Prós
I worked for a tyrant of a director, but I believed in his leadership. He was on-point, confident and intelligent in terms of how the department's direction should move towards. As a boss, he was fair with his staff and despite his tough, moody exterior, an all-round nice guy. 5 years under his wing, my learning curve was extremely high with several growth and travel opportunities. During his leadership, the department's culture was intense and pressure-cooker like, but it was efficient. It was rare that one had to stay back for overtime, as long as all urgencies were attended to and prior arrangements made. He walked the talk and usually leaves the office by 7pm, and did not expect staff to stay for overtime unnecessarily. On-site culture is that of an extended family. Approach the relevant teams in the right manner, and they would be willing to explain and teach you the relevant processes and procedures.
Contras
Current leadership is overly flexible, with no fix stand or direction. Work life balance is encouraged but it is not shown by example with follow-up e-mails from senior management being issued after hours for operational matters, even up till 3am. The team works mainly off e-mails with a daily average of 500 e-mails received. Compensation, perks and benefits are definitely not one of the best in the industry.