Southwest Research Institute Employee Job Reviews in the United States

"Southwest Research Institute is a fantastic company to work for. They give you the opportunity to apply research to solve real world problems. The best part about working for this company is the ability to come up with an idea, write a proposal, and receive funding to work on your idea. The only downside to working here is that the pay is not very competitive."

"Great company with fantastic benefits."

"I have worked fro Swri for about 8 months as a Student Engineer. They have many interesting projects and various research fields. The work culture is quite healthy."

"Southwest Research Institute is great for developers looking to work on large scale and interesting projects. The company as a whole has a variety of work from Engine Testing, Military Application, to Software Development."

"I've worked with SwRI for over one year. This company is good for a young engineer to learn different techniques and skills."

"The company is now steadily declining; growth has remained stagnant for the past few years. The new president initially brought in to turn things around has only succeeded in running it further into the ground. Instead of downsizing unnecessary support staff, changes have been made to add more forms, processes, and paperwork, making it difficult for divisions to maintain a net positive revenue. Senior management positions are all given to people with a proven track record of not rocking the boat. It used to be a good place to work, and the automotive division and space science divisions are still not bad. Otherwise, I would not recommend it anymore. Or at least until major changes have been made and the president has been replaced."

"Interesting technical work but a small organization with limited advancement opportunities."

"I've worked for Southwest Research Institute for over 10 years. There is quite a variety of technology and careers at SwRI. With more than 10 technical divisions, each division is really like its own company. For instance, the Automotive Divisions (2 divisions) do more standardized testing of engines/lubricants, whereas the space sciences division has more large government contracts. The corporate culture within each division is unique. This is a good place to get valuable experience!"

"I've had mixed experiences at SwRI. At times, it has been a fun and interesting place to work, but some glaring problems have kept me from truly enjoying my job here. Although I was promised in my interview that there would be a lot of variety, that has not been my experience. The culture here seems very sluggish and risk-averse for a supposedly cutting-edge research company. Even the IR&D program heavily favors safe bets, and it feels like the bean counters are running the show."

What do you like about working at Southwest Research Institute?

"The company had a strong corporate environment that I would have been happy to become a part of after graduation."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"Emphasize your desire to continue your education not only to further yourself but also your employer."

What don't you like about working at Southwest Research Institute?

"This company (and my department) existed on government contracts. The dependence on those contracts can create windows in which certain projects are emphasized and others are forgotten."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"If possible, look at the upcoming projects in a larger scale to not lose focus on future projects in place of projects with upcoming deadlines."

What do you like about working at Southwest Research Institute?

"If you can build your own program you will do well"

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"If you feel like you can sell your work, you will be set for life"

What don't you like about working at Southwest Research Institute?

"If you can't guarantee income, you won't last long enough"

What suggestions do you have for management?

"Continue to pay as much attention to your small clients as you do the government and your million dollar oportunities"

"I have seven years of professional environmental experience ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations concerning protection of the public health and the environment."

What do you like about working at Southwest Research Institute?

"I love working in the environmental field for a great employeer. We are cleaning up weapons from World War II for the United States Army."