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      MIT Lincoln Laboratory

      Part of MIT

      Engaged Employer

      MIT Lincoln Laboratory reviews

      4.4

      96% would recommend to a friend

      (512 total reviews)
      avatar

      Eric Evans

      98% approve of CEO

      86% positive business outlook

      Ratings by demographic groups

      MIT Lincoln Laboratory has an employee rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars, based on 512 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The MIT Lincoln Laboratory employee rating is 21% above average for employers within the Aerospace & Defense industry (3.6 stars).

      Reviews by job title

      512 reviews
      4.0
      Mar 11, 2016

      A job turned into a career at Lincoln Laboratory

      It systems administrator
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      One of the best parts about working at Lincoln Laboratory is the people. You work among some of the brightest most talented people in their respected field. There is a feeling that what you are doing will ultimately make a difference for your country. In my experience there is a real respect among leadership for the work / life balance.

      Cons

      Opportunity and growth is to strictly tied to degrees obtained. Work experience doesn't seem to hold enough weight.

      avatar
      MIT Lincoln Laboratory Response
      10y
      We are pleased that you have observed that the people at Lincoln Laboratory are one of our key selling points. We are fortunate to be able attract and retain a high quality workforce. While we do have a high portion of employees with advanced degrees, the individual talent and contribution of each employee is what is valued. Ability to contribute to the work at the required level is biggest driver. At times that overlaps with graduate studies and research involvement. Thanks for your input.
      4.0
      Feb 25, 2016

      Assistant Staff

      Assistant technical staff
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Nice work/life balance, learning opportunities depending on personal initiative, collegial environment, good benefits. Mobility between groups/projects. Can take classes at MIT with tuition assistance!

      Cons

      Mobility is largely determined by bachelors/masters/doctorate, not performance. Salary raises are limited and below market rate. Lot of variability between groups in terms of caliber of people, quality of projects, and visibility. Management is composed of scientists/engineers, so can be lackluster.

      avatar
      MIT Lincoln Laboratory Response
      10y
      We try hard to maintain a strong meritocracy at Lincoln Laboratory, where performance and contribution are the driver of success. There is often a correlation between graduate studies and the depth of contribution that one can make to a research project but there are also many cases of individuals who do not have advanced degrees but contribute at a high level. Thank you for your insight.
      3.0
      Feb 1, 2016

      Best used as a resume builder unless you have a doctorate

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      5% defined contribution + 5% 401k match + 4 weeks vacation + decent benefits package. Lincoln Scholars program pays tuition and salary to go to school full time. Able to move between groups to find more interesting and challenging work. Opportunities for very interesting work, but you have to seek them out. Depending on the group, can enjoy excellent work-life balance, respect for your downtime and family life, but not everywhere in the lab.

      Cons

      Assistant staff, associate staff and staff are roughly akin to military enlisted, senior NCO and commissioned officer, with gaping chasms in between and no expectation of promotion. PhDs are burdened with responsibilities they don't necessarily want while those with lesser degrees are denied challenges they wish to take on. Performance expectations seem subjective and aren't the same for everyone. Leadership across different groups and divisions can be wildly different, from excellent to incompetent to hostile. Surprisingly vast differences in the pace of technology exist between different divisions from important cutting edge research to mediocre applications engineering. Salaries are not competitive with the rest of the defense/aerospace industry.

      avatar
      MIT Lincoln Laboratory Response
      10y
      Thank you for your comments. You have clearly put a lot of thought into this. Lincoln Laboratory has traditionally been a fairly flat organization. That has reduced administration and minimized the layers of management that one has to go through to get decisions made. In recent years, there has been more interest expressed in the type of tiered approach that you describe. This is being studied and will be fully assessed. Your comparisons to military officers and enlisted personnel are not fully inaccurate but do not convey the intent of the organization. If you have encountered incompetent or hostile management, I sincerely hope that you are pointing that out to appropriate contacts, including HR. There are behaviors that are not permissible on any employee's part, including managers. We appreciate your long service at the Lab and your insights.
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      ReviewsMIT Lincoln Laboratory reviews

      Glassdoor has 766 MIT Lincoln Laboratory reviews submitted anonymously by MIT Lincoln Laboratory employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if MIT Lincoln Laboratory is right for you.