Pros

MITRE is primarily a systems engineering oriented company, where much of the work is higher level (requirements, specification, policy, test plans); but there are also opportunities for hands-on work (software development, prototyping, applied research, testing). MITRE has a very big internal research program, where millions of dollars are spent each year on research in a broad number of domain areas.

Cons

As a whole MITRE is a “flat” organization and people – even a lower levels – are expected to work without much hand holding. This can be an issue for junior staff where mentoring can be lacking. Due to the focus area of MITRE’s work programs it is fairly top heavy with a large number of senior engineers and managers.

Advice to Senior Management

Better mentoring of junior staff. Better system for recognizing and rewarding good work (i.e., objective criteria). Less politics and BS-ing.

Pros

Excellent work/life balance! Rank and file are probably the best, scientifically and technically, to be found in any organization and are eager to share knowledge. Mitre does provide some venues for knowledge management and knowledge sharing.

Cons

Management of CCG is probaly the worst of any company anywhere including government. There is absolutely no path or chance for advancement. The yearly review process is a total sham and virtually worthless where employees are not allowed to participate. You are judged by a group of managers that you never react with during the year, who have no (little) knowledge of what you have accomplished. If you do not have BIG BLUE (IBM) on your resume your career at CCG will stop with no further chance of advancement. MITRE, particularly CCG, is turning in to a job shop of senior talent, without the compenastion of a job shop, with no reward(s) for good work!

Advice to Senior Management

Wake up and smell the coffee! When the recession and job market improve open the flood gates as many will flee in droves!

Pros

It is a great environment to work the benefits are good and the people are very good to work with.

Cons

It you are not on the main campus advancedment can be very hard. The DC area staff often loses site of the real customer.

Advice to Senior Management

Pay more attention to the site personnel.

Pros

Great Benefits, nobody gets fired, laid back, easy work.

Cons

No challenges; lots of talk - not much walk. Talk about dicernable value- - but I don't do anything more than any other support contractor that charges 1/2 what MTIRE charges. NO OPPORTUNITY for advancement. No mentoring. No clear path for promotion. The annual performance review is a joke. I write my own. Folks deciding on whether to give me a pay raise or promotion don't even know me, my work, or my ability. Terrible leadership.

Advice to Senior Management

Get the promotion process fixed. Get rid of dead weight. don't give everyone an annual pay raise. Read some of these other reviews on this site - most are right on target. This place is broken.

Pros

The best place I've work that takes work-life balance seriously. They do take care of the employees. Great benefits and flexibility, despite the fact that we are a not-for-profit.

Cons

a bit laid back and low key

Advice to Senior Management

Give us a real recreation center, like pool and ping where we can play and stimulate team cohesion.

Pros

Work life balance; mission focus; not-for-profit/objective; smart, dedicated work force

Cons

Weak management; disconnect between senior leadership and workforce; mixed, often contradictory messaging re goals & objectives, and how organizations are managed and employees are rewarded; lack of consistency between professed vision/goals, and much of work taken on; over valuation of consensus at the cost of impact; corporate officers do not function as a team

Advice to Senior Management

More accountability for officers and senior leadership to work as a team; more empowerment of employees with the means and authority to accomplish expected goals; less emphasis on need for consensus -- provide all the opportunity to review and provide input to goals and direction, but then make the hard decisions necessary to achieve the most impact (versus upset the fewest people within MITRE)

Pros

The Good - outstanding benefits package and work-life balance! Company President and Board of Trustees appear to be making sound strategic moves to position MITRE for future turbulence in the defense industry. The President is keeping employees informed and has received high marks in the employee blog.

Cons

The Bad - middle managers who make promotion decisions based on personality and favoritism. The Peter Principle is alive and well at MITRE, although there are some middle managers who are actually good leaders as well.

Advice to Senior Management

The Ugly - look for those people who have been doing solid, contributing work for years who never receive recognition - also, open the MITRE Innovation Program to more people by limiting the number of MIP projects that one person can be on at one time and limit the number of years that a person can be on MIP funding - some people have made a career of research projects, while others are doing the direct project work for the sponsors.

Pros

- Important, satisfying work in the public interest
- Abundance of technical challenges and interesting, leading-edge technology projects
- Freedom to learn and grow in a variety of technical disciplines
- Freedom and mobility to change careers while staying in the same company
- Great compensation, benefits, training and educational assistance
- Job offerings at numerous domestic and international sites provide cultural opportunities if you are willing to move
- Excellent work/life balance
- Phased retirement that allows company to retain highly experienced staff well beyond retirement age
- Intelligent, motivated and committed people

Cons

- Congressional ceiling limits company growth and ability to support our nation. While this keeps us focused on the most important work most of the time, the artificial limit is often cause for internal turmoil between competing business units due to the zero sum game.

Advice to Senior Management

Stay the course, manage our costs and increase our value proposition. Continue to focus on the most strategic work while creating opportunities for for-profit organizations.

Pros

Work Life balance is stressed

Cons

Quasi gov't work and benefits

Advice to Senior Management

Moderate growth

Pros

Varied work, management are nice people compared to most engeering managagers elsewhereplaces, flexible work hours .

Cons

Not much advancement opportunities, programs go thru 'feast or famine' due to ceiling

Advice to Senior Management

solve ceiling problems