If a friend asked for my opinion... I'd tell them no.
Pros
There's a lot of good about JPI, but unfortunately, any good is largely overshadowed by the bad. The Good -- HR Department: After getting rid of the former HR Representative, the new POC is friendly and genuinely seems to care about advocating and retaining good employees. Growth (Maybe): It's less about the work you do and more about who you work for. If you happen to make connections/work for a Manager that advocates for you, you will exceed here and they will find spots if/when they lose their exisiting contracts. Flexibility: Most people have some work/life balance, based on business need. This is only if you don't get looped into doing proposals. Good People: There ARE some good people at JPI and if you are lucky enough to work with those few, you will learn alot. CEO: The CEO is very kind, but is often overshadowed by the other Directors (who care more about money than taking care of their people). Benefits: They pay for most of your benefits -- this is a good selling point, but will limit your growth.
Cons
The Bad -- Promotability: You have to work on proposals (on top of regular work) to be promoted. Period. And you have to be good at it on the first try or you won't get another opportunity. If you don't like BD, this isn't the job for you. Too Many Cooks: Too much bureaucracy, yet no clear lines of authority. There is no CEO/CFO/COO -- just 8 Directors. And each one wants eyes on everything; it makes even completing simple tasks incredibly frustrating. Reputation: JPI has a less-than-stellar reputation on Government-side, which doesn't bode well, depending on which Agency you're working for. Loyalty: They expect 100% loyalty from employees, but would rather hire "outside the company" than keep or promote or give longstanding employees raises more than a 2% (less than a COL increase). Lazy Managers: When JPI graduated out of the "small business mindset" there has been an increasing problem with lackadaisical management. Lazy people are allowed a pass, while dedicated people are forced to take on the slack. If a client happens to like you, lazy people are granted a pass until the contract is up. Lack of Transparency: There is no transparency in salary or bonuses. If you happen to be eligible for a bonus (after already working hours of overtime on proposals), bonuses are subjective, based on whether or not Managers/Directors like you. Interview Process: While HR / Recruiting is great, the actual interview process is a joke. Several positions I assisted with interviewing for had not even been approved by upper Management.
