Pros
A small, supportive engineering-services company Only 3 executives, two of which are also full-time engineers Low overhead so a high percentage of the billed rate goes to the employees Really top-notch people work here. Often said, but never more true. DSS is a contractor that works almost exclusively with Lockheed Martin, primarily in the Denver area. Most of the coolest accomplishments in spacecraft in the last 15 years, including most NASA Mars missions, have happened here with Deep Space Systems embedded with the Lockheed Martin team.
Cons
Extra stress, common to any engineering services contracting position, of trying to get established and stay employed as a contractor rather than as an employee. Contractors are excluded from real leadership positions within Lockheed, with some occasional exceptions. Aerospace is still very much a who-you-know industry for getting established.