Pros
Very stable. I was usually given a reasonable workload, with opportunity to take on more responsibility and gain experience over several years. Ideal for getting my feet wet fresh out of grad school. Served its purpose as a stepping stone.
Cons
Does not reward talent, but some attitudes might lead you to think they have top talent, particularly when compared to competitors. The truth is RTI talent is mostly middle of the road, with a few great scientists sprinkled throughout. In some respects, there is a mentality that RTI is on the cutting-edge, but once outside you can see this is not reality. There are too many reasons to count why good ideas rarely develop into real change - this applies to all areas, from organization to PR to new product/research tool development. In other words, the company is very protective of the status quo, and fears change more than taking risks with the potential for huge returns. This allows for stability, but it's boring - that formula only works for some people. I think this is why their top talent tends to leave and succeed at better, more impactful companies. RTI is also very slow. It is a typical corporate culture in that regard. Red tape everywhere, stifling innovation and productivity. The pay is not competitive, and pay increases appear to be designed to keep you temporarily satisfied, but not 100% committed. The benefits are decent, but the perks are not designed to recruit and retain top talent. I received offers that were MUCH higher, and ended up eventually parting ways and moving on to MUCH better opportunities.