All new employees undergo a comprehensive familiarization program in the first few months. They get to know each area, gain a deep insight into the entire product portfolio and meet colleagues most relevant to their own position in a wide range of departments. But even those who change jobs internally are given the opportunity to get to know all the areas relevant to the new position once again. It is very important to us to create a common understanding of each other. If you become interested in another area over the years, we will support you with the possibility of job rotation. We have numerous career options available for our employees – both in line functions and in terms of taking on more extensive projects.
«Thanks to training opportunities, I have taken on more and more responsibility. That’s what I understand by empowerment.»
René, Head of Continuous Improvement
Started with us in 2009 as Operations Process Manager. Received further training at Safran University, Paris, in Change Management and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

International exchange - in demand for many tasks!

We are part of a multinational company. And our customers are also located all over the world. When you work at Safran Vectronix, your intercultural skills are in demand in most positions. In product management, finance, development or production. Our products and solutions are created in close collaboration with Safran Electronics & Defense in France and with Safran Optics1 in the USA. There are points of contact with our partners and colleagues in other countries almost everywhere.

Did you know? Advancing to the top 5 employers

As an employer, we focus on our employees and create an excellent working environment. But does this commitment hold up in an independent survey? For the second time we can say: yes, it does! We reached the top 5 in the 2022 Swiss Employer Award and won a “Top Employer” award among medium-sized companies with 250-999 employees.

 

This means that after our last participation, in which we finished among the top 10, we have once again pushed forward. This was only possible thanks to the great commitment of all employees.