Great place to build a career in applied research - Senior Researcher Mathematica Employee Review

4.0
Nov 13, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Opportunities to learn, emphasis on public service mission, culture of identifying projects of interest to staff and allowing staff to play a driving role in pursuing projects that interest them.

Cons

Due to growth in the past 5 years, the company is going through some awkward transitions related to new organizational structures and internal systems that are more rigid than what had been in place in the past. These new systems are suited to being a large organization that intends to continue growing, but they can feel impersonal and inflexible at times.

Explore other reviews about Mathematica

5.0
Apr 11, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

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
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All