Sandia National Laboratories Reviews

Pros

Sandia offers a chance to use ones God given abilities for the greater good while earning a very competitive paycheck and generous work/life balance. Some Managers are better than others but the mission remains the same, keep America’s strategic military advantage or risk conflict with our emboldened adversaries.

Cons

The one main downside is the lack of a pension. This becomes evident when NNSA management uses that carrot to entice Sandians to quite and take a job with them.

Advice to Management

Please approve the 4/10 schedule in SNL/ABQ.

Pros

Overall, the entire compensation package is good when including 401(k) and other benefits. Work/life balance is excellent.

Cons

Most technical jobs require a security clearance, which by itself is not a big problem, except that it takes a very long to acquire clearance.

Pros

Sandia is as billed as a top employer in New Mexico for a reason! They deliver the promise of true work-life balance, while also giving employess the opportunity to deliver meaningful work in a challenging environment filled with great, diverse colleagues. Sandia is actively engaged with the community in effort to raise the status of Albuquerque and the state of New Mexico.

Cons

Diversity and Inclusion is a space that is lacking in the management space and above into the executive level. Sandia is actively engaging and aggressively working to push into a space that does deliver in balance, representation and inclusion, however they are not there yet.

Advice to Management

Be ready to solve the onboarding problems. New employees struggle to understand the culture that is and expect to be able to lean on management for direction and career guidance. All managers should be capable of having the institutional knowledge to support their staff at every level of employment.

Pros

Nice area Flexible schedule Experienced mentors are available to help you

Cons

Competitive On the base so travel to and from work can become congested

Pros

Decent work/life balance- 9/80, 4/10 schedules Vacation buy options Reasonable job security Work on unique missions & projects

Cons

Perks & benefits being cut rapidly under NTESS (flextime, sick leave, variable pay, promotions, annual raises, training, etc.) Little to no ability to get promoted, especially under new recent changes Archaic performance rating system Upper management is clueless how to run an R&D lab, very disconnected Management held to different standards than staff (they can be average performers and be eligible for bonuses,...

Advice to Management

The communication and transparency under NTESS has been horrendous and is breeding a lot of mistrust and bad behavior. Stress levels are high and morale is on a rapid decline as NTESS arbitrarily cuts various areas because of their shortsightedness and lack of understanding in how it may impact other areas. Many of the details of the recent benefits cuts have been very quietly rolled out or only given a small mention...

Pros

- Pay is competitive with industry - Great work/life balance depending on the type of work

Cons

- A lot of red tape for work can make it challenging to accomplish task - Major disconnection between upper management and the staff members for certain groups - Benefits and perks have been slowly getting cut

Advice to Management

Sandia used to be a place of innovation where the best and the brightest would work. With the cut in raises and number of promotions it doesn't encourage people to want to work at Sandia.

Pros

Awesome interns there and awesome research, great place to spend the summer

Cons

They want to keep you forever

Pros

Very flexible with school schedule.

Cons

The work ethic varies widely.