Pros
Parts of the lab run like a startup. everyone does everything. I am very rarely at my desk and climbing on and around vacuum equipment makes for a working environment where I don't really even need the gym facilty to keep my iPhone steps counter in the 10000/day level. My colleagues are truly top notch and I interface with multiple fields of expertise on a nearly daily basis, computing, lasers, vacuum, x-ray science, engineering, you name it.
Cons
It is difficult to rise by means other than joinging the management and moving over to a desk job. Since the science is the life blood of the facility, it would be good to feel as appreciated as a scientist as presumably the management feels. Career development for scientists and engineers seems to be lacking, probably because we are generally happy and intellectually engaged and so we tend not to leave even when we feel under appreciated. Work life balance goes as a "con" but that is largely because we are self driven so hard that we overwork ourselves. Can't blame management there, but it would be nice to feel more appreciated for the weekends, nightshifts and general scientific effort that sacrifices family and recreation so that we can make our hobby our job.