What it does: Defense and Space Manufacturing
Mission: Our mission identifies what we do, why we do it and for whom. It defines our reason for being: To safely deliver any project, any time, in any environment for the benefit of our customers, shareholders, employees and the communities we serve.
Size and presence: Around 24000 globally
Best known for KBR, formerly known as Kellogg, Brown & Root, has a long history as a top contractor in defence and aerospace, with roots dating back to World War II. The company offered engineering, procurement, and construction services for clients including the U.S. military until 2020, when it pivoted.
The good bits: The work environment is also great. Supportive of work-life balance
The not-so-good bits: A few complaints about high stress levels due to time-bound responsibilities, and long work hours.
KBR’s history is built on the pioneers who set the standard across a variety of industries. Today, we continue that legacy by developing groundbreaking solutions for government and industry clients.
In 1901, Morris Woodruff Kellogg opened M.W. Kellogg as a tiny pipe fabrication business in New York and grew it into a world-class engineering firm. Kellogg’s engineering expertise and thirst for innovation led to the creation of new technologies and industry milestones, including the world’s first catalytic cracking facility and Europe’s first crude oil-based liquid ethylene cracking facility. In the 1960s, Kellogg revolutionized fertilizer production through the creation of a new ammonia process, making rapid growth in global food production possible. Many of the innovations that originated in the Kellogg laboratory provided the foundation for the petroleum refining and petrochemical processing facilities and remain an important part of KBR today.
Brown & Root Engineering and Construction began operations in 1919 when brothers George and Herman Brown partnered with Herman’s brother-in-law, Dan Root, to create a Texas-based construction company. Brown and Root began building roads but quickly expanded into other areas. After the end of World War II, Brown & Root set its sights offshore. In 1947, the company achieved a global milestone when it constructed the first offshore oil platform 43 miles off the coast of Morgan City, LA.
Brown & Root built many of Houston’s landmark projects, including the Gulf Freeway, Rice University’s football stadium, Minute Maid Park and what is now known as Johnson Space Center, among others. Many of the petrochemical tools and resources now standard in the construction industry were created by Brown & Root.
KBR was created in 1998 when M.W. Kellogg merged with Brown & Root Engineering and Construction creating one of the world’s premiere engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) and services companies. In 2006, the company separated from Halliburton and completed a successful initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. And through acquisitions — including Ecoplanning, Energo, Granherne, GVA, HTSI, PLINKE, SGT, Weatherly, Wyle, Centauri and more — we've grown to provide comprehensive science, technology, and engineering solutions for a wide range of markets, from aerospace and defence to industrial to intelligence and beyond.
Our people are the heart of everything we do. We are dedicated to creating diverse and inclusive work environments in which every member of our team of teams feels safe, supported, respected, trusted and valued, and where each person is given opportunities to grow and reach their full potential.
We are our clients’ trusted partners. We are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver innovative, high-quality, technology-led solutions for them, and exceptional, sustainable value for all our stakeholders, underpinned by strong commercial and operational discipline.
We are people of character, who value honesty, trust, courage, fairness, prudence and tenacity. We believe doing what’s right for the planet, the communities where we live and work, and our people is good for our business. We will not sacrifice our integrity.
We empower all our people with a shared purpose, the right tools and the supportive culture they need to be proactive, to be adaptive to change and to succeed. We trust them to be independent decision-makers who aren’t afraid to meet any challenge head-on and who proudly own their work.
We have a will to succeed, individually and as a company, but we value the achievements of our team of teams over our accomplishments. Our collective focus powers our operational excellence, fuels our passion for delivering for our customers, and makes us a better, stronger, more effective and efficient company. We are ONE KBR.
We attract the best minds in the world because our expertise thrives on creativity, resourcefulness and collaboration. That is how we supply our clients with cutting-edge solutions and services.
Working at KBR means being rewarded for your contributions. In addition to competitive benefits and professional development, our people are empowered to use all their potential, creating meaningful change for themselves and our clients.
As part of the KBR team, you are a critical component in pushing the boundaries of possibility in science, technology and beyond. If you have the energy to change the world, then we want you on our team.
The average KBR salary ranges from approximately $48,018 per year for an Administrative Assistant to $200,000 per year for a Director.
In June 2008, Charles M. Smith, the senior civilian Defense Department official overseeing the government's multibillion-dollar contract with KBR during the early stages of the war in Iraq said he was forced out of his job in 2004 for refusing to approve $1 billion in questionable charges by KBR. Smith refused to approve the payments because Army auditors determined that KBR lacked credible records to support more than $1 billion in spending. Smith stated, "They had a gigantic amount of costs they couldn't justify." He said that following this action he was suddenly dismissed and according to one New York Times source "his successors — after taking the unusual step of hiring an outside contractor to consider KBR's claims — approved most of the payments he had tried to block."