Meet Magdalena, Engineering Manager and padel enthusiast
February 7, 2023
About Magdalena
- Job role: Engineering Manager
- Team: Multi Channel Product Feature
- Office location: Axis HQ, Lund, Sweden
- Time at Axis: 1,5 years
- Fun fact: Tries to live by the Pippi quote: “I have never tried that before, so I think I should definitely be able to do that.”
What is your role at Axis?
I’m responsible for two software teams here at Axis. It’s a role where I work with my teams to ensure they have the best possibilities and opportunities to do their job. It covers everything from recruitment, coaching, and building trust within the team. As well as making sure we have the competences and skills we need to meet future requirements from the organization, to ensure we can perform to the best levels we can.
I’m also a part of the management team where we work with both short and long-term strategies and plans for the department, to continue to keep delivering innovating and market relevant products.
What does your team do?
The two teams I have consist of a mix of backend, frontend, and UX/UI developers. Both teams work with developing value adding features enhancing the experience of our products for our customers. They are both agile teams, and for us that means that we work with a mindset of testing, trying, and being creative. We learn from what doesn’t work and try to find new ways of solving the problem.
One team works with our Multi Channel Products and one with our Axis Camera Station. Some people in the team also supports our product projects. This mix in our team gives us a broad view of Axis business and connects us to a lot of different teams in the organization.
How would you describe your management style?
It’s very people focused and people centric. I have the experts in my team and I’m very much the coach supporting them in making sure they have everything they need, from computers to workshops, whatever it may be. My overall aim is to bring to them together and build the trust and fun in the teams so that they can deliver these fantastic features.
My leadership style is giving responsibility, as Axis leadership in general often is. Giving the teams a lot of responsibility but making sure they know that they have the support and can work with the team dynamics to help them forward.
What excites you most about the tech industry?
It ties into my personality a lot. I love learning new things and there is always something new happening in the tech industry. For me it’s a never-ending fountain of knowledge, both new knowledge but also using existing knowledge for new things. I love working with engineers. It’s a fantastic, very creative group to work with. For me it’s about fun and learning. That’s a great combination to have at your workplace.
“I am inspired by the conversations, meetings, or interactions I have with people every day.”
What does work/life balance mean to you?
There is no formula to what makes a good work/life balance. It is different for each person, but it is important to have. For me I feel well balanced between work and home, and Axis is good at helping me to find that. It allows me to detect when I am not so in balance and make adjustments to help regain it so I can do my job well. It is part of the culture here, to take care of our colleagues.
It’s a big part of the reason why I wanted work as a manager here. It would give me the tools to work with people in the correct way in terms of their wellness and wellbeing, as well as getting the job done.
The company is very passionate about promoting wellness and wellbeing. For instance, we have an office gym, and an employee allowance to use for things like exercise classes, massages, or whatever you may need to help you regain your balance. I use mine to play padel. Whether it’s at home or a hobby outside of work, it’s important to take care of ourselves.
Who or what inspires you?
For me I am inspired by the conversations, meetings, or interactions I have with people every day. It provides a lot of new thoughts, ideas and perspectives on personal and professional things. Axis is a large organization, and there are always opportunities to reach out and talk with people to learn and understand more. Everybody is very happy to help and share at Axis.
All of that is inspiring to what I do in my daily job, and it is something I make sure my teams are aware of. It triggers new ideas, discussions, and solutions. That inspiration is always around here when you want it or need it. The possibilities are always there. It’s fantastic.
Want to join Magdalena’s teams? Have a look at our open positions: