Pros
Stimulating colleagues-the opportunity to work with some of the best minds and most committed people in government -and to meet people from universities and the Agency's research labs who on the cutting edge of their fields. The opportunity to make genuine difference in the world, either at the local, state, or national -or even global level..Opportunity for advancement and recognition, if you can perform -or if you have the right mentor (but see cons). When management has worked with staff to identify clear objectives and is focused on attaining them, the work can be extremely satisfying and effective in protecting the environment and human health (but again, see cons).
Cons
Leadership can vary. I worked under a Regional Administrator who inspired faith and dedication, was utterly unafraid to speak truth to power (was key in removing the Agency's Administrator under Reagan), and would give any employee a respectful audience. He was replaced by a self-serving organization-climber, who hired and promoted people with the same mindset. Sometimes positions in top management slot go empty for years at a time due to Washington politics, leaving a void filled by sometimes capable second-level managers and sometimes with incompetent ones at or beyond their Peter Principle levels, who can misdirect entire programs with long-lasting detriment. Other frustrations derive from the Presidential Administrations and some in Congress, varying from funding uncertainties to efforts to either shut down programs or use the system to tie the hands of the employees. Some managers build little fiefdoms and surround themselves with a few loyal toadies for mutual self-aggrandizement, and let otherwise dedicated employees wither on the vine.