Pros
Lumen is a fast-paced, well-established startup with good opportunities for career growth within the company. I've worked at Lumen for just under three years now, and the research experience I've gained in that time has been invaluable. In my experience, hard work is noticed and rewarded via increased independence, responsibility, and/or promotion. My boss is awesome to work with and I really enjoy the work that I get to do. Plus, seeing the successful completion of clinical studies makes the work feel that much more important. Also, the benefits are solid: zero premium for medical, dental, and vision insurance, optional FSA, good 401K matching rate, up to 160hr PTO, and stock options. There is also a decent amount of flexibility in work hours depending on the needs of your team.
Cons
As a junior scientist, job satisfaction is largely dependent on the senior scientist that you work with. Because they are trained scientists, not necessarily trained managers, some scientists are definitely easier to work with than others. Additionally, the junior employees are severely underpaid compared to equivalent jobs in Seattle. The amount of work asked for is not always reasonable given the below average pay. Also, in the past hourly employees were asked not to report hours worked overtime, cheating us out of earned time-and-a-half. This has since been resolved, but it's worth noting that management allowed this to occur under the radar. Lastly, it does feel like some issues get swept under the rug in order to maintain appearances. The brutal Glassdoor reviews, for example, have basically been ignored by upper management. Other than the half-hearted responses to specific reviews, it's been radio silence from HR. The concerns brought up in these reviews have not been addressed in a company-wide manner, leaving current employees to hear about them through gossip. The new 'wellness program' feels like an ineffective, misguided attempt to fix these issues without addressing them directly.