mechanical engineer

software engineer

project manager

project analyst

technologist

Navarro Research and Engineering

My position involved assisting in the management of over $2 Billion in energy grants from the Department of Energy. The majority of my duties involved traveling to 17 states and territories to monitor the program services offered by the weatherization portion of the ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) program. This involved performing construction inspections of chosen properties receiving weatherization services including solar, mechanical equipment, roofing, insulation, windows and doors, etc., as well as State and agency financial and administration auditing. This position required approximately 75% travel with 25% in office. The office time was spent reviewing monthly and quarterly reports, project plans, spend plans, milestone reviews, and liaison between the Department of Energy and the States and agencies. I was also team lead for the Weatherization Training Center project in which training centers were developed in the United States in conjunction with colleges and universities or in a single capacity. This task involved traveling to the training center and inspecting facilities, approving new construction, performing instructor and curriculum reviews, and performing administrative and financial monitoring of the training centers. The hardest part of my position was seeing the amount of low income families and seniors that did not have heat or cooling in their homes and no money to pay for services. It was our task to go into the low income residences and help them by installing weatherization services designed to allow them warmer homes, lower cost energy services and a better peace of mind. The most enjoyable part of my position, was helping those struggling individuals and seeing the joy on their faces.

The learning experiences in this position are much too large to put on paper. The constant technological training offered by the DOE was crucial to the position, and to the sustainability of the environment. The training received has been priceless, to say the least.

Navarro R&E is a diverse company primarily contracted to conduct work at various government sites.  My role is instrumental in the local organization I am assigned to, and I have great rapport with my immediate management team as well as at the corporate level whenever needed.  They encourage continued development, but depending on the contract (prime or sub) verbiage, there may not be a budget for individual educational reimbursement.  That said, my management team provides me whatever time I need to ensure my credentials are current, which is invaluable since most employers will reimburse for some things to a point, but rarely provide paid time off to accomplish those needs.  My work days are long, and the environment is far from normal, but the rewards are plentiful.  Safety is the first priority for Navarro, and it shows.  It helps to have a management team with an open door and easy communication, and to have a generous/competitive salary with great incentives provided.

Navarro Research and Engineering is a Federal Government contracting company. As such, employees primarily work to directly support the goals and missions of the US Department of Energy. Most sites have employees in intermingled workspace with their Federal counterparts. There are positives and negatives to this. A positive being efficiency of work, a negative being recognized discrepancies in the quality of employment (training, benefits, job security) as compared to a Federal counterpart, which leads to difficulty in maintaining morale. Along with supporting the Federal Government comes supporting the Federal Bureaucracy. While the overall mission of most projects and programs supported seem both noble and honorable, the day to day grind of paperwork, and back end workings, limits the impact of an individual position. This isn't so much a shortcoming of Navarro, as it is a reality of the area it operates within.

Started as an intern for Navarro Research and Engineering government contractor for U.S. Department of Energy. I learned the world of government/contractor relations as well as the mission of DOE Office of Legacy Management. I worked to open an interpretive center in which I reviewed exhibits and continued to assist in center operations once opened. The workplace culture placed an emphasis on a safe working environment and executing the mission. The most difficult part of contractor jobs is the uncertainty of contract changes and budget cuts. I thoroughly enjoyed the public affairs, communication products, and interpretive services team I worked with. I also enjoyed working with the public and communicating the government's work to protect human health and the environment.

Flexibility - the ability to adjust work schedule, location, or tasks to fit personal needs and priorities, often leading to a better work-life balance and increased productivity.

Interesting work - the opportunity to tackle interesting and challenging projects that constantly push my skills and allow me to contribute to innovative solutions, making my work feel impactful and intellectually stimulating.

Diversity of team - it allows for a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and ideas to be brought to the table, leading to more creative solutions, better problem-solving, and a richer understanding of our customers and market.

Forward thinking - company has a strong focus on innovation and a willingness to embrace new ideas and technologies.

The job paid well but there's no loyalty between staff and management. With my departure turnover for base staff for the contractor was 50% in a single year.  The job required working evenings and weekends to keep pace.  Some aspects of the job involved field work that was physically challenging.  

That being said, I loved being on-site at an Air Force Base. The work was varied and challenging, and I enjoyed interacting with the Air Force professionals and contractors who provided environmental services to the base. 

work with project leads to plan future procurements
source items/services
contact vendors for price/availability and to place orders
Produce and complete documentation for PO files
Prepare and issue RFQ's
Work with requestors on evaluation of proposals
Work with vendors on invoicing issues
The best part of my jobs is the interaction with the requestors and the vendors
the hardest part of my job is being the only buyer when I am slammed
Management pretty much leaves you to your own devices but you also get very little support

bottom line is the dollar. my LANL office just received a 2 day notice of layoff. the last day was supposed to be DEC. 30th but navarro decided that why not just let everyone go on the 20th. this way they can save money by not paying the additional work days and the Christmas holiday. real classy act by navarrro. if you take a job with navarro just understand there is no employee appreciation only the money you can help them generate from your employment. once they are done with you they will unceremoniously cast you aside. very mediocre company to work for.

This is a great company to work for. The HR, Benifits, and Accounts Payable Specialist were very pro-active to assist me as an employee. They took out the frustration of dealing with insurance, expense report, and overall questions. There were no promises, surprises,or hidden agenda, everything was straight forward. The customer service alone saved many frustration and stress. Staff was very professional, trustworthy, kind, and caring.

The company keeps you on your toes but in the best way possible. The projects I’ve been involved in are technically complex, and I’ve learned more here in a short time than I have in other jobs. My coworkers are incredibly knowledgeable, so there’s always someone willing to help out or brainstorm solutions. Even with tight deadlines, the atmosphere still remains relaxed. Work-life balance can sometimes be a bit tricky during project crunch times, but the rewards make it worth it

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Mechanical engineer 7 salaries reported	$130,089 per year
Software engineer 4 salaries reported	$120,000 per year
Project manager 1 salary reported	$120,000 per year
Project analyst 4 salaries reported	$115,000 per year
Technologist 2 salaries reported	$117,500 per year

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