Pros
Some flexibility in work location and schedule.
Cons
Leadership operates primarily to serve DOE’s directives, not to represent or protect employees’ interests. The early 2025 layoffs made this clear. Rather than reassigning staff to other projects, which would have been rather easy, leadership chose to cut people to demonstrate loyalty to DOE's new priorities. Questions about redirecting new building construction funds to support staff are always deflected, and all-hands meetings feel performative. Group managers and employees in general are often promoted based on tenure and connections rather than technical ability. Many lack understanding of the actual work and fail to support or advocate for technical contributors. The culture rewards people who “sell” projects rather than those who do the technical work. Business-oriented staff propose and oversell projects they don’t understand, then rely on technical people to execute the hard work. Promotions are based on how much money you bring in, not your expertise or impact. Over time, this structure has turned the lab into something akin to a multi-level marketing (MLM) program. Salaries for technical contributors are far below market for the Denver metro area or compared to other national laboratories. Expect a lower-middle-class lifestyle if you aim to save for a home. Meanwhile, projects are bloated with non-technical staff (group managers, project managers, business developers) who contribute little to the actual technical output but receive equal pay and recognition. Furthermore, there is no salary increase within your current position, so expect to be making the exact same amount as a new hire after a few years.