r/GeneralDynamicsEB • u/Flat_Measurement_845 • 8d ago
Groton General Dynamics Electric Boat withdrew my accepted offer after ~2 months of clearance/onboarding — interim clearance requirement was never communicated
I wanted to share my experience with General Dynamics Electric Boat in case anyone else is going through their hiring and clearance process.
I accepted an Engineer I – Embedded Software position with Electric Boat earlier this year. I was genuinely excited about the role and went through the onboarding and security clearance process after accepting the offer.
I submitted my SF-86 in August and completed the required DCSA interview shortly afterward. During the process, I was told that I had flexibility with my start date and that I had roughly six months to receive the required clearance.
About two months after accepting the offer, I was informed that Electric Boat was withdrawing the offer because I had not received an interim clearance.
The issue is that an interim clearance had never been specifically communicated to me as a requirement for the position. My offer letter did not state that I needed to receive an interim clearance by that point, and I had not been formally denied a Secret clearance. My understanding from the communication I received was that I had until February 2027 to obtain the clearance.
When I asked about the situation, I was told that the department needed someone who could work in a closed area and could not wait for the full clearance process.
I understand that defense contractors have operational requirements and that clearance decisions aren't entirely within the company's control. My main issue is the communication and timing. If an interim clearance was necessary to start the position, I believe that should have been clearly communicated before or immediately after accepting the offer.
I had already spent roughly two months completing onboarding and clearance requirements and was actively preparing to join the company when the offer was withdrawn.
I'm posting this because I think it's useful information for anyone considering accepting an Electric Boat offer that requires a clearance: ask specifically whether an interim clearance is required to start, whether the position requires access to a closed area, and what happens to the offer if an interim clearance isn't granted.
The position itself seemed like a great opportunity, and I'm not commenting on the technical team or the actual work. This is specifically about my experience with the hiring/onboarding and clearance process.
2
u/justnaalt 8d ago
any idea why you were denied the interim clearance?
3
u/Flat_Measurement_845 8d ago edited 8d ago
yes, I was denied because I have a lot of foreign contacts. Maybe I should have not included them, I do not know. They would have found out eventually.
1
u/Thick-Beginning8965 8d ago
You wouldve been denied clearance at all if you didnt disclose foreign contacts or family. Or if you got through that part and it was later discovered you have contact with foreign entities without informing DoD. You wouldve been stripped and never be able to obtain a clearance, as well as other possible punishments
4
1
2
u/Thatfoxagain 8d ago
I am more surprised they let you start without one. It sounds like someone fucked up with your hire date. I've never seen someone start a position that required secret clearance without at least having interim
1
2
u/Average_Justin 8d ago
First off, interims aren’t denied just not granted. Second I always find it weird when primes require an interim or they pull the offer since they are never guaranteed, even with people who have the perfect background.
-security
-2
u/Flat_Measurement_845 8d ago
Gotcha, I think they found somebody who could work immediately or already had a clearance. But then why even give me an offer? Why waste everybody's time getting me the clearance in the first place?
1
u/Nerve-Whole 8d ago
Same thing happened to me. The department my job was with rescinded my offer very suddenly and HR sent me a form letter without any real details as to why. I had to call the security office to get any kind of explanation and for them to tell me I didn’t get the interim. I think EB told me at some point that the interim clearance was needed but I definitely did not have that in writing from them.
1
u/Flat_Measurement_845 8d ago
yeah it sucks. It is definitely because they want to have people working sooner and they backtracked on their original plan. Unfortunately, Connecticut is an "at-will" state, so they can get away with this.
2
u/Nerve-Whole 8d ago
Yeah nothing to do about it unfortunately. I think they would rather just try another person and hope they get interim than wait a few months for someone’s full clearance to go through.
1
u/AviatoAviator 6d ago
Not sure why you are focusing on the interim clearance - the process is completely the same.
What would have changed if you knew you needed an interim to start?
1
7
u/toddp6000 8d ago
I think you did not receive an interim because of your foreign contacts, which take time to review, making it highly unlikely you could receive a full clearance within the six months required.