A day in the life of..... an Engineering Manager

In the latest edition of our "A day in the life..." series, we spoke to Leto Baxevanaki, an Engineering Manager - Player Web SDK at Bitmovin. Find out how she became a Software Engineer and why she thinks it offers a great work-life balance.

What is your job title and role at Bitmovin?

My job title is Engineering Manager. I am primarily responsible for managing a team of developers working on the Player Software Developer Kit and creating an environment where they can be productive and enhance our product. I also support their growth so they can continue to evolve as engineers. I cooperate with other Engineering Managers in the department so that we are aligned and to apply company policies.

Why did you choose to become an engineer?

I became a software engineer because I enjoy improving people’s lives with technology. With software engineering, you have so many opportunities to do this, even with small applications. At school, I loved mathematics because it requires analytical thinking and problem-solving skills, and engineering allows me to apply these skills in the real world. As a software engineer, you have to solve a new problem every day, so I never get bored. 

Software Engineering also suits my lifestyle because it’s a profession where it’s easy to work remotely. I am a proud mother of two children, so flexible working is important to me to strike the right balance between work and family.

Why should women become engineers?

Women, or any other human being, should be able to choose the career that they dream of. If it is in engineering, then I would say, “Go for it”! In Greece, it’s actually not so uncommon for women to become engineers. It was only when I started working with companies outside of Greece that I realised that it tends to be a male-dominated industry. If the industry wants to make engineering roles more appealing to women, then it needs to be more supportive of women's lives outside of work. For example, many women are the primary carers in the family, especially if they have babies and young children. When I had my second child, I actually had to quit my job as a Software Engineer Manager because I was at a dead end. My job was too demanding, my parents could not help me, and the state was not supportive. I actually became a Computer Science teacher for a while because the role was more accommodating for me as a Mother. I decided to return to software engineering when my son was a bit older, and I am happy I secured a remote position with Bitmovin. 

What does your day-to-day look like?

Even though I have 16 years of experience in mobile and web applications and test automation, I am no longer involved in hands-on software development. At Bitmovin, my focus is on keeping my team on track and ensuring we deliver on what’s agreed for the product and aligned with the company's objectives. I am also responsible for people management and equipping my team with the knowledge they need to succeed together, and spending time with them as individuals to help them grow professionally and personally. 

What do you enjoy about working at Bitmovin?

There’s a clear culture of respect and a good work/life balance at Bitmovin. Everyone understands and respects their colleagues’ personal lives and commitments. I also enjoy the culture of openness and that even when there are differences of opinion or difficult conversations, we all respect each other’s perspectives. Last but not least, I think we have a fantastic focus on innovation and always trying to better our work and ourselves. It means we produce a high standard of work that we can be proud of. 

How do you stay up to date with industry trends?

Bitmovin Campus is one of my go-to internal resources for staying up-to-date with video streaming technologies and trends. I also use LinkedIn learning a lot because there are so many great courses on there about personal and professional development. Of course, staying on top of technology trends is important, but I think the best engineers are curious about everything and apply different experiences and learnings to their work. I try to find time to try interesting stuff myself, but this is mostly in my time.