system engineer

software engineer

assembler

manufacturing technician

electrical engineer

L3Harris

•	Oversee loss prevention
•	Write up bids
•	Confirm EH&S special instructions
•	Receive surplus machinery and precious metals valued in millions of dollars and clear items for sale 
•	Solely responsible for disposition of millions of dollars of government property
•	Responsible for large and diverse property with diverse property control systems requiring unique training and ability to make decisions per federal acquisition regulations
•	Oversee surplus sales department by attending formal bid sales of government property.  Provide guidance regarding lotting surplus property for sale
•	Physical verification of property to determine schedule accuracy.  Report problems to scheduler for correction
•	Verify Disposal Authorizations, sort and segregate material by item classification
•	Make disposal decisions in the government’s best interest
•	Ensure proper disposal of property by informing Program personnel in correct disposal of property
•	Label material by lot number
•	Perform periodic spot checks to ensure property markings are removed prior to removal from facility.  Explain importance of this practice with department personnel
•	Interpret for customers as necessary and ensure proper disposal practices are followed
•	Escort customers for material inspection
•	Responsible for overseeing the contractor’s disposal of government property
•	Ensure excess property is screened with owning agencies (NASA, Army, and government agencies); interface with Program personnel to obtain maximum reutilization of property
•	Provide guidance to contractor personnel in reporting and disposal through sales, scrap program, demilitarization of property, abandonment, and/or shipment for reutilization by agency, GSA customer or state donation
•	Ensure proceeds from sales are properly appropriated to the applicable contract by reviewing the contractor’s accounting debit/credit journal vouchers
•	Ensure excess property is screened with owning agencies (Air Force, Army, Navy and government agencies), interfacing with program personnel to obtain maximum reutilization of property
•	Responsible for oversight and review of property that requires demilitarization prior to scrap or sale IAW international Traffic and Arms regulations
•	Review inventory schedules for accuracy and ensure required corrections by contractor
•	Ensure that my customers understand the importance of disposition to prevent compromise of the overall process

Worked as an engineer on govt defense contracts maintaining satellite communications airborne & ground systems.  Love the technical side.  Management generally good people.  Hardest part of the job are frequent, short-notice (sometimes extremely short notice) permanent moves to another state / city.  Was with the company 3 1/2 years, moved four times during my tenure.  Along with sudden reassignments, engineers / techs perform an average of one 4-month deployment each year to overseas locations in support of our equipment / military customers.  These aren't bad trips.  You work every day for 120 days, 12 hr shifts per day or night & in most locations, are restricted to base, no alcohol, visiting the host country, etc.  But the pay is great & the time goes by very quickly...

Best part of the job for me:  Satellite communications is very interesting work for a guy who had no experience.  So learning something new most days is nice.  Pay for entry level techs is lots lower than engineers like me with 25+ yrs of electronics experience but whereas I made more per hr, while deployed, younger techs get some of their hrs at time / half & double-time.  Salaried engineers get  straight hrly pay, regardless of how many hours that week.  So best part other than liking new challenges is the high salary, plus weekly site allowance pay (amount varies depending upon US region / city; on deployments, the weekly site pay / bonus is phenomenally high).

Worst part:  Be ready to move when you least expect to.  You could be in one site for 3-4 yrs or 3-4 months.  You never know.  Company doesn't move you or reimburse you either (if in Field Services like I was).  But they expect you to pick up & go when told without using money as an excuse.  Cause they've been paying you weekly site pay as long as you've been employed.  That money is compensation for you being mobile, ready to move, whenever / wherever.  Average notice to move?  I'd say 2 wks.  A month, if you're lucky.  I'm divorced / my kids are all adults, save one who is 16.  So I moved without issue.  Only reason I no longer work for the company is because at this stage of my life (54 yrs old), I want to work / live in my hometown.  Company wanted me to move permanently overseas.  I tried it for a couple months, decided I don't want to wait until another 2-4 yrs before I can be transferred back to hometown.  So I walked...

Title: Frustrating Experience with High Turnover and Communication Issues 

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Review:
My experience with L3 has been marked by several significant challenges that have hindered my productivity and overall satisfaction. Two major issues that stand out are the high turnover rate and the lack of effective communication from management.

Firstly, the high turnover rate within the company has been a persistent problem. It seems that employees come and go frequently, resulting in a constant loss of valuable knowledge and expertise. This constant turnover creates a disruptive work environment, as new employees are always trying to get up to speed while experienced staff members are constantly leaving. It also hampers team cohesion and makes it difficult to establish a sense of stability within the organization.

Additionally, the communication from management has been consistently inadequate. The instructions provided by higher-ups are often unclear, incomplete, or contradictory. This ambiguity makes it challenging for employees to understand their tasks fully and deliver the expected results. As a result, valuable time and effort are wasted in seeking clarification and resolving misunderstandings. This lack of effective communication not only affects individual productivity but also hampers the overall efficiency of the organization.

These issues have undoubtedly impacted my ability to perform at my best and have contributed to a sense of frustration and dissatisfaction. The high turnover rate results in a constant loss of institutional knowledge, while the poor communication from management creates unnecessary obstacles and confusion.

I believe that addressing these challenges should be a top priority for. By implementing measures to improve employee retention and ensuring clear and concise communication channels, the organization can foster a more productive and harmonious work environment. This, in turn, will lead to greater employee satisfaction, improved collaboration, and ultimately, better results for the company as a whole.

In conclusion, my experience at L3  has been marred by high turnover and ineffective communication from management. These issues have had a negative impact on productivity and overall job satisfaction. 

A typical workday includes working with writers, illustrators, and composition to ensure documents meet all Military Specifications and government preferences with no errors.

Management includes mostly ex-military personnel and only the top level is able to meet with the base customers. The chain of command is enforced - not an "open" culture, although Ethics are strictly enforced (which is good). My co-workers are fantastic and a big part of why I have stayed in this position so long. Also, in this type of government contracting job, the contract always ends after a specified period of time before management may re-bid the contract, so job security is an issue. As this specific contract is going to go back in-house to the government in September, I will not be able to continue work on this contract.

Unfortunately, I have not gotten to use my project management. software, true Quality Improvement, and Business Analysis skills in this environment. Since the economy collapsed in 2008, I moved back to Warner Robins from Atlanta to address family issues and to finish my MBA. There is little opportunity for growth without a military or engineering background. Thus, I have found myself "underemployed" for the past 3 years but am grateful to have found a job (Atlanta was hit much harder economically) and, until the latest sequester issue, Warner Robins Air Force base contractors and civilian workers had a very low unemployment rate.

The hardest part of the job is that the work can be tedious. Throughout our ISO process, little is automated. Therefore, we check books line by line, comma and spacing included. We are not permitted to fix grammar errors or existing selling issues, which can be very hard for an English minor like myself. Books are written to a 9th grade level, which is also frustrating. Also, overall Quality Plans are written by another department altogether, so I am unable to make changes to the process.

The most enjoyable part of the job is a short commute, my co-workers, and the ability to make up time for doctor's appointments and such in one week. Also, the benefits package is excellent, although salaries and generally low and raises are very small and based more upon seniority than merit.

The work was interesting and challenging. My skill-sets developed beyond what they had been before my employment at L3 Technologies, and skill-sets that had languished at my prior place of employment came to the forefront on a daily basis and were renewed. I became familiar with terms and concepts integral to LASER and RF technologies, i.e. fiber-optic alignment, the use of the term dBm as a measure of optical power and the application of micro-assembly in addition to my skills as an electro-mechanical assembler proficient in, wiring, crimping and precision mechanical assembly. 
  A typical workday involved morning meetings with the Chief Technician of The Fiber-Optics CSG Group. He would designate the priorities for the day with an overview of how they would impact our end-of-month on-time delivery commitments. Our unit was recognized by upper management as one of the most productive in the Hauppauge facility. After morning meetings I would button-up any loose ends from the prior day and stage my jobs in their prioritized order. 
  The hardest part of the job or any job for that matter is having to work with people who lack respect and communication skills as there was one individual associated with that group whose interpersonal and professional communication skills were generally agreed upon as a deficit to the group. Despite the negative drag of this one individual, the rest of us as a team got along well, enjoyed our professional interactions and produced stellar world-class products for our customers.
  The most enjoyable part of the job was the knowledge that we as a team were producing high-tech products for customers in a wide range of disciplines and fields from military aerospace to scientific research in many of the world's most famous and high-profile laboratories and universities.
  I would most definitely accept being re-employed at L3 Technologies should that call come in the near future.

L-3 is a very large company with many different business entities that all function more or less independently under the L-3 umbrella. Many of the business units perform entirely different types of work. For example, one entity does engineering while another does training solutions. Each of these entities seem to do things a little differently so it's hard to say how things are in the other divisions that I was not a participant in.

The result of all this diversity is that the company sometimes feels detached from itself. It can be particularly frustrating if your department has a need that could be filled by another department, but due to seemingly arbitrary red tape between business divisions, collaboration is not possible in almost every case. They have tried to change this recently by spinning off another company (Engility Corporation) to handle certain types of labor. It's hard to say how successful this move will be since many of the issues are related to management strategies that didn't appear to be changing and rules for working with other entities which are regulated by government entities.

Another significant issue for artists is the glass ceiling that exists. As a rule, management cannot see an artist as anything other than someone that makes things look pretty. You can be intelligent, organized, and competent in many areas but the best you can hope for is to lead a division, or project art team. There is no ability for an artist to move up the corporate ladder without getting a second degree of some type. Which they make difficult by not allowing you to be reimbursed for classes that you take that aren't directly relatable to your current position. I.e. a artist can't take business classes to work towards an MBA and have them reimbursed through the corporate educational assistance program.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Currently, the best part of working at the company is the added experience of working at a different aerospace & defense company and learning how another company does business. I have worked at four different a&d companies and each one brought a new set of skills and knowledge that I didn't previously have and I got the opportunity to bring that knowledge and experience to L3H.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part of working at the company is that they are about 15-20 years behind other aerospace & defense companies in terms of standard processes & tools and business infrastructure. Also, they are in the middle of a lot of re-organization which does not seem to be very organized or well thought out. The company is very silo'ed and no one seems to know who is in charge of anything or who is the SME for any particular subject. As an example, the fiscal calendar and holiday schedule seems to be only be released one year at a time. There is a lot of improvement that can be made but I see this as an opportunity to help them grow.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Based on a recent town hall, the environment and culture  seemed to take a turn for the worse. One VP stated that if you don't like it here then they can go find somewhere else to work. Also, many at the management level seem to have adopted the attitude of the current president's administration which has made it feel very confrontational. With respect the the group of people that I work with, they are all very welcoming and are excited about the improvements my director made last year. Unfortunately, with the re-org, we will no longer be able to continue with the improvements we started last year. It's like the company took a step forward in the right direction and then decided to take a big step in the opposite direction. Hopefully, things will improve in the near future.

Aerojet Rocketdyne is a military based company, where they make engines for Rocket Ships.  I was in the procurement group so every day, I got to go on my computer and update the spreadsheet where we keep information on the engine parts.  I understand what it takes for buyers to buy parts from our suppliers.  It is important for us to get the lowest price on parts and also be able to have them ready on time.  Also the quality of the part is very important because it needs to be able to run smoothly and not break down.  We had to carefully find suppliers that know how to make our specific part.  
It takes about a year to actually finish making an engine so being a buyer must be difficult.  I got to shadow some people, which was neat for me cause it was my first hands-on-experience with supply chain and procurement work.  I got to learn the parts of an engine and got to see a rocket ship launch and go inside a rocket ship.  

I learned about their software that they use, which is called SAP.  I had the chance to maintain and add quotes so I could print them out and update them into a binder.  

My co-workers were very intelligent and nice to me.  Anytime I needed anything, I knew I could go to them for help.  My internship was very challenging, which is something that I enjoy.  I like to be able to challenge myself and make myself better at different tasks.  I enjoy working with others and being around people.  

The most difficult part was understanding how much money buyers need to spend to be able to get parts of an engine.  I also got to understand a negotiation process between one of the buyers and the supplier.  It is difficult to find a price that both people would be happy with.  It takes a lot of hard work and dedication and I know I can do it.  

I am still learning about supply chain but I am willing to learn more about different areas of the business.

This company is fit for college new grads or those looking to retire. If you’re in the middle of your career and seeking growth, I wouldn’t recommend it. 

For college grads- It gives a great opportunity to get your foot in the door and get experience. There are decent incentive programs for pay increases, but nothing too spectacular, other than you can learn the basics. This could be a bad thing since it operates like a mom and pop shop and systems are terribly outdated. It’s literally just a good resume builder,  but you may pick up some bad habits. 

If you’ve made it to retirement, it’s a good situation to be in, as it will allow a relaxed environment (sometimes too relaxed) to ride things out. 

If you’re in the middle of your career, do not expect much. Work loads are high, management support is frustrating at best, environment is chaotic more often than not with little to no incentives. There are no bonus allowances, there are no opportunities  for professional growth, no mentorship, and of the few opportunities that may arise do NOT expect proper compensation. Pay raises are terribly imbalanced and often can’t be explained by management or HR. They don’t have career progression plans, mentorship programs are non-existant, and outside of maybe getting a master’s degree, there are few career specific courses/expos/certifications to be able to take an advantage of in efforts to compensate the stagnant growth.  I feel as if I regressed a bit in my field during my time at this company. If you’re content with just being where you came in, then consider it. If you’re looking for growth, don’t.  

Also- fight for your salary at the door- they will find everything reason to NOT give appreciable  percentage increases once you’re in, even if identified as a Top Performer. 

I started the job working for L3 Stratus which was a really good company to work for. the contract was under bid by SAIC which was not so good of a company to work for - being the encombant. L3 really took care of their employees and refused to under-bid the contract, in order that we would have a solid career path and would have the opportunity for raises. SAIC underbid the contract and was not counting on the amount of pay we were receiving. they forced some people to take pay cuts. Others they basically just ignored. they also screwed over our medical insurance. they told us that we could get a Health savings account which would be just like a Flex Spending account - only to find out that we were not able to use it until our medical deductible had been meet - which was $4000 out of pocket.  

The F.A.A. as a whole can be a nice place to work - if your a Fed. however if your are a  contractor, you are either not included in any award ceremonies which you and your team contributed to. Or you are told in no uncertain terms that you are a "Contractor" which is a position that is loathed and hated by some. it permeates the F.A.A. Culture. I did like working there as the people in my group were not so bad, but there were definitely times when you could see there was an invisible line, that separated you as a contractor from the Feds.
there was also NO effort made to bring on existing contractors into Fed positions. it was not uncommon for a contractor to work 5 - 10 years with out anyone in management being willing to open a position for you. basically their philosophy is why buy the ice cream truck if you get the pop-cycles for free... after working for over 3 years in a stagnant position with WAY less pay the what the feds got, or ANY one for the position i was working - i was glad i left.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
System engineer 511 salaries reported	$150,408 per year
Software engineer 420 salaries reported	$131,571 per year
Assembler 135 salaries reported	$27.15 per hour
Manufacturing technician 188 salaries reported	$32.31 per hour
Electrical engineer 297 salaries reported	$134,661 per year

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