Filonova Mary

Engineering manager

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About me

Visionary engineering leader with a passion for driving technology strategy, cross-functional collaboration, and scalable engineering excellence. Experienced in leading high-performance teams, optimizing software development processes, and aligning engineering efforts with business goals. Adept at fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Currently leading QA and Backend Engineering teams, making critical architectural and technical decisions, and driving organizational transformation through automation, monitoring, and process enhancements. My leadership philosophy is based on trust, transparency, and empowerment.

Core competencies

Engineering Leadership: Building and scaling high-performing technical teams, talent development, and mentoring.
Strategic Decision-Making: Aligning engineering vision with business objectives, budgeting, and resource allocation.
Technical Expertise: Python, Node.js, JavaScript, Unix, Cloud Architecture, CI/CD, Monitoring, Automated Testing.
Operational Excellence: Process optimization, risk management, incident response, and continuous delivery.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Engaging with product, business, and C-suite stakeholders for strategic impact.
Scalability & Innovation: Driving automation, legacy modernization, and technology transformation.

Experience

Engineering manager | Vista Global

Sep 2022 - Present


* Led two teams of 10 engineers (QA & Backend), overseeing technology strategy, architecture, and operational excellence.


* Reduced development cycle time by 50% through improved CI/CD, automated testing, and technical debt reduction.


* Transformed production monitoring & incident response by implementing Datadog alerts & dashboards, significantly reducing critical production issues.


* Developed and executed hiring, training, and performance management strategies, leading to a 30% improvement in team efficiency.


* Drove engineering efficiency by integrating automated testing frameworks, reducing manual QA efforts by 40%.


* Led cross-functional alignment between engineering, QA, and DevOps, streamlining development-to-release workflows.


* Implemented structured knowledge-sharing processes, reducing onboarding time for new engineers by 35%.

Head of Development | Beeline Cloud

Jan 2021 – Sep 2022


* Built an engineering department from scratch, hiring and leading a team of 5 engineers.


* Migrated critical legacy systems to modern architectures, reducing maintenance costs and improving uptime.


* Automated customer data reporting, saving the finance and tech teams 100+ hours per month.


* Spearheaded CRM integration for sales & pre-sales teams, improving transparency and customer experience.


* Transitioned teams to Agile/Scrum, enhancing sprint delivery predictability and team ownership.


Backend developer | UNIM

Apr 2020 - Jan 2021


* Single-handedly maintain and develop new functionality for digital pathomorphology system (python, node.js, JS).


* Participated in the migration from AZURE to a private cloud.


* Contributed to code adaptation and customization to successfully deliver a tailored product copy for an external client.


Backend developer | Spherical.pm

Sept 2019 - Apr 2020


* Participated in development of a web application: Jira quick reporter (python).


* Participated in development of a web application: language school (python).


Backend developer | TechBoss

Jun 2018 - Sept 2019


* Independently develop a indoor navigation system for a restaurant (python, JS).


* Develop new functionality in the billing and reporting service (python).

Education & certifications

Generative AI Leadership & Strategy – Vanderbilt University

Certificate

Removing Barriers to Change – University of Pennsylvania

Certificate

Negotiate and Resolve Conflict – Macquarie University

Certificate

Why Smart Executives Fail – Dartmouth College

Certificate

Inspiring and Motivating Individuals Course – University of Michigan

Certificate

Team Leadership & Remote Management – GitLab сourses

Certificate

Projects & leadership initiatives

Founded & led IT-Club Georgia, a non-profit community fostering engineering leadership and mentorship.


Mentor & Course Creator at Learn.Python.ru, empowering engineers in software development best practices.


Open-Source contributor.

Languages

English: B2-C1


Russian: Native