Pros
Awesome people, Flexible schedule, Vacation policy so generous Brazil is jealous, Relaxed atmosphere, Interesting projects, Many professional advancement opportunities, Good opportunities for travel
PSE is a fantastic place to work. I think one of the key determinants of the experience here relates to how one feels about working at a small company. As a small company, you have the opportunity here to wear many hats and thus develop and more fully round out your professional experiences... if that appeals to you. Work here tends to revolve around different projects that last for varying periods of time. This means that you have the opportunity to learn different things and pursue different interests (it also means that if you don't love the project you're currently working on, it's okay because it will come to an end eventually). Efforts are made to match your interests and talents to available projects. The company has a great professional reputation and it's great to contribute to that and enjoy the respect and appreciation of your customers and collaborators that accompanies that reputation. I think there is a fair amount of personal satisfaction to be gained from working here by appreciating how your work has a real impact on saving lives. They offer mentoring opportunities (in both directions) and the ability to move into leadership positions commensurate with your experience. Leadership takes your interests into account and you have the opportunity to help determine the type of projects that PSE takes on. Projects are taken on by teams that are variably composed according to differing employee skill sets, so you get to work with and know different people and you never have to worry about taking on a project without support.
The people! Awesome people is what really sets PSE apart. If you get an offer here, you should feel good about yourself regardless of whether you accept the offer. There must be a little magic in how PSE manages to select its people. The people here are wicked smart and it's a fun group to hang out with. It's also a pretty diverse group with people at all ages, from different backgrounds, in different family situations, and with different perspectives, so it's nice to benefit from all the different ideas and have the opportunity to find people you resonate with (insider tip: you'll probably get along with everyone anyway). There are many social gathering opportunities outside of work (if you're into that, but there's absolutely no pressure if you're not) and the group is tight-knit and feels more like friends and family than just coworkers. Leadership genuinely cares about employees and makes efforts to assure employee happiness and satisfaction (...within reason. I'm still waiting on the fully catered meals everyday and attendant bar staff, for example. ;-) ). I guess I should mention location. San Diego can be a pretty cool place to live if you're into that sort of thing.
I know this review probably sounds a little *too* glowing, but it honestly reflects my experiences working at PSE. I love it here and think most other people would too. I have had experiences working at several companies, large and small, over the last decade and more and this is, by far, the best place I've ever worked. 10/10. Would recommend.
Cons
Typical limitations of small company, Still a little too reliant on paper products, May involve travel, A couple of the offices are shared spaces
Just as working at a small company grants many benefits, it can also have some downsides depending on how you feel. I think it's probably a little harder here if you just want to specialize in one thing. Because projects change over time, the work demands a little flexibility from employees where you may have to exercise different skill sets. I see this as positive, but your opinion may vary. Also, the change of projects mean that projects you love will inevitably come to end and that you won't always be doing the same thing. There is also an understandable limit to the benefits they can offer as a small company (e.g., no pension plan, at least not currently), but I think that they offer generous benefits where they can. The company can sometimes take itself a little too seriously (can't think of a good example right now), but that may be more related to a transient personality thing than anything else.
The nature of the work PSE does makes it difficult to work remotely (but hey, it helps make it easy to keep a good work-life balance). High-ish cost of living area. Traffic during commute can get bad. Fighters flying overhead somewhat routinely can set off car alarms and disturb conference calls. :-)