Pros
There's a reason many employees have been here for decades. Working here, you can make a tangible difference by supporting the optics and photonics academic research and industry innovations that make the world a better connected and more inclusive place. The building is modern and has a great staff lounge with nice views of the city. Open concept and glass walls, but good sound-proofing mostly. In-house IT are responsive and provide good equipment and technology solutions. Work flow can be varied, but most major time commitments can be seen on the horizon and planned for. Leaders are extremely dedicated to the organization. They ask incisive questions, which can be difficult for some people. It's nice that the CEO takes care to check in with people — there are so many places where that would not be true. Benefits are above-average and HR team is very talented at in-house HR functions. Probably need a modernized recruitment plan to improve on certain diversity topics in leadership, but generally a more representative-than-average environment.
Cons
Some working styles are difficult to accommodate. Staffing plans that don't have clearly delineated responsibilities, very last minute requests from people who didn't plan ahead. Some people avoid working at all costs, knowing others will take it on for them, contributing to burnout and uneven workloads and even more last minute requests. Some processes also get held up by extremely small details, with very little benefit for doing so. Probably not enough payroll dedicated to administrative staff who could handle some of the smaller details that are necessary. However, some people are challenged to delegate anyway. You have to know who to minimize contact with — there are a few people who might not have job security at other places.