Contract lab jobs

[esware]

I have been working in a major airline cal lab for the past 22 years and am looking at possibly having to look elsewhere for employment. I am curious about how it is working in a contract lab. Do contracts change often and if they do, what about the people working there? Is there uncertainty in retaining the same job? What are some of the better companies out there? I would hate to relocate and then find myself without a job. Any thoughts?

[measure]

Have you looked into Boeing? I know they recently have had several openings in their cal labs in the Greater Seattle area.

[Mike]

I have been working in a major airline cal lab for the past 22 years and am looking at possibly having to look elsewhere for employment. I am curious about how it is working in a contract lab. Do contracts change often and if they do, what about the people working there? Is there uncertainty in retaining the same job? What are some of the better companies out there? I would hate to relocate and then find myself without a job. Any thoughts?

Typically the contracts run around 5 years.

Most jobs are usually pretty safe.  When/if a new contractor comes in they normally look to hire the incumbent personnel.  At times they might cut a postion or two, or may downgrade the techs based on their bids, i.e Tech 1 to a Tech 2 or whatever.

It is a bit nerve-racking, but usually works.  Notice I used a lot of words like "typically, normally, usually"...nothing is a sure thing of course.

[spanishfly25]

The East coast and west coast have plenty of jobs on Biotech companies, Phamaucetical and civilian Calibration labs. Most of the companies don't hire direct but use employment offices. thoses offices use Monster.com a lot, make sure to post your resume on Monster.com and use key words like calibration, instrument tech, Metrology

[bioneticsPMEL]

There has been an Executive Order in play for several years now, which nearly always protects and ensures that all incumbents on Federal Service Contract Act Contracts will be offered a "first right of refusal." President Obama enacted this Order as one of his first actions as President in early 2009.  The Executive Order states that it:

"...requires the contractor, and its subcontractors, under a contract that succeeds a contract for performance of the same or similar services at the same location, to offer those employees (other than managerial and supervisory employees) employed under the predecessor contract whose employment will be terminated as a result of the award of the successor contract, a right of first refusal of employment under the contract in positions for which they are qualified.  There shall be no employment openings under the contract until such right of first refusal has been provided."

- http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/nondisplacement-qualified-workers- under-service-contracts

The exemptions to this include employees employed for 90 or fewer days at the end of the current contract/new contract start; when the new contractor's staffing plan/proposal calls for fewer bodies employees could face not being offered a job; non-SCA employees (typically Management); incumbent employee(s) whom the new/incoming contractor or any of its subcontractors reasonably believes, based on the particular employee's past performance, has failed to perform suitably on the job.


Just figured I'd give you this information to round out your interest in Contract Labs with the Government.

[OlDave]

Excellent information bioneticsPMEL. Thanks for posting it.