Avoid DSTG if you are young and ambitious - Scientist Australian Government Defence Science and Technology Employee Review

Great work culture, very collaborative with some extremely intelligent people. Always felt supported by my superiors and workmates. As a APS member you also get a lot of benefits with time off, flexible hours, remote work, and travel opportunities. A lot of the work is very interesting as well.

The compensation is low compared to similar roles in private industry and and career progression can be very slow, especially for mid-level roles. It can often be slow and frustrating to get things done due to gov bureaucracy and the need to keep defence intel protected. Many tech stacks commonly used used in private just can't be used in defence due to security reasons, making the range of skills you can develop limited in some cases.

Staff is very competant and friendly. Interesting work (depending on the division)

Top management including the chief scientist is very possibly corrupt as they are openly trying to discredit the technical staff in order to offer contracts to private consultants. Promotions are offered to technically incompetent but talkative people who have zero capacity to lead complex work.