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Lawrence Berkeley Lab

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A hostile place - Research Scientist Lawrence Berkeley Lab Employee Review

1.0
May 2, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Work quality, access to world class facilities, freedom/flexibility in your projects, benefits. All the non-research staff is awesome and helpful.

Cons

The following are for the computational research division where I worked for 5.5 years. Many researchers are quite hostile creating an unpleasant work environment. Senior researchers do not communicate with each other if they are on the same project and all the misunderstandings and issues are pushed down to the younger researchers and get caught with all the bad effects of politics. These certain senior people are not even willing to communicate properly in order to clear the situation. Some researchers are also quite selfish in terms of getting work done to benefit their own projects and do not care about anything else, including any problems or issues others may have - professional or personal. No one offers to provide extra help unless their name is going in the resulting publications. There is absolutely no professional support for career development or to understand all the politics. It's a place where you are on your own and can survive if you are good at politics, are selfish, and don't have issues with exploiting others for your own advancement and to reach higher.

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5.0
Jun 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Very scientific environment and collaborative

Cons

sometimes things move slow than expected

5.0
Jun 21, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Opportunity to work on impactful scientific and engineering projects that support research and innovation. Exposure to multidisciplinary teams, including engineers, scientists, technicians, and project managers. Strong focus on safety, quality, and technical excellence. Good work-life balance and professional development opportunities. Ability to contribute to long-term projects with significant national and scientific importance.

Cons

Large organizations can have multiple layers of review and approval, which may slow decision-making. Processes and documentation requirements can be extensive, especially for safety and compliance purposes. Project priorities can shift based on funding and organizational needs, requiring flexibility and adaptability.

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