Pros
Good salary. Nice food. Few nice benefits. work/life balance is good. Nice office room. Illusion that you are working for space.
Cons
Only paperwork. Forget hand on activities. Other people do it for you. Too much politics. Hence, lack of technical need, high level management corruption, lack of objectiveness in thinking and judging. No advancement in career, unless you do favors to management, and make them feel how special they are (all the time). Most of the working personnel believe that they are the best of the world, thinking that they are living the Hollywood space movies. Lack of team working (since everybody is the best no body needs anyone). Back stabbing is an everyday activity. Trust is a word you read in poetry or in economic activities, but not is ESA. Too much money are spent due to paperwork and procedures than for real work. But as it was mentioned before is part of the politics giving job to other group of people outside of ESA.