Alliant Techsystems Reviews

Pros

ATK provides a variety of opportunities for not only recent grads but also experienced professionals. The diversity in the company enables career growth without leaving the company.

Cons

Currently going through a period of transition.

Pros

ATK is a fun and exciting place to work because of the gun systems you get to work on and test.

Cons

Although ATK offers a fun and interesting product to work on. The management and communication is lacking between its upper management and employees.

Advice to Senior Management

I think that management needs to be more involved with the design and testing of the products to see what is all involved in what the engineers are doing. They don't understand what is going on, but are still making business decisions based on their brief knowledge of what is going on.

Pros

Large scale projects that impact the scientific and space community
Satisfaction of helping the United States push further into space
Great relocation bonus

Cons

Work was more managerial as opposed to technical
Projects move very slowly
Hour drive to work every morning at 6am

Advice to Senior Management

Although never fully got a feel for ATK leadership during my time in Promontory, I feel as though managers could make things move a little faster. Human-rated hardware is very tedious to build, but I feel as though engineering could be more streamlined.

Pros

Great benefits and location to work.

Cons

Poor compensation. Very poor leadership and little direction

Advice to Senior Management

When you have more managers than engineers you've got a problem

Pros

On the surface, a very attractive Fortune 1000 business with interesting work taking place.

Cons

- ATK Corporate has very little influence in the business units, which are siloed and inefficient, not necessarily ineffective.

- No process or empowerment from the top down to achieve results.

- Low EQ's from senior leaders who should be better qualified for their roles.

Advice to Senior Management

Advice to the board...

A sweeping reorganization in one of two possible directions:

Collapse the ineffective Corporate function in Minneapolis and redistribute shared services out to the business units, where the decisions are being made anyway. (In other words, revert back to a holding company which is the model in which ATK business operations currently function.)

OR

Seek to achieve greater efficiency in business operations by:

- Selecting the behaviors of shared services functions from across all business units (or other like business operations) which are effective and proven,

- Model Corporate Shared Services after these successful business behaviors and,

- Resuscitate Corporate Shared Services by introducing leadership personalities which will innovate rather than stagnate business operations, and deliver services which not only achieve the mission but demonstrate due diligence to ATK's partners and customers. (It seems an attempt was made with one step forward and two steps back.)

Pros

They have good benefits, alright pay, and nothing is more exciting than watching rocket tests.

Cons

Company is in a downturn and layoffs will continue. Marketing is a real issue for the company. They need to do more to get new business and promote growth from within. Employees are over worked on larger projects and not given any recognition other than a pat on the back. Good employees will look to other employers for a more satisfying work life.

Advice to Senior Management

Listen to your less senior engineers. Some of them have the best ideas for products to create growth. Decide on a single management structure and stick with it. Cut out some middle management.

Pros

Previous management made it important that the opinions of every employee were considered if they were offered. You were never made to feel like you weren't a critical piece of doing business.

Cons

Current (new) management has little insight into what's going on, but are happy to make changes at will for their own enjoyment. The little people suffer, and nobody cares.

Advice to Senior Management

Replace quality people with QUALITY people, not just whoever is next in line to fill the spot based on seniority or time in the trenches. Consider that some of the people in the trenches have not gotten out of them for a reason.

Pros

Being proud to work on the space shuttle and Ares. Was able to learn quickly and gain a diverse skill set.

Cons

Politics and bureaucracy is really bad because of the shuttle disaster and there was a severe resistant to change and new ideas.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't speak out, don't bring up issues, make management look good and check your brain at the gate.

Pros

Great benefits and challenging work that is important to our country. Company has some very good leaders that try to keep positive morale and encourage innovation but these individuals are far above the baseline.

Cons

Comnpany has a very stagnant culture that does not lend itself to new ideas or commuincates information freely. There is an "Old Guard" that resists change. Supervisors and managers fall across a wide spectrum of skill levels and ethical perspectives and these do not get monitored.. Employees that have been there 20-30 years stay and newer people don't stay long.

Advice to Senior Management

Greater focus needed on developing managers-leaders, and ethical awareness..

Pros

ATK is a great place to work for those who want to be agressive with their career and who want all the pro's and con's of increasing responsibility. There is visibility up to high level management for those who are considered top talent.

Cons

ATK has grown by acquisition and as such many of its business systems, processes and leaders function in silo's. This is being addressed, but it is slow at times. In order for ATK to move to the next level and regularly compete with the primes - business efficiencies need to be made. ATK is also at a crossroads with their brand identity.

Advice to Senior Management

There needs to be a stronger Enterprise presence. Too often groups are allowed to operate on their own rather than having Corporate drive and enforce common policies and practices.