Meet Kayla…
Hi, I’m Kayla and I’ve been a Data Engineer with Quantexa for five and a half years, holding the role of Technical Lead for three of those. At Quantexa, a Technical Lead (TL) is responsible for meeting the deliverables and success criteria that have been set. As a TL, I lead technical teams comprised of Quantexans, partners, and/or client engineers to do this by:
- Defining the technical approach for achieving project outcomes while balancing technical best practices with commercial constraints.
- Setting a strong example as one of/the lead engineer and supporting the team in the growth of their technical, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills.
- Making key contributions to scrum activities and project-level technical decisions by aligning work with wider objectives, anticipating risks, and mitigating issues proactively.
- Staying up to date with platform functionality, new releases, and approaches from other projects to improve efficiency.
- Contributing to the global Quantexa knowledge base by feeding back input from projects and working on broader initiatives to improve the experience and effectiveness of delivering projects.
Learn more about what I do on a day-to-day basis in my article: A Day in the Life of a… Technical Lead.
What did you want to be when you were little?
From dreaming of becoming a Scientist to considering roles in business and finance, my career aspirations were varied and ever-changing. I’ve always been drawn to a challenge and knew I wanted to have some sort of expertise or leadership in my field.
What first sparked your interest in pursuing a career as a Technical Lead?
My interest grew as I took on more responsibility, led small teams, and realized I enjoyed problem-solving on not just a technical but a strategic level. I thrive in an environment where I can collaborate, mentor, and create structure within complex projects.
What educational background or qualifications did you need to become a Technical Lead?
- An in-depth understanding of Quantexa components, methodologies, development best practice, and comfort with at least some of the general tech stack; "some” being the salient point. You won’t have experience in every service provider, but a strong understanding of one is transferable.
- A history of reliably delivering technical work while demonstrating a strong understanding of the broader context of said work. You should be a capable, Quantexa certified Data Engineer, able to meet deadlines, complete complex work, anticipate problems before they arise, and communicate at the appropriate level how the technical outcomes relate to achieving the requirements.
- A general understanding of the use case or domain and the ability to accurately assess whether subject matter expert (SME) input is needed for decision-making involving the domain/commercial side of the project.
How do you continue to grow and develop professionally in your role?
In addition to regularly seeking feedback, I continually look for internal or external courses to ensure that I’m always learning and better able to rise to meet new challenges. I have taken a variety of courses over the years from internal training on leadership and stakeholder management, to a plethora of courses on Udemy, Coursera, etc. around anything from goal setting and feedback strategies to specific technical courses for systems or languages.
Can you describe your career journey and any significant steps or projects that led you to your current role?
After completing a dual degree in Physics and Biomedical Sciences, I enrolled as a non-degree student at a local university to explore programming and subsequently entered a Data Science master’s program. I interned at SAP during my coursework and came to Quantexa upon my graduation.
During the second year of my tenure, I had the opportunity to lead a small team of Data Engineers on an internal project. This was the first stepping stone toward becoming a TL and led to similar opportunities where the expectations of me and the accountability placed on me increased each time. I eventually became the “Deputy TL” for a client project, where I shadowed the acting TL and then transitioned to leading myself.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced on your path to becoming a Technical Lead, and how did you overcome them?
Moving from being solely an individual contributor to a contributor with a leadership role meant I had to shift my focus. I learned that leadership isn’t about doing everything yourself—it’s about creating an environment where your team can thrive. I prioritized setting clear expectations, ensuring work was evenly distributed based on the understanding of my team’s strengths and areas for growth, and giving engineers the autonomy to solve problems while providing support when needed.
This also involves the delicate balance of letting some timelines slip to allow for growth and experience but not so much so that the project is in jeopardy. This is a balance I still work hard to strike correctly both with technical and non-technical teams. I continually must refocus on the things only I can do and simply support my team as they need it.
What key skills and personal traits are essential for succeeding in your role as a Technical Lead?
- Ability to manage and work with diverse teams. It’s critical to develop your emotional intelligence so you can get the best out of different working styles, understand different motivations, and tailor your approach accordingly. This applies to both your development team and the management of your stakeholders.
- Ability to align the business value that the project is delivering to the expectations of the stakeholders, consistently asking clarifying questions while managing trade-offs related to technical debt, delivery timelines, and customer needs.
- Ability to capture and translate business requirements into technical ones, and then break down any larger tasks into smaller ones.
- Ability to exist with ambiguity and think creatively about how to adapt your plans, challenge timelines, and rethink ordering of dependencies to mitigate impacts from any deviations that will inevitably arise.
What do you find most rewarding about your job as a Technical Lead?
The opportunity to work with a diverse group of talented individuals and technologies to tackle complex problems. It’s a role that requires both technical expertise and strong interpersonal and leadership skills— each day presents new challenges and learning opportunities, making the role both dynamic and fulfilling.
What one piece of advice would you give to someone aspiring to become a Technical Lead?
Own your development. Seek constructive feedback from folks more junior and more senior than you, set goals and/or an individual development plan, and proactively work on the skills you need to push you out of your comfort zone. Strong communication skills are just as important as being able to write great code so ensure you’ve got a breadth of experience in both.
