Careers
Visit our About the AO page to find out more about our mission, our organizational structure and governance, and how the AO is transforming surgery and changing lives.
Working at the AO
Our AO headquarters are located in Davos, Switzerland. Switzerland is a highly desirable destination for international job seekers. In addition to its outstanding natural environment, it has one of the highest standards of living in the world, political stability, and a very low unemployment rate.
The small mountain settlement of Davos, in the canton of Grisons, is famously known as the host city of the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) and one of the oldest alpine ski resorts. But Davos is much more than just a holiday and leisure destination. After having served as one of the leading destinations in the world for the treatment of tuberculosis in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Davos became home to a variety of clinics and research institutes, including our AO Foundation, nowadays the community’s second largest employer.
To learn more about living and working in Davos, visit Live & Work Davos.
Whereas most of our workforce operates from our headquarters in Davos, we also offer attractive hybrid employment models (depending on operational requirements) and, in 2022, inaugurated a new, state-of-the-art office in Zizers, just an hour’s train journey away from Zurich. Additionally, some of our staff operate from our international offices in Bogotá, Curitiba, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Pennsylvania.
Our vision and values
The AO strives to be a diverse and inclusive organization with equitable access and opportunity for advancement within the organization at all levels.
Since its founding in 1958, the AO has built a culture based on values of trust, mutual respect, and dialogue. We aim to empower people and we recognize that our employees are key to our success. The AO aspires to employ qualified, motivated, and performance-oriented staff and to create an environment that attracts, fosters, and retains them.
Learning is an important part of AO culture. We actively promote our employees' development and support internal and external training.
Perks and benefits
Perks and benefits for AO employees in Switzerland:
- Hybrid employment models (depending on operational requirements)
- Generous package of social benefits, including supplementary vacation days and pension scheme contributions
- Discounts with leading insurance providers, including health insurance
- Internal skills training opportunities and support for continued education including language courses (English and German)
- Free use of business smartphone for private purposes (guidelines apply)
- Access to several Microsoft Office 365 licenses
- In Zizers and Davos: Free parking and coffee/tea
- In Davos: shower rooms for employees wishing to cycle to work or go jogging/cross-country skiing over lunch
Inclusive Excellence
At the AO Foundation, we aim to foster a culture where diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are integral to our healthcare services, workforce, and communities. We are committed to recognizing and embracing each individual's unique differences, ensuring equitable opportunities, and removing barriers to access.
The AO Executive Committee mandated HR to establish Inclusive Excellence best practices and policies. HR leads a voluntary, multidisciplinary group of employees from different departments, the Inclusive Excellence Focus Group. This group is responsible for initiating, managing, and implementing DEIA-related projects and initiatives. The established goals entail the following three key pillars: increase awareness, education, and policies and practices.
