Pros
Flexibility in HR policies and decent benefits package.
Cons
The pay is poor for administrative staff, in comparison to researchers. There are no growth opportunities for admin staff. Centers don't offer professional development for admin staff, but allocate thousands for researchers. Management (center directors) often have no management skills and frequently treat administrative staff poorly; minimal accountability on the part of researchers to respect and follow admin policies and procedures; admin staff often devalued and treated as being disposable while researchers put on a pedestal; high turnover (people quit or were fired almost every other week); and hostile working conditions (some center directors are condescending, and because they have no management skills, they impose demanding and unrealistic work conditions on employees, especially on admin); and senior management doesn't hold center directors accountable for poor management of their staff.