Look elsewhere - Sr. Manager IT Jacobs Employee Review

2.0
Dec 21, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Decently competitive pay. Dynamic org structures could provide opportunities for advancement, but moreso just constant disruption.

Cons

Jacobs has placed a heavy emphasis on outsourcing and offshoring all corporate functions, with a McKinsey-esque soulless approach to it all. Unless you're billable, you're viewed as an expense to be reduced or eliminated. Within IT, this mentality led to our last CIO lasting all of 6 months, with the typical shelf life of previous CIOs being 2 or 3 years max. Majority of our company's leadership is US based, but the only resources you're allowed to hire or promote are either Poland or India. There is constant churn, and US-IT has had a hiring freeze for the past 2 years now. The cost advantage of offshore resources is undeniable, but Jacobs generally has a lack of respect or value for IT. The business is allowed to waste a lot of money on "shadow IT" with regionalized, unscalable solutions which cannot pass audit, but any IT initiatives or programs are cut or unapproved. Lack of consistent policies or standardization in the business leads to a number of issues which present themselves in poor data quality or system functionality. Rather than focus on standardization or harmonization of core business processes, leadership consistently denegrates IT. The new CEO only pays lip service to diversity and inclusion- it's regressing since Steve left. He wants to outsource and cut as much as possible, but then strangely wastes millions on poor M&A decisions or vanity projects like Palantir without defined use cases or an RFP from competing technology platforms.

Explore other reviews about Jacobs

5.0
Apr 3, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Strong learning environment for entry-level engineers Great exposure to large-scale transportation and infrastructure projects with experienced mentors and structured onboarding. Reputable global firm Jacobs’ strong brand name adds credibility to your résumé and opens doors for future opportunities in both public and private sectors. Good career growth and mobility Clear pathways to move into roles like Project Engineer, Assistant Resident Engineer, or Construction Management with internal postings encouraged. Supportive team culture (project-dependent) Most teams are collaborative, and senior staff are willing to guide junior engineers, especially in inspection and CM roles. Competitive benefits and job stability Solid health benefits, 401(k), PTO, and steadier work compared to smaller consulting firms—especially on long-term public agency contracts.

Cons

Growth pace depends on manager and project Advancement and role expansion can vary widely based on leadership and available opportunities.

1
5.0
Jun 11, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great people and culture, internal mobility if you’re networked

Cons

Lots of internal process/procedure but to be expected at a large firm

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