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General Dynamics Mission Systems

Engaged Employer

Big company, small advancement opportunities - Program Manager General Dynamics Mission Systems Employee Review

4.0
Aug 2, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

No problem meeting payroll, generally flexible work policies, decent (but shrinking) benefits. Layoffs are rare, and they almost never get rid of anyone, so 98% of the employees have job security. The company is run with decentralized execution, so small teams figure out how to solve their own problems with plenty of freedom of action.

Cons

It's run like the military (by mostly former military managers), so you get promoted based on time in grade, not on performance. There is really no connection between compensation and performance. Their goal is to pay "95% of the local mean wage," which is to say that the average worker there is paid below the market average. It is well-known that they will hire someone at a higher wage than they are paying the current workers in the same position. Otherwise they will never be able to hire anyone (duh!) Hence, there is more turnover than necessary, but people often return at a higher wage. It is an odd system, but it seems to work. Oh, and there have been 3 or 4 re-orgs in the last 6 years, but no one at the top ever actually loses their job. De-centralized execution often leads to no one knowing how to get things done outside their immediate area and there are almost no "tools" for PM's or Finance people to use - everyone has to invent their own way to do a generic task that everyone is doing on a regular cadence.

Explore other reviews about General Dynamics Mission Systems

5.0
Jun 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good team and interesting product,

Cons

Ai adoption is somewhat forced

1
4.0
Jun 26, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good work life balance Projects matter for our war fighters Most co-workers are competent and dedicated More work than people, and moving to other engineering jobs is possible

Cons

Some numbskulls seem to get into senior positions. A "Consolidation" of buildings is underfunded, poorly planned, and drives chaos. The push to squeeze every nickel of efficiency means that there isn't always money for equipment or team building events (below the VP level).

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