software engineer

material handler

senior system engineer

systems test engineer

mechanical engineer

AeroVironment

A company with a lot of potential but run poorly by the existing senior leadership team (CEO, COO, General Managers, etc.); they have limited to no experience beyond the defense business. An overhaul of every person in a senior leadership role is needed. The leadership team asks you to do your job, but when your analysis results in a recommendation that is counter to their opinions, then they become closed and do not take the recommended action or investment. The Company is always looking for some customer to make the investment because that is how the defense world works. This has limited the Company's growth since inception.

The engineering talent this company has is amazing, but it is also limited to hardware (not software). The Company needs to migrate into the software part of the value chain to provide better returns for its shareholders.

This Company is in desperate need of a new leader and board at the helm with a broad vision and track record of turning a business around. With the amount of cash available, this Company could easily grow to a market capitalization of over $1 billion with the right senior leadership.

This is just my opinion.

This company spreads thin their employees to the stress of futility.   Everyone (engineering, finance & production) in the company is frustrated and everyone is overloaded due to the company being too cheap to staff and unable to retain quality and qualified employees.  

Terrible management and misguided ethics set the operational climate for this company.  The technology, organization and processes are absurd, manual or just missing. Management is not skilled and competent enough to effectively conduct or understand what process improvements actually are.  You cannot be successful in this environment and you will be silenced if you complain or provide solutions to their problems.  The most  rude and hostile co-workers I've ever encountered in any company (b/c everyone is frustrated), bad management, high attrition and they will expect you to work insane hours, forget about having a life.  You will be better off elsewhere.  

Most days were spent insuring good internal customer service for all needed security functions. Working with employees and security officers to insure security protocols were adhered to.   
AeroVironment's workplace culture was a cross between Clan and Adhocracy cultures, like a family but also encouraged innovation and creativity. When I started at AV I only had a basic common sense knowledge of security, however through learning from other employees and online training, my knowledge of Industrial Security has grown exponentially. The hardest part of the job would have been helping employees understand that security protocols were not there to hinder their performance, but to protect them, the company and national security. I think I most enjoyed being able to help both internal and external customers with problems or just assist them in everyday security awareness.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Enthusiastic, educated, well-versed crew of engineers and technical managers working on exciting, mostly military projects. If you're into autonomous vehicles, hobby robotics, model aircraft, and related programming you'll fit right in.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
As a generalist from other industries, coming up to speed on the specifics and minutia of autonomous aircraft is daunting. This is especially true when many cohorts are already well versed in these specifics 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Long but productive days punctuated by planned and unplanned (HR and cohort planned) recreational activities. 9/80 schedule offsets the lengthy days. Wish our office had sufficient staff to justify a full cafeteria encouraging more group dining together.

For the 6 1/2 years I worked here I will say that I really enjoyed my job and couldn't have asked for better co-workers. Sometimes communication throughout the company was lacking but I think the numerous work locations may have played a role in this shortfall. The pay was good however after the company went public in 2008 severals benefits were taken from us and there was a noticeable separation between the corporate personnel and the employees. The dis-satisfaction was very obvious among everyone I spoke with in the company.

AeroVironment's EES division has a long history of innovation in energy systems.  The R&D atmosphere and commitment to finding creative solutions is balanced with a desire to produce forward-looking (and profitable) products in the Electrical Vehicle (EV) charging and power management / battery testing field.  The engineers are very creative, professional, and dedicated.  They are a pleasure to work with.

The hardest part of my job is frustration from dealing with projects that could be managed better.

The most enjoyable part of my job is the freedom to be creative and my daily interactions with the wonderful engineering staff.

What is the best part of working at the company?
It's a thriving up and coming Aerospace company with varying technologies invested in the terrestrial markets as well.  Exciting times to work at AV

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The demands are high.  Time to market is short in many areas of development. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
I like the team I work with.  Very knowledgeable and helpful.  We got each other's backs.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
We have a flexible 9-80 work schedule.  Organized project management and customer interface.  Design teams work closely with management daily in order to keep them informed on progress and estimates for completion.

Working at AV has been a great experience. The people and teams are supportive, and the company’s growth makes it an exciting place to be. A typical day involves collaboration, problem-solving, and building something we can all be proud of. I’ve learned a lot about streamlined operations and cross-functional teamwork. Management is approachable and focused on continuous improvement. The culture here is fast-paced but positive—everyone’s voice matters. The hardest part can be keeping up with the rapid changes, but that’s also what makes it exciting. The most enjoyable part is seeing our work come to life and knowing we’re making an impact.



Great engineering staff doing innovative, cutting edge work!  EES has the potential to be an amazing place with the right support and resources, but management is crippled. The engineers seem to always be heroically rescuing projects from mismanagement. 

Consistent layoffs over the last several years have seriously reduced the workforce and yet, the amount of work just keeps increasing to the point where folks are feeling burnout from over-work.  

There's a philosophy among management that "lack of resources is no excuse for not meeting goals". This attitude is negatively affecting moral in the workplace.

I ran one of the two divisions.  Was an officer.  Had to re-tool for the evolving market opportunities.  Made significant strides, and received a ton of support.  At the executive level, there was a fair amount of politics, and I did the best I could to avoid that aspect of the culture (maybe to my detriment at times).  Today, most of the leadership team was hired in by me -- real good people.  I left after turning down the opportunity to be President, due primarily to personal reasons (quality of life, etc.).  However, I keep in contact and wish these folks and wish nothing but the best of fortunes to them.  Great little company.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Software engineer 6 salaries reported	$128,667 per year
Material handler 4 salaries reported	$20.38 per hour
Senior system engineer 4 salaries reported	$147,839 per year
Systems test engineer 4 salaries reported	$108,240 per year
Mechanical engineer 3 salaries reported	$79,667 per year

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