Spotlight on Tech: with Moe

Can you please tell us something about your path so far at ProSiebenSat.1?

I joined the team at ProSiebenSat.1 as a Senior Backend Engineer in the “Core API” team two years ago. Pretty soon, I became involved in one of the most interesting projects I’ve worked on so far in my career. It was in the field of “interactivity” with a great cross-functional team, and I was able to take on the technical leadership role in that project. During that time, I noticed that I could learn a lot from taking on a leadership role as a next step. After a couple of months, I was then able to embark on the leadership journey by changing my role to “Team Lead Software Engineering” in the “Interactivity Team”. I love what I am doing and am so happy that ProSiebenSat.1 supported this opportunity.

But let’s take a step back, how did you get into Software Engineering?

I always thought I am going to become an Electronic Engineer however it turned out that coding stole my heart. (laughs) When I was 16, I took an introduction course in “Information Technology” in high school. I started coding and immediately fell in love with how the webpages were created. That was the beginning of a long journey that continues to this day.  

How did your path continue from your first crush on Software Engineering?

I completed my Bachelor's in IT at the Manzandaran University of Science and Technology in Iran and worked as a working student in a company for accounting applications to gain some work experience on top. After that I moved to Malaysia to complete my Master’s degree in MIS (Management Information Systems). After one year of study, I began my journey in the tech industry with my first job as a Java Developer. In 2014 I had the great opportunity to co-found a startup together with three friends. It didn’t go the way I hoped for, but I still gained valuable lessons from the experience.  After that, I thought it was the right time to focus on another passion I had developed over the years: cloud solutions, particularly AWS. I moved to Freiburg, Germany and worked for two different companies in that field and developed my skills further by working on different solutions. 

Do you work from the office or remotely? 

At ProSiebenSat.1 we offer hybrid working within four different working models. My team works in the “highly remote” model. That means that we mostly work from home. However, we also meet in person on different occasions, which is also very important for team spirit. We genuinely enjoy gathering in person, we get along very well privately and do fun stuff together. I currently live in Cologne. I believe that if I were to move to Munich one day, I would already have a great network thanks to my colleagues at ProSiebenSat.1.

What kind of projects have you worked on most recently?

To give you some relatable insights. We own and maintain the user engagement solution that enables users to, for example, decide on who becomes the next "Voice of Germany", who stays in the "Big Brother" container, or guess the identity of "The Masked Singer". I work on solutions that create real emotions and are viewed by millions of users and viewers every day, I think that is pretty cool. 

What do you appreciate most about working at ProSiebenSat.1?

I think ProSiebenSat.1 gives you a lot of room for your personal development and the opportunity to switch roles, due to the nature of the business and the speed of the Entertainment industry. Also, the challenges that you face as a Software engineer can be quite diverse and very interesting. They let you grow, and I believe this is what many Software Engineers are looking for in their job.  

Plus, chances are good to meet some celebrities and party with them… 😊

But above all, what I love the most is that I am working with the smartest and most expert team in my entire career. I am really proud to be their teammate. 

Can you give us some insights into what a typical working day looks like for you?

Most of the days, I wake up, take a shower, and grab a cup of tea. I then check my calendar to get an overview about my meetings. The first meeting is usually our team daily at 9:45am. After that, I see how I can support my team or contribute to any projects within the Joyn echo-system. Because of my role, I mainly focus on ongoing and upcoming projects or features for our team and department. And of course, I spend a dedicated amount of time developing my leadership skills and personal development.

What roles are you currently looking for in your team?

At the moment we are looking for Senior Software Engineers and Lead Engineers who are ready to dive deep into enhancing and expanding the core of our favorite streaming application Joyn and are ready to embark on a journey building the future of our interactivity world using AWS and Javascript.

Are there any tips or advice you would give to future team colleagues based on your own experiences?

Be courageous and don’t be afraid to take risks and go new ways. And most importantly: take ownership.