Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Reviews

Pros

My supervisor took an active role in helping me find my career path, and was very understanding about my school commitments.

Cons

Almost everything important requires a security clearance, and sometimes interns get stuck with very tedious, low-level jobs. Luckily, I was able to join a more meaningful project, but my lack of a security clearance did hold me back.

Pros

Location, salary is okay, looks good on your resume.

Cons

Horribly managed, little recognition, and understaffed.

Advice to Senior Management

Get a clue. Try to get to know the people below you. Stop looking out for yourself. Allow performance reviews to go up the chain of command.

Pros

Technology, intelligent people, a well rounded group of employees. A well balanced attitude between work and family.

Cons

Salary not as good as other organizations and yearly review increases are very low.

Advice to Senior Management

i think management is doing a fine job. In a tough economy, Draper is meeting or exceeding revenue expectations.

Pros

The desire to do a good job stems from the respect of management and co-workers.
At Draper I want to work hard so new opportunities come for me and my co-workers. It feels like you are all working together to suceed. This place is like no other...

Cons

Pay may lag similar for profit companies

Advice to Senior Management

Keep up the great work !

Pros

Lots of good technical work. Lots of laboratory space and resources. Unlimited sick time for members of the technical staff.

Cons

All the other reviewers are spot on about favoritism to certain groups and to certain individuals. This includes both work assignments and salary. Some groups are MUCH better paid than others - even for the same level of employee. Draper works on charge numbers for projects - you are responsible for finding your own projects to fill your time card. New employees are on their own in a large company where they know nobody to find assignments. No assignment, no charge number - no pay. Work is mostly distributed to people that established members of the lab have worked with before. New employees need to make friends quickly to find work. Even once you are working on a project, you can be removed with no warning and no replacement. I knew someone who was informed over email on a day she was out that she was removed from an assignment. She had no time to plan ahead and look for other work to fill in her timecard. There are also a lot of unsavory characters who are not above stealing other people's assignments. Management not only tolerates this, but actively participates in it. Overall, if you can figure out how to become a Draper star and don't mind that you are perpetuating a lousy culture, this is will be a great place. If you aren't getting fabulous, or at least interesting assignments by the time you have been a here a year, cut and run.

Advice to Senior Management

Management needs to take the step from managing to leading. People are promoted to management positions based on technical contributions, not on leadership skills. All the leadership training by MIT is available for free to Draper employees. Management should be required to take this training and be reviewed based on demonstrated application of learned principles of management.

Pros

Very interesting projects. Very intelligent co-workers. Close to Kendall T. Lots of benefits.

Cons

Political. It's obvious that some groups/people are held in higher esteem than other groups, which seem to drive promotions/raises. Lack of Diversity. Almost everyone is from MIT.

Advice to Senior Management

Allow managers to take management and leadership classes.

Pros

Great people & bright minds
Cutting edge research continues on

Cons

The building feels stuffy
Closed off feeling
Culture varies wildly from group to group

Pros

Smart coworkers
Great location in Cambridge, MA
401k matching benefits and access to MIT facilities
Projects can be very challenging and technically interesting.

Cons

The office environment doesn't promote collaboration across the company and it can be difficult to learn from your coworkers. Your project may be great, or it may be boring or ill-defined or poorly managed.

Advice to Senior Management

Update work environment to attract and retain young engineering talent. Provide greater transparency in review process. Ensure everyone is still providing value to the company.

Pros

Intelligent coworkers and interesting work. Good mix of academia and industry. The prototyping that bridges the gap between basic research and production is an interesting niche to occupy.

Cons

Salary is on the low side. More interesting work is in internal R&D but those run out relatively quickly. Getting security clearances involve lots of paperwork which can be a hassle.

Advice to Senior Management

More feedback for the IRAD process would be very helpful. The lack of direct feedback makes it feel like too much of a black box. Quotas for performance reviews and promotion process is also not as clear as it could be.

Pros

Excellent technical resources to address very challenging technical problems
Very stable
Good compensation and benefits

Cons

Somewhat bureaucratic and slow
Matrixed management makes it hard to define role

Advice to Senior Management

Clear role definition for new hires would be of great help