U.S. Army veterans find success in careers at Roche

Jamie Wright and Joe Almazni have a lot in common, even though they only recently met: Both served in leadership roles while in active duty for the United States Army, both served part-time in the armed forces while pursuing higher education, and both experienced challenges transitioning from military to civilian careers.

Now, both are putting their military leadership and job skills to work at Roche Diagnostics in Indianapolis – thanks to Wright’s passion for interpreting and applying military service experience to corporate jobs.

Jamie Wright served for a total of six years between the Indiana National Guard and active duty. He attained the rank of Sergeant, participated in Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Rucker, Alabama, and served as an Indiana National Guard recruiter and a support specialist for the National Guard Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program. Now, he recruits military-connected talent in his role as Manager of Talent Acquisition at Roche.

Joe Almazni served in active duty for the U.S. Army Field Artillery branch for six years, including 18 months in Baghdad, Iraq. When he returned to the United States, Almazni served as a drill instructor and then served three years in the U.S. Army Reserves while attending the University of Miami, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English literature and political science. He is now a manufacturing supervisor at Roche Diagnostics Indianapolis.

Our impact

Military service laid the groundwork for Wright and Almazni’s corporate careers

After years of participating in Army National Guard missions, Jamie Wright is leading a mission to recruit military-connected talent in his role as Manager of Talent Acquisition. Wright served for a total of six years between the Indiana National Guard and active duty. He attained the rank of Sergeant, participated in Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Rucker, Alabama, and served as an Indiana National Guard recruiter and a support specialist for the National Guard Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program.

Armed with an undergraduate degree in biology and an MBA, Wright wanted a career where he could have a personal impact on those he served. Having several family members affected by diabetes ignited his passion to work for an organization that helps people better manage their disease and achieve a better quality of life. Wright is now fulfilling his passion by connecting individuals with a military background to appropriate careers at Roche.

Joe Almazni served in active duty for the U.S. Army Field Artillery branch for six years, including 18 months in Baghdad, Iraq. When he returned to the United States, Almazni served as a drill instructor and then served three years in the U.S. Army Reserves while attending the University of Miami, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English literature and political science.

After working in production management for two other firms, Almazni applied for a production supervisor position at Roche Diagnostics Indianapolis. Fellow Army veteran Jamie Wright immediately recognized Almazni’s valuable military leadership experience and knew it would directly translate to a position at Roche. Both Wright and Almazni knew from the first telephone interview that the job was a perfect fit for Almazni’s skills and experience.

“The position needed someone with demonstrated leadership skills, who was a strong communicator and could inspire a team. Joe’s resume distinguished itself. He was a both a drill instructor and a non-commissioned officer whose primary role was training and teaching soldiers, coaching and instilling confidence in them, and removing barriers so they could thrive,” said Wright. “As a former Army Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO), I know only the top 10 percent of all soldiers in the U.S. Army are drill instructors and represent the ‘cream of the crop’ in leadership.”

Now a Production Supervisor at Roche Diagnostics, Almazni said he appreciates working in a collaborative environment where the workforce is both talented and engaged and where people are encouraged to propose new ideas.

“Roche offers a different culture than you find in a typical manufacturing organization. The workforce is sophisticated, and researchers and scientists regularly collaborate with the manufacturing team,” said Almazni.

The Place to Work

Basic training for Human Resources professionals

An important part of Wright’s job is educating Roche Human Resources leaders about the transferable skills military service members and veterans possess and helping to interpret military service experience to appropriate job openings. He works closely with Roche Veterans

Business Resource Group (BRG), an employee-led group that provides support, resources and education to and about Roche’s military-connected workforce. Together, they assist Roche recruiters in identifying opportunities and reaching out to military-connected candidates through appropriate career development channels, including:

• Adding appropriate military branches and targeted military occupational skills on job postings.
• Connecting with local Army Reserve and National Guard armories that have individuals with specific skill sets.
• Posting job openings on websites where military-connected talent search for job opportunities.
• Participating in military career fairs.
• Working with the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) to showcase opportunities and career pathways for individuals who are within 18 months of leaving the military.
• Working to create a dedicated Roche online job site for military-connected talent.

“Military-connected candidates are a natural fit for a corporation: the military, like a business, is comprised of different levels and departments, there is ongoing learning and development, and you must be versatile, adaptable and a team player to succeed,” said Wright. “Roche and other corporations need more of the skills sets military candidates offer.”

Our culture

Translating military skills to a corporate setting

Just as Wright connected with Almazni, HR professionals at Roche are working to actively engage with military talent and correlate their experience to appropriate job openings. Wright said he encourages military-connected individuals to translate their military experience to the needs of a civilian business to create a well-rounded job application, highlighting:

• Strategy and planning
• Leadership
• Teamwork and partnerships with diverse individuals
• Self-discipline and accountability
• Work ethic
• Community involvement
• Any appropriate civilian job skills

“Military-connected parties are an under-utilized talent pool that is qualified, experienced and ready to be transformational in an organization,” said Wright.

To learn more about challenging and rewarding career opportunities for military-connected individuals at Roche Diagnostics, visit go.roche.com/indyjobs.

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