My life as a software engineer at SQLI

What responsibility do you have at SQLI?

I am Chapter Lead Software Engineering and Architect. My tasks include being responsible for the development and automation of the delivery process of the customer solution as well as training of (junior) software developers.

How do you experience your position as chapter lead software engineering & architect?

I work on a wide variety of different projects related to attractive e-commerce and PIM solutions for our customers. My aspiration is to take care of the customers as best as possible and to constantly increase the quality level of the delivered solutions.
The close cooperation within our teams is the be-all and end-all, and as a training manager I would like to convey this to our trainees. Many tasks can only be mastered much better as a team or as a team.

What is your typical work week like?

In the mornings, we usually start with a team meeting to discuss upcoming daily and weekly tasks. As an architect, with my experience and direct support for various problems and finding solutions, I ensure, that the developers can go about their day-to-day business without any problems. At the same time, I pass on my knowledge of software development to our trainees and other employees and ensure that their skills are enhanced.

I also work directly with our customers. It often happens with all the possibilities and technical requirements, that meetings are done remotely. However, there is no substitute for direct contact with the customer, as many questions can be answered much more quickly and specifically in a face-to-face conversation. That is why I regularly visit our customers onsite to develop individual technical solutions in person.

What are you proud of?

I am proud when we provide our customers with a good solution and real added value. Knowing that my work helped solve a problem makes me very happy. For example, I recently set up a team with 25 colleagues from France, the Netherlands, Germany and Poland for a customer project. Within this project we faced various challenges but in the end we successfully went live with the project and the customer was, or better is, very satisfied with our performance. I also find it really good to work for a company that, like SQLI, invests in employee development through training, workshops and courses.

Which technologies are most relevant for your work?

For programming at SQLI, the Java technology stack is indispensable. For all other daily tasks, we have many modern tools such as: Jenkins, Git, Docker and IDEs such as Eclipse or Intellij. We use Jira and Confluence for project coordination, planning and sustainable documentation of our solutions.

What makes SQLI unique for you as an employee?

I would say teamwork is up high on the list. We tackle the daily tasks and challenges together, as a team, and do so much more, much more effectively together. The opportunities to work on a range of different projects and always find new solutions are - also for me personally - something that I can grow with and I really like that.

How would you describe working at SQLI in 3 words?

1. Fun
2. Innovative
3. Team-oriented