Pros
-Friendly, international atmosphere with a young team -Partners are approachable and nice -Nice office space and competitive salary -Flexible approach to remote work -Exposure to high-level public sector clients, with junior staff given real visibility and responsibility
Cons
-Despite the firm branding itself as uniquely academic, most "policy advisory" work relies on superficial data and information and prioritizes optics over substance, as is typical in the consulting industry. Not stimulating for those genuinely interested in public policy or looking to build technical, transferable skills -Management rarely pushes back on unrealistic client demands or defends project staff, leading to frequent scope creep, overwork, and growing frustration -Feedback and promotion structures are vague and highly subjective, with overwork, micromanagement, and deference often regarded favorably. Project leads are often too stretched to properly guide, monitor, and review junior staff -Staff with specialized skills (e.g., digital, language, regional expertise) are given additional work to do with no further recognition -Attempts to rapidly grow has negatively impacted the firm’s close-knit culture and led to very overworked and understaffed project teams