Pros
Secure engineering job with ok benefits. Good support from my current management. Great exposure to manufacturing processes since there is still a lot of manufacturing still done in the US - rather than having all mfg outsourced to low cost countries. Multiple opportunities for training and job rotations. There is a lot of opportunity for young engineers to move around the company - many people have started in engineering and moved to sales, customer service, or operations and vice versa. Good leadership opportunities even for young engineers, and opportunities to move into management roles for those who want as some people retire. The people at Solar are for the most part very nice and willing to support and help one another. I have found multiple people who are willing to mentor and share their experiences with me. Work life balance is for the most part good - while there is some need to work overtime, it is not expected for salaried employees and many staff and mgmt tend to work no more than 8-9 hours a day. If one chooses or has to work overtime salaried employees can be compensated so long as they work over 45 hours in a week. The company is still allowing for many employees to work from home, with most departments asking employers to come into the office 1-2 days per week with a goal of 3 days on average. WFH is dependent on manager and customer needs though so it is possible many depts only work 1-3 days in the office a week going forward. There is a lot of flexibility - at least in my current group - to attend to personal matters during the work day e.g. Dr's appointments, picking up kids from school, home or car related issues that need immediate attention. Strong safety culture throughout the shop floor and even for office employees. If you work at the Harbor Drive location, it is a great spot to be in the office because of how close it is to Little Italy - good lunch and coffee spots and opportunities to exercise along the San Diego bay during lunch or before/after work. Close proximity to transit, which makes using the trolley or bus lines to get to work a viable option with the ability to get that subsidized by Solar.
Cons
Pay for engineering is not as competitive as other employers, and is below what is necessary to live in the San Diego area comfortably without having roommates or a spouse/partner who also works full time. Work that supports existing products is slow and at times tedious. Some processes are overcomplicated and others rely on outdated software which creates a lot of wasted time. Pushback from management and senior staff to make changes to oldest products because of cost and time constraints. Very lean workforce, which is exacerbated by employees leaving or retiring early in the last 2 years during the pandemic. Upper management was slow to backfill these positions and workers who stayed are picking up more work as a result. Product quality problems are not given as much support from management because of prioritizations with executing deliveries or meeting cost. Working in the Oil & Gas sector does not always feel good especially for the climate conscious. The O&G industry is the primary customer for Solar's business and there is a need for enterprise leadership to justify staying with O&G customers and support them even as more problems arise as a result of climate change - and much of the leadership doesn't seem interested in expanding Solar's business into other, greener sectors where turbine knowledge and expertise could be used.