Lockheed Martin Program Management reviews

You have to be prepared for the work-load. At times working 50-60 hours a week is necessary, but at other times the schedule is flexible. Also, being a defense contractor (even though they do ALOT of space work for other government, Non DOD agencies) can be difficult. You are at the mercy of the government, if there are cut-backs there can be some scrambling to ensure people remain gainfully employed. Another issue is obtaining new business, they are very good at identifying opportunities, but then the follow-through is not always there. My team has identified business in different areas that would be a good fit, but sometimes it goes nowhere when it is pushed up the chain. At my level of program management, I don't always have the time to chase the work when I have to focus on my customer 100% of time.

Large defense programs can be slow and it takes a lot of experience before an employee truly adds value to a team or organization. This is extremely frustrating for entry-level employees coming straight from college where performance and recognition are virtually instantaneous. Salary and salary progression are very well matched with other large defense contractors - you probably won't "cheat" the system and get paid outrageous money, but you also won't be left behind with zero percent every year.