Felt like a cog in the wheel - Anonymous employee Mathematica Employee Review

2.0
Apr 15, 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Important work to be doing. Mathematica is so big that it can take on really complex and interesting work. It is very competitive on bids. Good benefits (other than pay). True 9-5 job with no expectation of work after hours. Very defined ladder for advancement.

Cons

As someone with substantial work experience and a Master's degree, a large proportion of my work was administrative work like formatting documents. I did not have an opportunity to use the skills I have, and my past experience was not taken into account in terms of what I might be able to handle on projects. I was hired at a certain pay-grade because that's where people who have a Master's degrees always start. I truly felt like a cog in the wheel. Pay was not at all competitive. I was not inspired to do my best work here.

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5.0
Apr 11, 2026
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CEO approval
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Pros

Great colleagues, 401k match, and interesting work

Cons

Work life balance could be improved and more ability to move between departments

3.0
Jun 29, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Smart people, impactful work. A real community.

Cons

Poor strategic planning. Rather than performing real analysis and proactive thinking, leadership reacts to the environment. Strategy development and implementation at Mathematica seems like leadership throws wet spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks. In the 2010s, it was predictive modeling. Rather than proactively using predictive modeling to support their client's goals and the organization's mission, they created a data analytics division, hired smart people, and provided no guidance to support the division. Today, AI has replaced predictive modeling. These examples provide two instances of failures of corporate leadership; many more exist. Unfortunately, the company suffers from short-term incentives and an aversion to long-term investments. As an employee-owned company, you would think that the board and leadership would be more responsive to the employees. No! Over time, they have removed employees' voices from decision-making and focused on increasing their own power and independence.

7
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