Robert's rise from Junior Developer to Project & People Manager within five years

Never stop developing is the Systematic promise to all current and future colleagues. But what does career development look like at Systematic? For Robert Dumitrescu, the development curve has been steep! Starting as a Junior Software Developer in 2018 and just five years later being nominated as Project Manager, Robert's rise in the ranks is an excellent testament to Systematic's learning and development culture and our commitment to fostering leadership from within.

When Robert started his journey with Systematic in 2018 as a junior developer, it was not part of his initial plan to become a people leader. Instead, his focus was solely on exploiting his potential as a developer to the fullest. In this pursuit, Robert soon took on the responsibility as Scrum Master and Component Owner of several areas within his project, and by 2021, Robert had already advanced two times from his junior role to Senior Developer & Scrum Master.

 

Getting a glimpse of being a leader

Being a Scrum Master, Robert got a taste of what it is like leading a team, and he started to really notice the positive difference he could make for the team as a facilitator and sparring partner. For example, Robert notes that the experience of creating projects and teams during the transition from Frontline 2.X to Frontline 3.X left a permanent mark on him through instilling lessons of responsibility, commitment, and the importance of shared team mindsets, which he believes has been monumental in his transition into leadership.

Inspirators, mentors and a proactive pursuit of development

Having discovered a new driving force and desire to help, inspire and grow people, Robert found great inspiration in one of his colleagues, Bogdan, to pursue the leadership path, all the while coming from a software specialist track because that was precisely what Bogdan had done. As such, Bogdan's inspiring development journey became a catalyst for Robert to dare leap into leadership, and through development dialogues with his own manager at the time, Robert's desire to become a people leader became a reality in 2023 when he was nominated as Project Manager in Defence MX2.

Robert embarked on a thorough learning journey to pursue professional development and actively fortify his leadership skills. This included completing a PMP course, Scrum Master Advanced courses, and various leadership training programs. Further, Robert notes that the personal guidance and mentoring from different experienced project managers, with special acknowledgement to Jens Erik Meldgaard as a primary mentor, has been monumental for him.

 

Robert's vision as a leader

Stepping into his role as Project Manager, Robert's vision goes beyond conventional success metrics as he has experienced first-hand the dos and don'ts of creating an environment that boosts the developer experience. Having that solid foundation as a developer and being able to fully understand their mindset is a great advantage in leading his team, he says. For him, leadership is not at all about taking charge. It is about giving back and making a real impact on the team. Being there for them, communicating openly about issues and needs, helping them grow through personalised development plans and allowing them to become the best they can be.