Aerospace Corporation Reviews

Pros

Very familial culture; employees seem to really value work-life balance and treat each other as more than just co-workers. When it came time to get the job done, I worked effectively with other engineers on the team. But when there was time to relax at lunch, it was always enjoyable to unwind with the team. I think there is an *effective* balance between work and life at the Aerospace Corporation.

The work *potentially* (see Cons) is very interesting and even as an intern, pay and benefits seemed to be above-average. Also, you are part of a historically important organization in the technical heritage of the U.S. that is respected by military and policymakers, if that appeals to you.

Cons

I said that the work is potentially interesting because I did not have a security clearance. The true application/purpose of my project was never disclosed to me, as a result. Aerospace Corporation seems to have a more "old-school" feel to it--more older engineers.

The future of space systems is highly uncertain at this time.

Advice to Senior Management

Need to create a more high-pressure, dynamic, work environment if you want to attract new graduates. Work/life balance is important, but you need to hold employees accountable for staying up-to-date with the latest technologies.

Pros

The Aerospace Corporation has really good management, and super flexible hours. Unlike most engineering companies, engineers at the Aerospace Corporation do not work long hours.

Cons

Because it is a Federally funded research and development center, there is not much room to grow in terms of the business side.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep doing a great job. The average employee age there is 55, so they are obviously doing something right, good work.

Pros

Secure, safe place to work in an unstable economy.
Great knowledge base; many subject matter experts.
Caring leadership; motivated to be diverse and open.
Excellent opportunity to serve our nation.
Many work/life balance groups/events/etc

Cons

Lots of bureaucracy; things move slowly at times
Secure and safe also means low performers are protected
A lot of opportunity for security infractions/violations
Doesn't have budgets like major for profit companies

Advice to Senior Management

Knowledge Transfer/Mentoring a big issue especially in ETG when program offices have little funding from programs during this economic downturn. Employees are seeking more transparency in corporate decisions with regards to salaries, RIFs, etc.

Pros

No pressure to work overtime, Stress free environment, Good work and life balance. Relative free to explorer different area.

Cons

Might need to read a lot of paperwork, Management might put reviewing reports and documents over doing engineering work/scientific innovations.

Pros

One of the best things I like about working at Aerospace is the variety of work available. I have the ability to work on multiple projects at any given time and can choose the work that is most interesting to me.

Cons

On of the down sides of Aerospace is that there is a lot of time between promotions which can be demotivating for some people.

Pros

Good people to work with. The staff and management are friendly, helpful, and willing to explain new tasks when starting.

Cons

Working on the job it was difficult to advance. The pace of the the work was rather slow at times if you want fast movement it is not the place. Years on the job matter considerably.

Advice to Senior Management

I feel too novice in the profession to give serious critique of their management. However, in general the direction of the company and the long term goals were unclear.

Pros

The employees of Aerospace are the reason to work in this company. Everyone seeks to help others succeed in their individual work efforts. The corporate environment is highly professional and encourages truth telling in all matters. The work is very interesting and the customer relationships are deep and meaningful.

Cons

To be increasingly successful within the Aerospace industry, you have to continually focus and refine your area of expertise. The technical complexity of the profession demands that attention to detail. As a person considers the value of increasing their specialization in a unique technical specialty, they must also be aware that specialization can limit opportunity outside the narrow area of expertise. Managing this balance can sometime be overlooked when the work is interesting and appears never-ending.

Advice to Senior Management

Management has done a superb job in steering the company through many changes. The road ahead presents very interesting opportunities and the management team continues to restructure and adapt to meet these challenges.

Pros

The company is extremely diverse (in terms of job function) for its size and offers a lot of opportunities to move around and learn about many areas in the aerospace industry. There presence is felt at the prime contractors, Air Force Space and Missile Command, NASA and beyond. The work can be extremely interesting and allow you to expand on your skills outside of what you learned in the classroom. The CEO and senior executives are really making huge strides to keep the company relevant and get the name out there. Balancing your work and life is not a problem at The Aerospace Corporation.

Cons

The company is a bit easy on "dead wood". There are a lot of people that are relatively old still walking the halls trying to do the normal day to day work without having basic computer skills. The communication down the line of management is functional at best. There are a lot of great things going on at the company and its almost impossible to know about it if you are "down in the trenches". The company is not as cohesive as I would have thought in terms of corporate standards for their deliverables, which makes it difficult for new people coming in. The new hire training is lacking big time and so much more could be done with the Aerospace Institute.

Advice to Senior Management

Focus on training new people more intensely and have them understand how the corporation works as a whole before they get into their day to day work. Managers need to communicate what they want more clearly all the way down the chain and make a better effort to enforce it. Come up with a plan to have the older generation become mentors and pass down their knowledge in a formal manner. Knowledge is our product and it would be a shame to lose a lot of it from the people who were there in the beginning of the space age. Make them stop doing the day to day work and focus on what they have done for the past 30+ years and how they can pass it all down.

Pros

Company hires the best and the brightest. You are surrounded by many smart people with good ideas and great skills. The company is fair and consistently works on trying to hire a diverse set of people. The work is super interesting and supports the country in many important ways. Dr. Austin is a great leader and is focussed on the right things. Great place to work for work-life balance.

Cons

Not many downsides. Sometimes can be a little bureacratic, but there are attempts to streamline processes all of the time. Can be a little slow to move, but it is also the nature of the business.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep up constant communication to the employees. Transparency is best. Continue to listen to employees' ideas and suggestions to make it an even better place to work.

Pros

Strong sense of pride in supporting US Soldiers to keep them safe and help them win
Comfort knowing job is secure in a terrible economic climate
Managers very accommodating to personal time off requests for family

Cons

Reviews not clearly linked to raises or job advancement
Minimal opportunities for Administrative Staff to advance
Focus on functional expertise and not leadership (ie department managers are extremely knowledgeable in their discipline but not in management or leadership skills)

Advice to Senior Management

Need to stir the pot on the administrative side to remove the sticky film off the surface of the soup. Develop a program to rotate managers and employees into new functional areas to build leadership skills and break down the organizational silos