Has the bones of a good firm, but needs significant cultural investment
Pros
The work itself is interesting and the projects are substantive. If you're an engineer who wants to keep your head down and focus on technical work, there is plenty of it. The firm has been around long enough to have real client relationships and a solid book of business.
Cons
The cultural tone starts at the top and unfortunately that's where the issues begin. The founder has a strong personality and a tendency to dominate conversations — meetings can feel more like lectures than collaborative discussions. His communication style is at times inappropriate for a professional environment, including language and commentary that would raise eyebrows in most modern workplaces. There is no real awareness of or investment in DEIB, and it shows.The COO is the founder's son, and the feeling of nepotism is difficult to ignore. Whether or not it affects day-to-day decisions, it shapes the culture and limits the sense that advancement is merit-based. Several senior leaders, including in engineering and operations, are not particularly warm or approachable, and that coldness extends to virtual communication as well. For new employees especially, this makes onboarding feel isolating. Speaking of onboarding — the new hire training and leadership development programming feel like relics of a prior era. They are referenced more than they are executed. The marketing function is noticeably understaffed at the experience level. The team comes across as reactive and disorganized, which affects how the firm presents externally.