Pros
Have ~15 years in the industry and have found a home at MITRE for the last 8+ years. Tried the for-profit thing, tried the small business thing, then came to MITRE and have been here ever since. Times were tough for a while, but things are looking up with our new CEO, Mark Peters. Mark brings a fresh perspective and listening approach which I feel will take MITRE back to its former glory which is focusing on the mission and maximizing our impact to our Sponsors and the world. Work life balance is great, PTO, parental leave and retirement match are fantastic, education benefits are great, and pay is fair. Most colleagues are great to work with and the campuses in McLean and Bedford make going into the office less painful.
Cons
RTO policy should be loosened to allow employees autonomy to make responsible decisions based on mission needs and job responsibilities. This will enable us to attract and retain the best talent to solve our nation and the world's toughest challenges. Too much time and emotional energy is spent on worrying about counting the days we've been in the office or justifying why we did not meet the minimum requirement when that time could be spent making an impact for our Sponsors. Empower employees and their direct managers to make these decisions and have these conversations.