Pros
Mathematica is a mission driven company full of smart and motivated people. The research portfolio is fairly broad and impactful. Mathematica is employee owned. They offer full-time WFH and hybrid arrangements.
Cons
The pay scale at Mathematica for Jr staff has fallen way behind the industry, especially for analysts who pull much of the weight on project delivery. The job frequently exceeds the 40 billable hours we’re required to log each week. Benefits are likewise lackluster. The promotion schedule for analyst->researcher usually takes 5 years (and sometimes much longer) with no intermediate promotions. There is very little transparency in promotion criteria. In essence, your level of responsibility will increase dramatically each year while your title and salary will not. All of this is compensated by the distant promise of a promotion to “researcher” which the company may choose to grant or withhold according to their whims. Mathematica has a big DEI strategic plan that is referenced in nearly every all staff meeting. However, there’s a notable lack of investment in DEI initiatives. Progress in hiring candidates of color to technical and leadership positions has been minimal.