Becoming an Azur Technology product engineer

Q: What does a typical day look like as a Product Engineer at Azur Technology?

Sunny: Being a Product Engineer is a dynamic and wide-reaching role, encompassing many parts of project delivery. We’re really Product Managers in training. Every day is slightly different, ranging from discovery calls with customers to learn more about their needs or challenges, to the meticulous process of product testing. We work closely with the other engineers, too.

Mariana: Every morning we dive into scrum ceremonies as part of our agile working culture. We not only catch up on the team’s progress but also ensure tight alignment so that everyone is working towards the same end goal.

Sunny: Communication and adaptability really define our team’s culture, it’s a bit like a puzzle where we strategically fit in the pieces to deliver awesome solutions for our customers.

Q: How much involvement do you have with customers directly and the solutions they need?

Mariana: That’s where the real excitement lies. We’re not just executing tasks. We become advocates for the MGA we’re working with, deciphering their needs and translating them into actionable goals for our development team. That could be anything from automating the billing process to the blast zone tool we developed for Crux Underwriting, which helps them analyze risk and deliver a quote to a broker in minutes.

Q: Other than customers, who do you work with to ensure projects are a success?

Sunny: Besides customers, I work really closely with our amazing development team. Our collaboration with them is more than just a routine. It’s refining requirements, prioritizing features, and ensuring the product aligns perfectly with our customer’s vision.

Q: What else does your role entail?

Mariana: Our role isn’t just confined to a single box. We get to dabble in testing, exploring other areas, and scoping out new opportunities that not even the customer had thought of yet. It keeps things fresh and exciting and fosters an environment of creativity and innovation.

Sunny: Absolutely, I agree. I was speaking to Tijo, our CTO, recently and we were trying out new ways to automate testing. Having my laptop create insurance quotes by itself is really satisfying. We’re always looking for ways to improve and to show the customer what our platform can do. And that they can trust the process.

Q. What impact does your work as a product engineer have on your customer’s MGA?

Mariana: As a product engineer, my work directly impacts the overall success of our customer’s MGA. By developing and refining products that are tailored to their specific needs, we ensure they have the tools to streamline their operations, reduce manual errors, and better serve their customers. This ultimately leads to faster processing times, improved data accuracy, and greater customer satisfaction.

Our mission is to empower our customers with technology that allows them to grow and adapt in an ever-changing market.

Sunny: The work we do forms the foundation of their core product offering. From creating new underwriting questions to changes in a pricing matrix, we allow our customers to adapt quickly to regulatory and carrier requirements. This leads to quicker time-to-market for new risks and opportunities where our customers’ competitors would lag behind.

Q. What strengths or attributes help you succeed as an Azur Technology Product Engineer?

Mariana: Success as an Azur Technology Product Engineer is driven by a combination of technical expertise, problem solving abilities and a deep understanding of customer needs. We are passionate about creating solutions that are not just functional but also intuitive and user-friendly.

I think that the ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders is also an important skill. It ensures that we stay aligned with our customers’ goals throughout the development process. Also, continuous learning and staying up to date on industry trends helps me to bring new ideas and best practices to the table.

Sunny: Having a technical eye for requirements and the work that gets developed is important as it helps to keep projects on budget and on schedule. Understanding our customers is important and I think we do that very well as our business began as an MGA initially. We have many experts in the field who can support customers through their experiences, demonstrating first-hand where problems can occur.

What I found very important as a Product Engineer was attention to detail and the ability to build rapport very quickly with our customers. This helps significantly as we work in the insurance industry where every word, calculation and document has legal implications. Being able to find this information out is key. A mix of these skills will help you succeed at Azur Technology.

Q: What do you love about working in Product Development for Azur Technology?

Mariana: The learning curve is endless. Azur Technology is big on growth, offering training opportunities to further hone our skills. We just completed the Certified Scrum Product Owner course. We’re encouraged to spread our wings and explore.

Sunny: I couldn’t agree more. Azur Technology invests in our careers and skills. Being a Product Engineer is dynamic, challenging, but profoundly rewarding.

Learn more about working at Azur Technology, including employee benefits and job openings, by visiting our careers page.