Career Journey
I have pursued my career through an academic route. I was always a research software engineer (RSE). I just didn't know of the specific term for it until the EPSRC fellowship scheme. That was a turning point for me as I found my community and identity.
In my early career, I often had to demonstrate how collaborations around research software were an academic endeavour which delivered new scientific understanding. I was later fortunate to obtain an EPSRC RSE fellowship which helped to demonstrate how an RSE role is equivalent to other academic positions. Through this I built a team and culture within the University of Sheffield where I was able to progress to the role of Professor through leadership and collaboration. Within ICCS, I’ve taken up a professional service RSE role rather than an academic one. Despite this, the work is very similar, especially in terms of the leadership and management which I undertake as the Engineering Team Lead.
A Typical Day
I spend a large amount of my time on management. This obviously induces line management of my team, but also of overseeing the projects which we are involved in and how we interact with the VESRI partners with respect to the software we develop. I tend to spend a fair amount of time on HR related matters as our team and those adjacent to us grow. Occasionally I get to write code but more often than not I am looking at other people's code and their development process.
Proud Moments
I am particularly pleased with some of the processes that I have put in place such as our current process for our resource allocation which is now robust. I have also ensured that we have a team "standard working practice" which aims to set high expectations of how we develop code.
My Hobbies
My hobby is hobbies. I love trying new things. I can ride a unicycle, surf, power-kite, stand up paddle board, mountain bike just to name a few. Outside of trying new sports I am a DIY enthusiast and enjoy renovating property. This in part has driven our family to the exotic Isle of Mull where we have a major renovation project we are undertaking. You can find it @Drumghigha on Instagram