Women@Work - Thati de Almeida, Project Lead & Scrum Master

Complex projects and collaborative teamwork

In the Women@Work series, we shine a spotlight on some of our remarkable female  colleagues, celebrating their expertise, vision, and the unique advantages they bring as women to the team and in technology.

For this edition, we had the pleasure of interviewing Thati, a Project Lead and Scrum Master at TOPIC. She shares more about her experiences managing complex high-tech projects, the importance of good collaboration, and the skills that are essential for success.

As scrum master and project lead you have a dual role. What projects are you currently working on?

I am currently working on two projects. One is with a farm-out team, where I am Scrum Master for a team that develops software features for a cutting-edge light projection system used in advanced semiconductor manufacturing. And I am starting as a Program Manager on a new project for CERN, overseeing the development and production of a specialized board.

What does your workweek look like?

A typical week involves overseeing both projects, facilitating meetings and discussions with our teams to review sprint progress and project milestones against our timelines, remove impediments, and foster collaboration to identify and mitigate risks, overcome issues and deviations, and ensure alignment with our goals. I also engage with key stakeholders such as the Product Owner and Customer Technical Leader to discuss upcoming objectives, report progress, and address challenges with actionable mitigation plans.

This dual role keeps me actively engaged in facilitation and strategic oversight, with my time focused on responsibilities like planning, stakeholder communication, and cross-functional alignment.

What skills are essential to have? 

Understanding embedded systems and their ecosystem, the Scrum methodology and its ceremonies, along with top project management practices, is vital. Effective management, planning, and communication skills are key to clearly conveying goals and strategies to both customers and the team, ensuring alignment and engagement. Since joining TOPIC, I've observed that adhering to best practices and guidelines significantly enhances team engagement and smooth workflow.

How do you handle complex projects or situations that don’t go according to plan?

I manage complex projects through collaborative teamwork, breaking them into manageable tasks, setting milestones, tracking dependencies and critical paths, structuring our workflow, and ensuring alignment with customer expectations and key stakeholders.

At TOPIC, the support from various parties makes this process smoother, showcasing excellent teamwork. When setbacks occur, everyone collaborates to assess the impact, brainstorm solutions, and understand the root causes. Once we agree on a plan to move forward, we also take the opportunity to learn and find ways to improve and prevent future issues.

Are there people of moments that have inspired you during your career?

Several key moments have shaped my career. Early on, leading a quality and testing engineering team through a transitional period was a pivotal experience. Building that team and expanding its scope across multiple projects was incredibly rewarding, teaching me the importance of collaboration and trust.

Later, transitioning to a program manager role broadened my perspective, providing visibility into the entire development process. Most recently, relocating to the Netherlands to join TOPIC has opened doors to work with cutting-edge technologies and diverse sectors, an inspiring shift that continues to fuel my growth journey.

What advice would you wish you could give yourself when you were just starting out in your profession?

I would have started learning to code earlier, staying updated with emerging languages and practicing consistently.