shift leader

lead engineer

manufacturing engineer

project manager

operations lead

GE Vernova

I was so excited to become part of a large corporation like GE but I soon realized that it was like a huge machine, and I was just a number.  Although I value GE's commitment to integrity, I was overwhelmed with the amount of training and GE marketing information that hits the inbox what seemed like daily.  The training requirements were hard to maintain because an employee must quickly learn not only what their job entails, but what GE the corporation requires.  Although the company had great benefits, the day-to-day expectations and highly competitive nature within the company made for an environment where I felt like anyone would take the first opportunity to turn someone in or stab someone in the back, just to be recognized among the masses.  

 In many ways it felt like the Borg....As long as you did exactly what the corporation expected and blended in, you are fine.  

Job transfer and advancement limited - When I realized that my job description didn't match what I was expected to do, I tried to relocate (I am a mid-level manager with 20+ years of experience) but was told that I needed to complete 2 years in my present position before I could move.  Ironically after that 2 years, this sector of GE (nuclear) went through a large layoff, and I would have been one of the ones let go had I not already found another position and gave my notice.  I learned the day I gave my notice that once you quit this large corporation, they turn their back on you and terminate your benefits effective midnight that night.  They did not award any severance pay even though my name was on the layoff list, but because I handed in my notice, they zero'd out my already determined severance.  When I tried to contact the ombudsman, they acted like I never worked there and didn't take the time to talk to me at all.  HR wouldn't even return my calls.  This company expects loyalty, but does not give it in return.

As a final observiation:  there seemed to be a lot of waste in this sector of GE; too many people, not enough direction, too many drawn out or not well-defined processes.  I know personally of one female manager who sued (and won) the company for illegal practices.  Oddly, no one was informed about this and for the year the employee was out, no one would discuss why she was gone and what was going on.  GE's communication seemed to be very good when it was blowing its own horn; not so much communication when there was a whistle being blown.

My 2 years with this company was frustrating and confusing because I am not a slacker and am typically a top-performer, until I met GE.

I am only able to write about this now because I am a manager in a smaller company now that I feel valued, and most off, that I am making a significant contribution to my company's success.  The CEO knows my name and I have been given recognition and awards with this 200+ employee company so I'm not a slacker.   

I am grateful to have had the experience to get the Lean Six Sigma training with this company, but I would caution anyone else that if your job satisfaction involves being appreciated and feeling like you really make a difference, you will not find it at this company unless you make it into the elite circle of managers.  And play golf.

Pay is decent enough to start at if you're young and don't have too many financial obligations. I was lied to about wage progression during my interview as well as the amount of overtime required to work. For now, it seems that there is a decent yearly raise. They will tell you that you will earn more the more skills you learn, but I have not found any evidence to support those claims -- only more expectations of you for the same pay.

This workplace seems like it would be much more enjoyable in the offices where they have time to decorate their cubicles and throw little parties all the time while the rest of us are there on the weekends making sure the actual work gets done.

Not so great communication between workforce and management despite the weekly meetings. Often what is said one day is undone and reversed the next. Forget training, it is a mess. I've seen people get moved around to multiple positions in the same week. You're expected to know how to do everything as if you've been doing the job for 30 years, even if you've only been there 3 weeks. The worst is that the work schedule planning gets changed on a whim, so at one point you might be several jobs ahead and then suddenly be a half dozen jobs behind, being forced to stop working on an order and switch to another midway through a shift. Between that and the very frequent issues with not having materials to do your job, it can get very frustrating here.

Culture is so-so. Most coworkers are fine to get along with and helpful, but there is an awful lot of drama that's hard to tune out while you're working. A noticable amount of favoritism that goes around.

HR is not consistently available or very helpful when you need them. Good luck navigating all the company resources and the rules without any guidance.

Overall, if you can keep to yourself and get your work done, its a steady paycheck. For me, it was the fastest I've ever been disillusioned by a company.

GE as a company is in the process of evolving and spinning off 3 publicly-traded companies: GE Healthcare (spin completed in 2023), GE Aerospace, and GE Vernova (TBD 2024).  GE Vernova is the grouping of all power businesses to stand alone and make sense of the opportunities and challenges (and potential rewards) for investors.

GE Vernova is working to be a modern company in a space that is an amalgam of legacy businesses (power generation and grid) and future state businesses (renewable energy) which puts it in a complex position to maximize efficiency and also maximize real technology innovation to create both value and profit.  That complexity moves from strategic statements and objectives to tactical/operational objectives slowly.  This lag creates some challenges for those who execute the business to cut through the places where full alignment across businesses is not complete and the harmonization of objectives is needed.

Some legacy traits of traditional the GE workplace exist in GE Vernova, and it is not entirely beneficial.  While there is a lot of workplace modernization underway, the kinds of behaviors which were everywhere in the late 1990's still have a home in the Vernova organization.  These behaviors can lead to blame-shifting and short-term memory loss among executives and senior leaders.  However, there is a lot of renewed effort to build a new "Vernova Way" of working which is more collaborative and incremental in business and process building.  More often than not this new way of working is winning out, and the trend line is headed in the right direction.

My compensation has been more than fair.  My place as a remote worker has been constructive and valued.  My hope is that as Vernova spins off and becomes its own business it keeps improving how we do business in ways that continue to improve business outcomes and shareholder values.

This pertains to the Wind division
Pros: A lot of really good people to work with and you will rarely feel like the smartest person in the room.  Good benefits.  Great vacation policy.  Global workforce so lots of diverse opinions and experiences.

Cons: Very reactionary company, pro-active efforts are shunned over cost concerns.  You will be treated like a child whom management believes needs to be taught basic morals.  The salary bands are broad, but once you get close to the middle company policy is to start to restrict your raises as they want everybody in the bottom 50% of the scale.  They encourage people to ask questions of senior leadership via Slido, but restrict the characters so that you cannot ask nuanced questions, then tend to not read them fully before answering or they will lump questions they feel are similar and give vague non-answers.  They preach SQDC (Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost in that order of priority), but practice CSDQ.  Promotions?  You need to be really good at networking for that.  Reviews are a joke because the KPI's are canned garbage that don't come near the preached SMART method.  Raises do NOT come near keeping up with inflation.  Internal movement comes with restrictions on additional comp, if any at all is given but external candidates don't have this restriction; people will leave the company and then come back a year a two later for much larger wage increases than possible if just having stayed with the company.  Management gets way to far into the weeds on everything, but don't show up for the meetings so everything is a slow slog to get approved.  My favorite hypocrisy is that they preach carbon emissions reductions, but are eliminating remote work (90% of a person's emissions comes from commuting) and constantly fly people all over the world to have meetings that could have been virtual.

Pros of Being a Former GE Vernova Employee (Copper Bar Former)
	1.	Strong Industrial Experience
	•	You’ve worked in a high-precision, safety-focused manufacturing environment, which shows discipline and reliability — great for jobs in energy, heavy industry, or metal fabrication.
	2.	Recognized Name on Your Resume
	•	“GE Vernova” carries weight. Many employers know it’s part of the former General Electric, which gives you credibility right away.
	3.	Technical and Physical Skill Set
	•	You’ve gained hands-on experience in metal forming, machinery operation, safety standards, and production efficiency — skills useful in plants, factories, or trade jobs.
	4.	Understanding of Large-Scale Manufacturing
	•	Not everyone has experience working with complex generator parts. That knowledge can help if you apply to companies in electrical, renewable energy, or mechanical industries.
	5.	Strong Work Ethic Reputation
	•	GE Vernova employees are known for reliability and precision. Leaving on good terms can make you attractive to future employers.

⸻

⚠️ Cons or Challenges
	1.	Highly Specialized Work
	•	Forming copper bars is a niche skill. If you leave, it might take time to find another job that values that exact experience.
	2.	Work Pace and Expectations
	•	GE Vernova is demanding — other jobs might feel slower-paced, but some might expect you to perform at that same high intensity immediately.
	3.	Possible Pay or Benefit Drop
	•	GE Vernova tends to pay competitively for manufacturing roles. Smaller companies might offer less pay or fewer benefits.
	4.	Adjustment to Different Equipment or Standards
	•	You may have to relearn equipment, safety systems, or workflow methods if you switch industries.
	5.	Missed Seniority or Promotion Potential
	•	Staying longer could have led to more stability or promotion opportunities within GE Vernova, especially as it grows in renewable and electrical sectors.


•	HR Manager for 3 business functions managing 300+ permanent and 600+ blu collor  employees
•	Responsible for all HR operating practices and budgetary and personnel requirements from hire to retire
•	Rendering support for employees, managers & leaders as a HR Manager to drive performance driven culture including queries and requests relating to HR policies and processes
•	Improving process compliance, efficiency and quality for the offshore team
•	Developing high performance team through continuous feedbacks, identifying training needs and appropriate rewards & recognition programs 
•	Imparting dedicated guidance and coaching to managers and employees with specific focus on: employee relations management, performance management, career development and talent assessment, acquisition and retention, employee advocacy/ engagement, and application and training on workplace policies and benefits processes
•	Partnering with Business Leaders & Talent Development professionals to execute business-specific HR strategies and developed internal policies.
•	Full implementation and working knowledge of HCM Oracle HR Modules i.e. recruitment and onboarding, performance management, L&D, succession planning, HR budgeting, Managing Payroll & benefits, Competency Mapping and gathering, storing and accessing employee information, employee self service and policy making and implementing.
•	Organizing HR training and support for functional processes like Performance Development, People Reviews, Salary Planning, Succession Planning, New Employee Orientation, Career Navigation and New Manager Assimilation.
•	Completing HR audits for various HR processes in the organization

Production floor staff and middle management are great to work with.  The issue is that there are way more tasks and responsibilities given to individuals than they can comfortably and realistically accomplish.  You're so overwhelmed with duties blindly given to you by off-site, upper management that it's difficult to clear anything off your plate.  You are in such a state of panic to meet deadlines that anything you get done as a result has an air of mediocrity.  You're left going through corporate motions as opposed to doing things with real value that help the production floor run better.  The LEAN action workshops are hurriedly planned and executed with no follow up as to their value.  The company is also so departmentalized, with so many dependencies off-site that there isnt anyone locally that has the authority to help move projects or obstacles.  In example, if you need engieering support and they're off-site, there is nothing plant management can do to help except make the same calls you're making.  They'll keep pressuring you to make something happen that you are not qualified or have  authority to do because that is their 
 idea of leadership.  Ultimately the machinists and the manufacturing engineers are accomplishing tangible goals and keeping the plant running while everything else appears bureaucratic and inefficient.  

I was brought in as part of a project called "Dual Souring", where GE was trying to determine whether making machined parts was more feasible internally vs externally. A make vs buy scenario!!

I also received a letter of recommendation. 

I was initially contracted to work 6 months, but soon it was extended to 12 months. My time there was great. Yes, it is a big company, easy to get lost if unable to manage time effectively. Fortunately for me I passed with flying colors. Not only did I exceed project parameters I created huge savings by sourcing parts to external shops with in the US, Canada and Mexico.   

Typical day was extremely busy. As project progressed hours flew by because I was so busy. I created lists to manage both my time and my workload, without it I would have failed. Called suppliers, defined needs, compared trends, costs, expedited machined parts, Issued PPAP and Production purchase orders, requisitions used for capital purchases of fixtures and tooling. 

Met with managers, looked up drawing, specified raw materials from drawing. Being able to read blueprints a must. 

A lot of friendly people, You do the job, in some cases I exceeded my role by helping and training others, even direct GE employees'.

It was a great learning experience!!

As a M & D Engineer for General Electric Energy Division, I would assist other engineers in the Monitoring & Diagnostic duties for up to 180 Gas & Steam Turbine Engines. Duties include, first & foremost, is working “trips” on units, when they come in. Evaluating Alert Watch units. Both of which are top priorities. Also, looking for anomaly’s, which would include Combustion Shifts, Vibration changes, Failed Sensors, etc. that violate GE’s Process Map criteria and could possibly lead to a costlier shutdown of the turbine if left undetected. If anomaly is found, we would call the site and speak to the Control Room Operator and if possible the CPM-Contract Performance Manager. If the issue requires immediate action, a case is created noting time of the event and the overall characteristics of the turbine and what action needs to be taken to correct the problem. Once resolution is issued and corrected, the case is then closed. Currently, working with the New Performance team, to establish new guidelines for anomaly detection on Performance, Balance of Plant and Bonus LD. Also, trained new contractors for the department. Computer software used – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, etc.

A Typical Day at Work
A typical day at work starts with checking emails and setting priorities. It includes team meetings, working on projects, collaborating with colleagues, and taking breaks to recharge.

What You Believe You Learned
I've learned effective communication, time management, and problem-solving skills. Additionally, I've gained technical expertise and a deeper understanding of industry best practices.

Management
Good management provides clear direction, realistic goals, and constructive feedback. It's crucial for managers to be approachable and supportive, fostering a positive work environment.

Workplace Culture
A positive workplace culture promotes teamwork, respect, and inclusivity. It encourages idea-sharing and initiative, supports work-life balance, and recognizes employees' contributions.

The Hardest Part of the Job
The hardest part can be managing tight deadlines, high workloads, and conflicting priorities. Navigating office politics and dealing with difficult clients or colleagues can also be challenging.

The Most Enjoyable Part of the Job
The most enjoyable part is the sense of accomplishment from completing projects successfully. Building strong relationships with colleagues and opportunities for professional growth are also highly rewarding.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Shift leader 172 salaries reported	$153,060 per year
Lead engineer 129 salaries reported	$123,607 per year
Manufacturing engineer 101 salaries reported	$108,211 per year
Project manager 70 salaries reported	$137,647 per year
Operations lead 75 salaries reported	$131,425 per year

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