Pros
The work is really cool and you know that your contributions truly make a difference in the real world. No boring work here. Small teams means individual contributors are making a difference. Lots of REALLY smart people. Flat company structure. Lots of opportunities to drive your own career and work in areas all around the world. CEO is very engaged and cares a lot about employees. Company is very open internally about work done across the company, which is unusual for defense. Benefits are awesome, especially the retirement benefits. Work-life balance is amazing. Employees flex over the month and all groups I’ve worked in are incredibly flexible with work schedules.
Cons
The company is feeling growing pains and is still trying to operate like a small startup even though it’s up to a few hundred people. While the flat structure has its advantages, the leadership team and back office are spread too thin. Raises aren’t great (3-5% per year) though the company is saying they are trying to fix that. Best bet is to negotiate for a high salary when you come in. The annual review process is confusing and feels like the people in more visual roles get higher raises. It’s definitely better to be in the main offices in Colorado or Ohio - other employees can fall through the cracks. The leave and medical benefits program is confusing and while great for some people’s situations, isn’t the best for others. There’s no established parental leave program, which is an industry standard at this point.