Pros
Great teams at the bottom of the chain of command. Many intelligent, motivated, and excited people who care about solar, fighting climate change, and creating new standards for a young industry. Strata is a regional leader in O&M, proven by it's projects and scope. Middle management is truly invested in the personal and professional success of their employees. The health insurance is decent, and starting vacation allocation is slightly above average. Plenty of opportunity for advancement- half the organization has departed in the last six months through a combination of better offers, poor C Suite cultural decisions, and layoffs. Office is within steps of a brewery, so you can drink your sorrows away at the end of the work day.
Cons
The company is governed by edict of the CEO, Markus Wilhelm. Employee feedback on cultural decisions is solicited, and largely ignored, through a rotational council of management and senior departmental staff. Leadership decisions related to the treatment of employees frequently seem reactionary and directly linked to the CEO's pride. Low level employees are underpaid and laid off, while executives are simultaneously awarded six figure bonuses. The "positive environmental impact" of the company is used as rationale for low salaries. Field technicians are extremely underpaid for the level of work and expertise they have, and the poor and dangerous weather and working conditions they are exposed to. Office workers were called back to the office at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in one of the most heavily impacted counties in North Carolina, with reassurances of their safety through largely theatrical safety measures that do nothing to address the airborne nature of virus. Middle and upper management was never allowed to work from home in the first place. Little to no motive was given for the recall, but common theories hinge on the expensive rent being paid for the company's new office, or paranoia based in recent high profile executive departures to form new start up ventures. Employees were openly asked in a company wide town hall to assess if they would like to continue working at Strata during the height of COVID related concerns if they disagreed with the way the company was handling the pandemic. After asking employees to endanger their health to satisfy the whims of the CEO, employees' dedication and work ethic was questioned with the institution of mandatory 9-5 work hours. Your office entry/exit times will be monitored via collected data, and you will be questioned on your work hours by upper management accordingly. Over the last year, many long term employees have departed the company, citing burnout, better pay, improved benefits, and concerns about handling of COVID-19. These gaping organizational vacancies have proven hard to fill due to the company's insistence on relocation and in office work in a remote working world. These obvious problems apparently fall on deaf ears in the C Suite. Strata is a great place to start or boost your career in the solar industry. Don't plan on working here for long unless you are ready to burn out.
