Pros
- Collaborations with outside joint ventures are helpful and allow for more networking opportunities
- Pay and Benefits is comparable to other OEMs, for reference as a senior engineer it was roughly 125k, 20 days accrued with carry over to new year, and most holidays off (no good friday or easter monday)
Cons
- CEO has consistently downplayed/mocked issues brought up by engineering on the overall processes and blockades. Clearly showing favoritism towards the production and design sections of the company. Direct examples of this can be seen when looking at social media posts by Scout that often highlight only the production and design aspects. For example there is no training program (outside of required legal training) or career development opportunities geared towards engineering teams.
- Leadership within R&D departments is often disjointed and incapable of delivering the same message across the board largely due to lack of CTO presence in the office (working remotely), VPs combating to act in their own interests and to be acting head of CTO in the office, and severe issues of sticking to a decision.
- Processes/tools are frequently changed across all departments causing unnecessary roadblocks and discussions.
- The Charlotte move was poorly communicated, lacked any additional benefits, and blocked promotional opportunities if you chose to stay in MI
Overall for an engineering professional, I do not recommend this company as your growth will be severely limited. Within automotive please direct your attention to a different start up or OEM.