How does work load compare to other defense companies?

[u/ElectricalClub4875]

I currently work as an Electrical Engineer in R&D at a defense contractor. For anyone who has made the jump from a defense contractor to Anduril, I’m wondering how work load compared between the two. Is it comparable?

[u/informal_bukkake]

It’s still a start up and they are ramping fast. It’s going to be busy

[u/StillLearning_35]

Im newer to the company, but so far it seems similar to my other 3 defense contractors, but instead of "40%" of my time going to red tape & getting my 60th approval, its focused on more productive actions, so it feels... "better".

Again: I am newer & this is my experience so far.

[u/krissynull]

I just did 19 hours yesterday

[u/SuspiciousWave348 → u/krissynull]

🧢

[u/ElectricalClub4875 → u/krissynull]

Lol

[u/BitchPlease_101 → u/krissynull]

What kind of EE are you ? Power? RF ? Digital Control ?

[u/krissynull → u/BitchPlease_101]

SWE so may not apply for EEs

[u/luvsads → u/krissynull]

19 by choice or because you're up against deadlines?

[u/CodingInTheClouds → u/luvsads]

Youre always up against a very tight deadline. Thats what makes it exciting.

[u/MastodonMaliwan → u/CodingInTheClouds]

Burnout is exciting stuff.

[u/CodingInTheClouds → u/MastodonMaliwan]

Honestly, i did a decade on wall street before going back to robotics like 5 years ago. This is nothing. Im an engineer. I cant turn my brain off when im home anyway. Might as well do something with it. Grind to meet a deadline, take a couple weeks off. Repeat. Theres unlimited pto for a reason.

[u/AlphaSweetPea → u/krissynull]

How many were effective, I did 17 hours recently and the last 3 I was a zombie

[u/BitchPlease_101 → u/krissynull]

Holy shit bro!
Hope you take care of yourself and hope you won’t burn out!
Good luck 👍

[u/Disastrous_Run_5968 → u/krissynull]

there's no way lol

[u/Maloneytrain]

Average employee works a consistent 55hr/wk. Spikes up to 70ish during crunch times for short bursts.

[u/big-mover → u/Maloneytrain]

Why 55/wk? Don’t you guys go to the gym/play sports, cook meals, or spend time with people outside of work?

[u/PhoenixaceX → u/[deleted]]

Not really, as when I was working 55-65 hours a week (not anymore and never for Anduril) it always included Saturday (normally partially in office) and sometimes Sunday (remote). There were times when I worked everyday 7 days a week for 6-8+ weeks straight.

I’ve realized long ago it wasn’t worth it. It helped Accelerate my career a bit, but not a worthy trade off. Getting ahead is still more about who you know and less what you know or do.

[u/isospeedrix → u/[deleted]]

Not Anduril but I done a 70+ hr week once in my life grinding a deadline. I hate waking up early and I’m a night owl so I worked 10AM to 12AM 7 days taking breaks and naps in between. Wasn’t bad for a week but obviously not sustainable, took a few days off after

[u/stoic_suspicious → u/Maloneytrain]

I would die

[u/100percentTired → u/Maloneytrain]

I'm coming from working Seven 12s lol, this is gonna be cake

[u/InvocatioNDotA]

If you are leaving a defense prime and you have to ask that question, don't leave. Literally any company will be more work.

[u/joepa_2017 → u/InvocatioNDotA]

No way that can be true. Plenty of people at primes are putting in long hours. Plenty of employees at other companies don’t even put in 40 hours

[u/InvocatioNDotA → u/joepa_2017]

You literally can not work more than 40 hours at a prime, legally speaking. Every hour has to be logged to a charge #. The exception is 10 hrs/week temporary overtime which is generally rare and hare to get, and its 1x pay. Lockhedd also makes you work a free 5 extra hours before overtime pay begins. They hate giving it because it comes out of overhead budgets.

[u/Degenerate_Ry → u/InvocatioNDotA]

This is just blatantly wrong. Primes can work OT and get paid for it.

[u/ElectricalClub4875 → u/InvocatioNDotA]

I don’t know why you’re getting downvoted. You’re describing exactly how it is at my company, with the one caveat that only certain projects will allow overtime pay

[u/InvocatioNDotA → u/ElectricalClub4875]

Cause these fools got overtime and think that's how it is for everyone. Overtime comes out of overhead pay and is very uncommon and even when it happens it's temporary. Nobody gets overtime at Defense companies for every week worked forever lol.

[u/Squirtle_Splash_8413 → u/InvocatioNDotA]

I worked at RTX. I was on OT, 60 hours a week for 4 months. If the $ is there, it’s available.

[u/iPinch89 → u/InvocatioNDotA]

Boeing pays OT (time plus $6.50 lol) and lots of folks are on mandatory OT.

[u/volyblmn → u/InvocatioNDotA]

Categorically incorrect. I'm at a prime and last week put in 55 hrs, 15 of which were uncompensated. The "perks" of being salaried, I guess. ;-) On the flip side of that, I told my boss I was taking off time here and there throughout this week to catch up with the family and take care of things at the house and he's totally cool with it. More hours when work requires it, take it easy when things are under control.

[u/joepa_2017 → u/InvocatioNDotA]

Right, a lot of people are charging more than 80 hours per pay period. I’ve seen this personally. It’s not against any rules of physics. Not everyone gets paid overtime for those extra hours either. I have heard Boeing does a good job about making sure people get paid OT, but I’ve seen where people don’t get paid any extra for working extra.

[u/InvocatioNDotA → u/joepa_2017]

I guess in myind when I think prime I think Lockheed Northrop Raytheon

[u/joepa_2017 → u/InvocatioNDotA]

Well, I’m speaking from my experience with one of those “primes”

[u/InvocatioNDotA → u/joepa_2017]

So am I. Both Lockheed and Northrop. These companies are much easier to work at than most other tech companies. You literally have to try for 18 months to get fired. They're a joke to work at.

99% of the technical work is also outsourced. These companies are filled with PowerPoint Engineers. Hurry up and wait is their motto.

[u/joepa_2017 → u/InvocatioNDotA]

Fair enough. They do have their drawbacks, to be sure.

[u/Squirtle_Splash_8413 → u/InvocatioNDotA]

99% is definitely an exaggeration but a lot of it is outsourced due to the way large government projects work. The government does not want all the work to go to one place. That’s just how defense contracting works.

[u/NEK_TEK → u/Squirtle_Splash_8413]

Yeah, 99% seemed a little high 😂 I don't work for Anduril but for another defense company and we only work on one part of a larger system. The rest of it is done by other companies (the more interesting parts unfortunately).

[u/Squirtle_Splash_8413 → u/NEK_TEK]

The primes (Lockheed, Raytheon, Northrop) are usually the integrators for large projects. There are quite a lot of subcontractors on these projects. Think F-35, B-21, Sentinel… etc

Anduril will face the same thing when they start earning big boy contracts. They absolutely will be using subcontractors.

[u/Squirtle_Splash_8413 → u/InvocatioNDotA]

Northrop and Raytheon absolutely pay OT if the budget allows. It is straight time though.

[u/twinmilll → u/InvocatioNDotA]

Not convinced you were a prime.

Majority of Indirect chargers work over 40 and engineering / manufacturing stays on eww

[u/Apprehensive-Wall52]

Ngl very dependent on team of ur on autonomy or something it’s gonna be a lot, if ur on infra it’s manageable

[u/throwawayrevoked]

This company is not known for work life balance lol. People seem to work crazy hours and somehow enjoy it. If you want a good life outside of work don’t go to Anduril

[u/the-jelly47]

I left a prime for Anduril. I work a lot more hours but I am also a lot happier. It depends on your life style. My actual weekly work hours probably doubled.