My review is negative of both the legacy Raytheon Company and Raytheon Technologies. My review is also kind of long, but I think the detail makes up for that.
Post merger with UTC, the company is weaker now than it was prior to the merger. The people from that side of the company are being almost entirely supported by the legacy Raytheon side, since the Raytheon side came in with a lot of strong financial backing and recent DoD contract awards. UTC, on the other hand, has crashed in the wake of COVID-19 as commercial aviation is bleeding red. That's a bit more recent news and may be enough to convince new hires to stay away.
For my title, specifically for younger engineers, I feel this job has not taught me nearly enough without myself scraping for interesting jobs and training, despite how much the company will boast about cross-training, assignment mobility, etc. Most of the younger engineers I've seen hired straight from college in the last year must learn to deal with outdated legacy systems no one besides outdated DoD companies use. Raytheon was risk adverse prior to the merger, and it is more risk adverse now, so impactful change is reviewed heavily under a microscope. Younger engineers generally are given busy body work for 6-months or so to start to get their feet wet, but don't mistake this for training. It is a contract job with a charge number, and failure to produce results will end negatively, even if you are new and no one more experienced was assigned to help
Pros9/80 work schedule (every other Friday off), remote/flex work (if your manager allows it), work morale events, tuition reimbursement, a ton of family/mental health benefits
ConsThe company, post merger with UTC, is far weaker than it was prior, the benefits cost has gone up and given less every year I have been here, the management is often absolutely a nightmare to deal with, the culture is not great to downright bad, lots of casual racist/sexist/homophobic remarks in the workplace that never seems to get dealt with
Configuration Management, Raytheon Corporation, Florida, 1992 - 2014
Established and maintained consistency of Raytheon work products for performance, functionality and physical attributes using product requirements, design and operational information including versions and updates that have been applied throughout the products life. Involved in product vibration testing and temperature screening. Learned appropriate testing tools utilized in this effort so to become an effective, efficient contributor to this position. Created a 'user friendly' Database using ACCESS to replace ESS log books. Worked on the ‘next generation’ CEC SDP-S terminal. Responsible for evaluating CEC CCAs that comprise the CEC (Cooperative Engagement Capability) terminal. Ensured that CCAs respective VIDs (Vendor Item Drawing) content met CEC requirements. Interfaced with vendors from UK and Canada to discuss flaws that existed in VIDs and assisted on remedies for correction action.
CEP Test Lead
Successfully developed, implemented, and lead CEP (Cooperative Engagement Processor) FQT (Formal Qualification Testing) of then latest upgrade of CEP software. Supervised five Engineer testers whose responsibility was to create and run tests to simulate multiplatform CEP activity and ensure the CEP software was meeting CEP specifications. At conclusion of each test day I conducted a ‘hot wash’ with testers and government witnesses and quality engineers present to discuss the days activities and what tes
Dynamic work environment with highly cvhallenging project work
Information Technology product and service sales, project management, customer interface and lifecycle planning, six of which are industrial in nature and span work requests for simple service and support to multi-year complex phased projects in many different building/asset settings from wind tunnels to Administrative office suites and supercomputing facilities. I was responsible for daily and monthly project progress reports for tracking contract proposals and other documentation through signature/approval processes and advised/informed subcontractor and staff relationships accordingly while coordinating with clients, handling inter-departmental communication, and relationship cultivation.
Sponsored project management was the key to Raytheon’s success as contractors at NASA, as we managed service requests for funding sources continuously. Project proposals for external funding, including budget allocation and project initiation, was one of my primary functions. I worked with the NASA government finance office for the IT division, as well as external funding directorates to review estimates and proposals for appropriateness and completeness of content. I also verified compliance with the sponsoring organization's guidelines and NASA’s safety policies and procedures while overseeing and monitoring all current groups, Tasks and project activities and budgets, from both a fiscal year and project scope perspective.
I did all of IT infrastructure’s subcontracting with bot
ProsLatitude to manage my people and projects with minimal managerial oversite
ConsRaythoen was "expensive" relative to competition, Became a subcontarct to prime upon re-compete
Nothing against Raytheon, I was the 3rd generation to work for them and enjoyed what I did. I would work 8.5-9.5 hours per day depending on volume/needs of chemicals. I was the only warehouse worker for HAZMAT, my supervisor/lead would always come to me with "favors" which would be shipping things he was asked to ship on top of all of my other duties and shipments I had. I was scheduled to work until 3:30 and most of the time, I would be asked to get shipments out around 2-3 o'clock. I've said many times that I do NOT want to be rushed to get your material out, and it's never changed. My hours were changed several different times to accomodate the company, and with trust in the company I wanted to do whatever it took to help the facility out. Everyday I'd see other employees abusing their computers and on facebook, shopping or looking at things on google, while I'm rushing and working trying to get my shipments on time for the pick-up time. My supervisor had asked me about getting some help for me and naturally I agreed to relieve some stress. I saw a opening position at Raytheon working directly under my Superviser and I talked to him about the position. He said to give it a month and see what happens. 2 weeks later he said that I should apply for the position with that being my #1 priority for that day. Weeks kept going, while I ship out hundreds of chemicals out and wondering why I haven't been replied back to about my application. I was scheduled an interview with the MCP
ProsNone.
ConsNo ethics, racial slurs in warehouse, poor management
The work itself was fun and entertaining, I learned many skills and traits that carry into daily life. Management needed improvement when it came to how they treated the employees especially during extenuating and life threatening circumstances. The Politics of the company were abhorrent. Most of my co-workers were wonderful people but exceedingly cut throat.
The hardest part of the job was quick turnovers, scheduling conflicts, and illnesses/ lack of sick days. Quick Turnovers- the company operated in two shifts, AM (7A-3:30P) and PM(3:30P-12A) many times you would be given back to back turn arounds multiple times per week. (ex. M- PM shift T- AM shift W-Double shift Th- AM shift) Where this was problematic was the exhaustion and toll it took physically to stay awake. If you have a 30 minute drive time from your house to the facility these turn arounds would only allow the Remote Pilot Operators to get six hours of sleep at best and that is providing you could go to bed as soon as you got home and didn't need to shower all week. Scheduling conflicts- Even if you had a non negotiable doctors or dental appt. you were not guaranteed time off for the appt. If you were to go on vacation and bought air fare you still may have to change your flight. Illness/ Lack of sick days- we were not given sick days by the company. If you did not call in by 10 Pm the night before it was considered an unexcused absence even with a doctors note. If you got sick during your shift, you were no
Prosbeutiful facility, many breaks, enjoyed the fast pace work.
Raytheon Missile Systems is running a fascinating experiment: can the division create processes so robust that failure becomes impossible despite declining technical aptitude among employees?
Company values have shifted; people with great salesmanship and communication skills but marginal technical capability, politicians, are highly prized whereas those with great technical capability like SMEs, innovators and smart engineers are ignored. As politicians fill more management roles, technical competency of new hires has fallen and increasing numbers of frustrated technical people have left.
Some interesting positive feedback mechanisms have emerged:
- The technically less competent politicians rely on checklists and procedures to think for them resulting in a bloated, dogmatic engineering approach that frustrates engineers and stifles innovators, encouraging their departure.
- Politicians excel at issue framing, massaging data, and appearing busy. Only busy people in technically complicated roles can fail; further proving the incredible value of those who do nothing.
- Since management is no longer technically competent, it relies on the easily comprehended, but often inaccurate, self-assured babble of emerging politicians resulting in inadequate risk mitigation and then increasingly poor decisions as unmitigated risk becomes realized. This further frustrates those who saw the problems from afar and advocated appropriate action.
- The quota based ranking scheme guarantees that
If you like mind-numbing work whilst stuck at a bench all day, Raytheon is for you!
If you love management that has no grasp on anything Assembly workers do that constantly try and cut break times, and stop workers from talking (as if you're still in high school) Raytheon is for you!
If you loved all the childishness of high school rumors, and bathroom drawings then Raytheon is for you!
Don't like your manager? Scream in their face for something that probably is out of their control, that's what most of the old timers here do, and you're part of a union so who cares, right?
Don't mind being looked down upon by higher ups just because you're union this place may just be for you.
In all seriousness though this company treats their employees like garbage whilst outsiders who find out you work there will "aww" at the fact that you work for "such a good company with GREAT benefits".
This place is soul sucking and not for anyone who isn't planning on spending the rest of their lives there.
If you need a job that will get you through school, sure they say they'll pay for it but that isn't a guarantee. They deny workers of that benefit quite frequently to save some money. Unless you're a business major or an Engineer student they won't pay for you schooling, even if there are job opportunities within the company that call for that profession.
Depending on the area you work they will be incredibly difficult or very lenient towards having flex time for classes that a
I have over 9 years with the company. I hired on with Raytheon with a 2 year overseas assignment. The assignment was supposed to be accompanied, after a year of being in country without my family and getting the run-around with excuses about housing accommodations on the compound from upper management, I finished my second year and took another assignment in the US. During my second assignment, I was tasked on multiple occasions to travel and I loved the travel. Things at this assignment took a turn for the worst when the sections were merged and moved around with different managers. Certain individuals were moved into manager positions who were in the "good ole boy" or "golfing with Program Manager" group. I left that assignment after 4 years to go on another overseas assignment. During the next 2 year assignment, the work was super easy and very laid out. I actually enjoyed the work crew that I was involved with, but again, the upper management was quite terrible and VERY micromanaging even knowing that our work crew was being ran by a guy with 35 years in the company. I finished this assignment and took another assignment in the US. This current assignment was said to be 3-5 years, but almost a year to the day I was hired for this position, I was told they were "out of funding". I have spent the past 8 months doing a totally different job than I applied for because of poor management of funding.
Since March 2020, Covid happened and also a company merge with United Techno
ProsBenefits are pretty decent
ConsManagement is toxic, Traveling with the terrible companies to choose, Pay is lower than similar work in other companies, Very politically driven company.
2.0
Quality Assurance Engineer | San Diego, CA | Feb 7, 2018
Reneged. on 'contract to hire'
This was agreed to be a 6 month contract-to-hire deal. They knew I put my household items into storage and drove out to California from Maryland. During my time at Raytheon, I was commended often and was told I was "the best they have seen". I had won numerous awards when I contracted here 10 years ago. I was recognized in the hallways by no less than 14 people with a hearty handshake and a "Welcome Back". I was paying $3,000 / month to stay in hotels during this time. $325.mo for storing my items in MD.
Everything was fine, work-wise. Perhaps they put too much into all their "processes" which I could see erodes their earned value. If you want something done right, Raytheon is the company to do it - although expensive. Their engineering staff is among the best I have worked with.
No word about continuing as an employee after 5 months and 25 days I brought it up. Next thing I knew the agency called and said "Don't go back, complete the final time report and turn in laptop, iPhone and badge to us." Why? I asked... They said "we would like to hire him, but we are having a down-turn and are laying people off. Our policy states that we have to offer his job to a person about to be laid-off. Whether that person is more-or-less qualified for the job is of secondary importance". I went to a holiday luncheon after I was let go, and none of my co-workers seemed to care that I had been let-go. The supervisor and his alternate manager did not show up at the luncheon. I never had a
ProsExciting work environment, lots of interesting projects, great people. Free "used" paperbook library in the breakroom.
ConsTraffic heading into and away from work no matter which route you take, The cafeteria in the building is awful.
I work closely with the Finance department to make sure that the invoices that I have approved on the Syncada system have been paid as well as that they were paid to the correct charge code assigned to that shipment. I work with UPS and any freight carrier for any shipments that are outstanding that were placed in a different sort key. I ship pallets, boxes, etc for the MSTC program as well as to our personnel out in the field or other sites using the ITARS system for all OCONUS shipments and UPS, FED EX or any freight carrier using the TMS (Shipping Smart) System for shipments CONUS. I receive packages in the warehouse and distribute out to personnel or if it is a material/equipment box or pallet, I receive it in to Maximo and close out the purchase order. I create hand receipts or a material issue document in Excel and hand it off to the person that it goes to upon their signature. I receive in purchase order invoices from different sites and make sure that the invoice posts in SAP for payment. I maintain all PCARSS, Disposition, Shipping, Receiving and ROE paperwork for the PMO in Orlando. I work closely with the Property Manager to get all necessary paperwork to present to the Government for the disposition of all government property. I present the customer with a DD1149 form upon completion of the transaction per Government approval. I issue out DD250's to customers when we issue the property to them. I conduct a 10% monthly inventory to different sites for accountabilit
I've worked for this company twice now in the past few years.
The first time round was with their semiconductor wafer fab which was an interesting change of environment and definitely something new. This however was a factory job and like most jobs of the type it became very repetitive, strained and working with severely outdated equipment meant hitting the constantly increased production goals was challenging.
The second time round I was on the systems side of things having had experience in hand soldering in previous employment, although looking forward to this new challenge I was soon very disappointed when the tasks given to me were nothing more than sitting in front of a computer screen reading for hours on end for 'training purposes' and when that dried up I was literally sat there being told to look busy when certain coloured lab coats walked past (red meaning visitor).
It was fun and interesting when I was actually able to do some soldering work (due to signing the secrecy act I cannot divulge information on what I was working on).
Things didn't last however as during a period of extremely repetitive work each employee was given a one-to-one with our manager, now in this one-to-one we were encouraged to speak our minds and assured that the information given would not affect our jobs as after all the feedback was meant for job improvement, however after voicing my troubles with the very repetitive work I was tasked with I found myself unemployed within the sa
ProsLocal, electronics, local discounts.
ConsVery clique filled, temperamental management, poor pay for the type of work
Questions And Answers about Raytheon
What is the work environment and culture like at Raytheon?
Asked Jul 4, 2016
The job was great I loved showing up and I loved working. Coworkers were your average coworkers you like some you dislike some. There is favoritism amongst the supervisors and leadership. There's bullying amongst some workers who have been there longer.
Answered Oct 2, 2019
Bullying of coworkers is overlooked by Manager, it was a toxic work environment. Not a good company to work for.
Answered May 11, 2019
What is the interview process like at Raytheon?
Asked Feb 25, 2016
Reasonable and fair but it can be a check in the box. If the person you are going to work for already has someone else in mind, they still have to go through the process of hiring. This means someone could get hired, only to get fired so they get who they wanted in the first place.
Answered Oct 29, 2020
Phone interview, then in person interview a few days later in front of a panel of four. Thought the interview went well, hiring manager said I would hear from them? Its been close to three weeks plus and nothing the in house recruiter never responded to of my follow-up email regarding status etc. Don't even know if he passed along my thank-you note. I think they just bring in people to satisfy the interview requirement for the position. No response at all from these folks very unprofessional information and application status very hard to come by there recruiters never follow-up which is why I think they purposely bring in people they have no intention of hiring just to satisfy their quota and just blow you off after that.
Answered Mar 6, 2020
How are the working hours at Raytheon?
Asked Jul 4, 2016
Working hours will be made with board members to ensure all parties or participants are satisfied with opportunities and esop like structure
Markets must be transparent shades of leveling tiers based on value they provide Myspace
Answered Sep 9, 2018
40 hours a week and if need be will work the overtime and weekdays
Answered Jan 16, 2018
If you were in charge, what would you do to make Raytheon a better place to work?
Asked Dec 20, 2016
I would create a rapid prototype department that didn't have to adhere to government regulations and could produce new solutions more quickly and then figure out ways to streamline them into compliance.
Answered Jan 3, 2020
Pay my bills.
Answered Jan 2, 2020
What advice would you give the CEO of Raytheon about how to improve it?
Asked Feb 8, 2017
1) Adopt a true reuse strategy and apply real capital to true common solutions.
2) Retirement attrition is taking the experienced employees out if the company. Provide capital to support senior mentorship to college grads being hired.
3) Invest in solutions that make information easier to navigate; current systems entail many wasted hours finding that one needed document or detail.
4) Stop signing up for unrealizable schedules and budgets, just to win the contract; lost leaders have no place in the business. 5) Review original bids against proposal wins, when budgets are not met, learn from past bid winning mistakes.
Answered Jun 11, 2019
Add an evaluation system for experience. I’ve met some very smart college graduates who work in a silo mentally. When we speak diversity, it should be applied to those who have experience too! A person with a degree can get hired or promoted but can not manage a production line, etc, over an experienced person. This is why certain business units are having process issues!
