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Lawrence Berkeley Lab

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Curiosity appreciated... - Senior Administrator Lawrence Berkeley Lab Employee Review

4.0
Feb 6, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Brilliant colleagues, curiosity shared and respected, high ethical standards in most colleagues and greater part of management. Beautiful worksite. Belief in ergonomic protections (setups must be evaluated by professional folks who work entirely independently of other units). Many transit support systems—shuttles with bike carriers and wheelchair lifts, bike repair hrs, etc.

Cons

For professional people in operations (includes writers and website managers) you can find yourself in a windowless office, working 50+ hours a week routinely and not seeing daylight. They’re trying to move to a telecommute culture but many managers still believe if you’re not on site, you’re not really working (a false concept, since the manager with windows a couple of floors above never sees you anyhow). There are potentially wonderful education/training opportunities, but my experience is that manager is unlikely to approve requests because it might interfere with work. Oh yes, chronic under-resourcing of non-scientist staff. If you’re creative and have initiative to draw boundaries early on, while demonstrating how effective you are, this can be handled. Be careful of health impacts, though!

Explore other reviews about Lawrence Berkeley Lab

5.0
Jul 6, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great collaborative environment, great views

Cons

Some parts are slower moving due to bureaucracy but LBNL is unique in that red taping is also loose in some areas allowing for quicker innovation

3.0
Jul 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

work life balance; World-Class User Facilities and Instruments, Top-Tier Scientific Collaboration

Cons

Temporary Nature of Early-Career Roles: For postdoctoral researchers, positions are inherently temporary. Securing a permanent Staff Scientist role at a national lab is notoriously difficult due to limited openings and highly competitive, lifelong tenures, which often forces researchers to look externally for long-term career growth.

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