From writing code to Engineering Lead

Amjad cut his teeth writing code, advancing bit by bit until he became the inspirational Engineering Lead in our Features Team.

Amjad with a hot drink in the office cafe, smiling at someone just off-screen

Amjad works in a technical discipline as the Engineering Lead for several systems which provide a lending service to the Commercial Bank.

I’ve been at Lloyds Banking Group for many years now, originally starting in a junior role where I wrote code. Now I work in a technical discipline as the Engineering Lead for several systems which provide a lending service to the Commercial Bank. My brilliant team are comprised of predominantly technical engineers and developers, and my role is to make sure that we work together to deliver the changes that the business needs.

Growing up

The team I manage are incredibly talented. As you get older, you’ll find that the younger team members are often better at working with up-and-coming technology than you are. The next generation at the Group are highly skilled and ambitious, which helps us continue to succeed together.

I've promoted learning and development within my team for several years now, and, as a Catalyst Change Champion, I actively encourage my colleagues to identify improvements to the way we work and the skills they’ll need to grow and go further. I'm helping to embed this mindset as a central tenant of our culture in the Group too. It’s important for both personal and professional growth, but also because in this space it’s part of our day job to be continuously learning, especially in the IT world. If you sit still, you get left behind.

Amjad helping a colleague, both of them looking at a computer screen

A whole new world

I see Lloyds Banking Group as a mini-industry in itself. It’s not just banking — this is so much more.

Here, I’ve found that there are so many opportunities to move around, to find new challenges, to explore new teams and I think it's to do with the sheer scale and breadth that the Group gets involved in. Most people tend to just think we’re a retail bank on the high street. But when you get into the commercial side, there's a lot there that people aren't aware of — we’re one of the biggest tech businesses in the UK, for instance.

There's a constant emphasis on seeking real benefits from technology within the Group, and we consider how we can continually improve the service and experience we provide for customers. There's more and more investment in that aspect year-on-year.

Working collaboratively

Our organisation is not top down — it’s not hierarchical like a lot of others in the industry. You won’t hear managers saying, “You must behave a certain way.” This is a place you can be yourself. This approach to culture and values tends to work better, because people feel they can really own the change that they're driving throughout the organisation.

I love that I can create real change and make a difference for our customers. I really enjoy seeing this in action when we deliver a better product to the customer. I’ve seen frontline colleagues using a system that my team are responsible for, and that gives you a real sense of pride.

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