Upper management at this company lacks proper structure and does not treat the engineering department as intellectual assets. What this means for you (as an engineer) is the following:
- Any company investment in time/money for your personal goals to grow is near non-existent. Development as a Unit Member (in lieu of DERs at this company) is seriously hampered by the willingness to invest company resources or time.
- The program management office is full of people that continuously make irresponsible promises and false claims to perpetuate the illusion of their own success. Poor choices for the program or the company are made at the expense of boosting ones own bonus/salary/ego. This has not improved after a recent reorganization. This drives the cycle of mass hiring followed by layoffs.
- Lack of representation within the company for the engineering staff. Engineers are routinely demanded to work weekends, have a non-flexible schedule and are generally treated as production workers. "More hours in, more engineering out" This is not the case at Northrop Grumman, Sikorsky, Embraer, Harris or any of the other engineering departments within a commutable distance of Piper (they also pay for overtime... Piper does not!). Piper constantly hemorrhages intellectuals to these companies due to improved working conditions.
- Pay generally is stagnant after initial retention raises (you have to threaten to leave to get a raise).
- A barely functioning HR department that makes even simple tasks a chore to accomplish.
