RTX BBN Technologies reviews

* Company seems to ride the coattails of its past success. * Freedom to choose project can be overwhelming as a newcomer. Your worth at this company is measured by 2 things: a) Are you a PI/PM? b) What is your billability? Knowing this, you can see there is immense pressure on everyone to remain on a billable project at all times. Charging overhead is frowned upon. Managers do the absolute bare minimum to help you find a fit on a project. What this means for newcomers is that many times they are hired without any project in mind. The manager will pound it into their head about how important billability is but then not do much to help you find a project. You are expected to introduce yourself to the PIs and PMs of your group and convince them to take you on their project. Once you do that, it gets easier since you will settle into a niche/group of employees that frequently bid and work on projects together. Some of these groups are hard to crack into and don't like taking new people. This is very stressful for newcomers. * Do not expect much advancement opportunity or large salary raises if you do not want to become a PI or PM. Business Development is at the forefront of all promotional events. You will top out quickly here if you just want to develop and test for the projects. After a certain level (around Staff Scientist 1 or 2) if you do not bring in more business either by directly being a PI or by constantly working on proposals then you will not move forward. * Non-technical employees at this company are definitely second-class citizens (other then PMs)

The business model of a small S&T company (like BBN) depends on selling ideas and research to the government at a competitive rate. Since the output of this work is often only a research report rather than a deliverable working product, the research has to be very promising and price very competitive (similar to academia). This is distinct from the business model of a large defense contractor that often enjoys a near monopoly on its goods and services (like Raytheon). This fundamental tension has been the source of considerable angst within BBN since its acquisition by Raytheon and it remains to be resolved.