Pros
The agency has an excellent mission and is renown worldwide for its work. There is a 50 year history of this agency that has made significant contributions to the safety of transportation in the US and worldwide. The investigative and laboratory staff are well experienced, educated and professional. The dedication to the mission of the agency is commendable.
Cons
Like any Federal agency, the agency struggles with having steady reliable funding in which to adequately plan. When the agency is on a continuing resolution, or worse, a shutdown like the current situation, it makes it extremely difficult to plan and spend the money appropriately. The Federal government hiring process is very laborious and difficult to navigate. It is limits the ability of the hiring office to discuss the process with prospective candidates. I read a few complaints on line here about the hiring practices and I having been in a position where I had to hire people, I can say that it is often frustrating for the hiring office as well. You also need to understand the type of recruitment and the pool of candidates that will be considered. Some jobs are only available for current NTSB employees or current government employees, so if you are applying from the public, you are excluded from that hiring process. It's best to call and ask to speak to someone to understand the recruitment. That being said, all Federal agencies are required to use USA Jobs which is not a very good site. I would agree that the agency is somewhat top heavy in GS-14 and GS-15. However, it is an excellent place to start your Federal career and there have been some staff that have had to leave in order to advance. That's not necessarily a bad thing. The SES opportunities are limited, but I have never known anyone who was interested in becoming an SES being denied the opportunity to get development opportunities. The SES selection process is very difficult, and also requires OPM approval.