Here’s what it’s really like to be an Engineering Manager...

From the day I joined Mable in April 2020 as a rails developer, I really liked the company and the team. I started on a three-month contract, so was delighted when they asked me to go permanent. 

When I told them I was interested in moving into a technical people management position, they fully supported that. A little while later, I was made Mable’s first-ever ‘product engineer’, which was 50 per cent development and 50 per cent team management, and they let me define and shape that role. I have since gone on to become the Engineering Manager. 

My primary focus in this role is looking after my team of seven developers who are both frontend (Angular) and backend (Rails). I make sure they’re getting the support they need for their day-to-day work and, more importantly, to keep making progress in their careers. As someone who enjoys working with both people and technology, it’s the perfect job for me. 

I’ve learned a lot so far, including that people are a more complex machine to manage than any piece of technology I’ve ever worked with! Each individual is different, and I need to consider that as a manager. Unlike machines, there is no 100 per cent right or wrong approach when working with people, but it’s that very challenge that I enjoy. 

What my working week looks like

Typically I fit in a weekly one-on-one meeting with each of my team members, so we can discuss any difficulties they’re facing and try to come up with solutions together. If I can’t help them myself, I’ll direct them to the right person or learning materials.

On top of that, we have evaluation cycles at Mable. At the beginning of each cycle, everybody sets goals that align with their career progression, and we check in on those in our regular catch-ups. As a manager, I also look after the entire hiring process for the backend team, from initial screenings to organising tests to review and through to the final interviews.

Since I come from a developer background, I’m involved in running some backend developer meetings and global backend projects, too. I’m currently working on two major ones including a chat platform migration and an API migration.  

Supporting Mable’s exciting growth

Backend developer resource allocation is another responsibility of mine. Mable is expanding rapidly, and new ‘squads’ are frequently forming, so I work with them to make sure they have the required backend rails resources needed, which includes some offshore developers.

As we’ve grown so much, so quickly over the past eight months, we’ve had some interesting challenges on the software side. For example, I’ve totally revamped the interview process so that it can keep up with our pace of growth. Another big project has been redesigning processes to be as scalable as possible, and I’m currently creating and editing processes that maximise productivity. A big success has been bringing our developer machine setup time down from three to four days to four hours! 

The most rewarding part of my job

The thing I love most about my role at Mable is seeing processes and people improving and knowing that my contributions are helping both the company and individuals to grow. While it can be challenging being a manager and dealing with people’s different ways of working, I enjoy the fact that I’m really making an impact on people’s lives and careers. I've been mentoring people and watching them become capable developers, and there is nothing better than seeing someone’s happiness when they are promoted. 

Since becoming Engineering Manager, two of my team members have already been promoted to mid and senior-level developers, and there are more promotions coming. Less than a year later, another team member who joined us as a beginner after a career change is now a reliable, knowledgeable and critical member of the team. It’s amazing seeing how far they’ve come with Mable’s and my support. 

I see Mable as a company that genuinely supports career paths and believes in long-term relationships with employees. They have played a big part in my career evolution, and it is nice that I am able to do the same for others here. There is a lot about my job that I find very rewarding, but seeing my team happy and achieving things is for sure the most satisfying part of all. 

Explore career opportunities at Mable here!