What it does: Consulting
Staff stats: Over 450 employees
The good bits: Smart, supportive colleagues
The not so good bits: Navigating the growing pains of an expanding business
Hiring grads with degrees in: Engineering, Maths, IT & Computer Sciences; Finance, Accounting, Economics & Business Administration
The Orbium story
Orbium helps banks and wealth managers “design and implement cutting-edge technology and business solutions”. Five partners, spread across two offices in Geneva and Zurich, founded the business in 2004. Their vision was to blend excellent business and technology consulting with innovative software products. Shortly after launching, the company developed its first software product (SecurEasy). Within three years, the company had grown its workforce to 100 people, partnered with (fintech software and services provider) Avaloq and opened its first office outside Switzerland (in Luxembourg).
Over the last decade, the company has released more software products (Orcat, TestMaster and FinCube), entered into more partnerships (SOS, Polytech Ventures, NetGuardians, Indigita, EdgeLab, Cloudcase, Backbase and ACTICO) and opened more international offices (Singapore, London, Warsaw, Sydney, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Paris, Manila, Berlin and New York).
Though it’s grown massively since its launch, the company has continued to specialise in the financial services and technology sector. This allows it to “deploy quickly and confidently” and deliver “high-quality solutions with integrity”.
The culture
Orbium’s staff hail from 31 nations and collectively speak 33 languages. Everyone at Orbium celebrates each other’s different cultures and strengths because the company “understands that diversity plays an important role in global success.”
Social contribution
Orbium staff give back to their communities, largely but not exclusively by participating in local fundraising events. In developing nations, such as the Philippines, staff donate time and money to assist orphans and cancer patients. In Europe, staff can spend anywhere from a day to several months working with organisations such as (international aid organisation) Caritas. The company has partnered with the likes of Geneva Hospital to create eHealth networks in poor African and South American nations. It has also donated laptops to orphans in Madagascar and Indonesia.
The recruitment process
Orbium seeks to hire individuals who are hard-working, goal -orientated, committed to producing work of high quality and who are willing to act independently and push their ideas forward in the hope of making a difference. They also need to be able to model the Orbium’s core values of integrity, quality, humility and good humour.
Orbium recruits grads with Accounting, Business Administration, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, Finance, IT or Maths degrees. There doesn’t appear to be a formal grad program, at least in Australia. Gaining an entry-level role requires keeping an eye on the company website’s careers page and applying for a job as an Associate or Junior Consultant.
If your application looks promising, you’ll be invited to do a psychometric and technical test. The next stage is face-face interviews. At these interviews, both your skill set and cultural fit will be assessed. If that goes well, you should receive an offer.
New staff go through “a full integration process using a variety of training methods and materials”. During their first year, they spend “between one and eight weeks learning about collaborative teamwork, Orbium’s culture of respect and how we pursue excellence”. Staff receive training to get their “technical and professional capabilities up to speed”. But it appears much of the learning takes place on the job, under the watchful eye of more experienced colleagues.
Remuneration
Orbium doesn’t publicly reveal any information about its remuneration arrangements.
Career prospects
Orbium offers staff ‘personal education budgets’ which can be used for external training. It also provides them with “coaching support from experienced seniors” and access to “a global knowledge-sharing environment that recognises contributors for their expertise”.
Staff can look forward to developing “specialised as well universal skills that support [their] professional growth”. These skills will be developed by working on “international projects… the implementation of core systems at major banks… and transformative projects with high visibility in an industry that values results.”
Aside from your line manager, you will have a ‘career-development’ manager. They will “coach you on all aspects of career development” and “hold regular career meetings to discuss your aspirations and provide feedback and advice”.
The vibe of the place
Orbium has a flat hierarchy model and regular social events to allow staff to “meet [and] have fun”. Its culture is “built on teamwork, collaboration and a dedication to quality”. New hires are “welcomed warmly” and all staff “can talk to their colleagues openly and have healthy discussions, regardless of their position or geographic location”.
"An international company with Swiss roots, we help banks and wealth managers design and implement cutting-edge technology and business solutions. Our business consulting and technology expertise covers every area from strategy to implementation.
With over 450 employees spread over 13 offices globally, we deploy quickly and confidently so that our clients can concentrate on what matters most: serving their customers. Because we are passionate about the financial services and technology sectors, we have honed our expertise in these areas to deliver high quality solutions with integrity.
We help banks and wealth managers design and implement cutting-edge technology and business solutions
From strategy to implementation, our business consulting and technology expertise runs end-to-end. We are able to deploy quickly and confidently so that our clients can concentrate on what matters most – serving their customers.
We are passionate about the financial services and technology sectors – wehave honed our expertise in these areas to deliver with high quality and integrity. We are the largest, most comprehensive and successful Avaloq implementer in the world.
We believe our people are our key asset every one of us contributes both personally and professionally to create a dynamic working environment day after day
Our consultants most value: the culture at Orbium, opportunities for international projects and unlimited possibilities for development through working on the implementation of core systems at major banks."