- Written by the team at PwC
Ben is a Senior Automation Developer within our Operate Technology Automation team in Belfast. He’s responsible for building software robots which will automate repetitive business processes for both internal PwC teams and external clients.
The solutions Ben develops vary in scale and complexity but typically involves him developing a solution that replicates an end users interaction and performing the time consuming repetitive work required. This then allows the client to focus on applying their specialist knowledge on the real problems that require critical thinking and decision making.
“People might assume that technical ability is the only skill that matters for a role like mine, and whilst it’s essential to understand Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and scripting, communication and soft skills play an important role in the bigger picture. I take time to understand clients’ current processes and what they’re looking to achieve. This comes from regular (sometimes daily) stand up meetings with our clients to ensure they can see the updates I’ve made that day. Even with a career in technology it’s important not to underestimate the importance of person to person communication.”
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After Development has completed, Ben conducts thorough testing on the solution process, ensuring it works as intended. He’ll then test all potential scenarios and get the client to review the outputs. When they’re happy that the solution fits and has been signed off, Ben oversees the solution into the production environment.
Having studied Software Engineering at Ulster University, Ben joined our Operate graduate programme in 2019 and has recently been promoted following his hard work and impact in the team.
The last two years have been a great learning experience for Ben and he credits the learning potential available at PwC for giving him the opportunity to train in the latest technology and programmes.
“Some of the best career advice I’ve received is to always keep learning. In a technical role it’s easy to focus solely on the technology with which you’re currently working, but it’s important to remember how fast technology changes and develops. I feel fortunate to have access to resources that help with this including Udemy and Pluralsight subscriptions, showing the importance PwC places on further learning and development.”
Ben’s recently worked on a six month client engagement alongside colleagues from PwC in the US for a large tech company. Previously his team had focused on internal enablement work, and this engagement was his first step of working with external clients. Our approach to flexible working meant that Ben was able to shift his working hours to later in the day, suiting him and his clients and colleagues in America. It also gave him the opportunity to work directly with global and regional leadership, challenging him to build on his communication skills and technical abilities. It’s a project which he says helped shape him, and despite it having challenges, offered him the chance to work with many experienced developers.
Outside of work, Ben relaxes by playing video games as well as taking his dog Luna, a black labrador, out for walks. He’s also a keen traveller and prior to joining PwC Ben visited Cambodia as part of a volunteering programme. Over the course of two weeks he helped build a small house in a rural community with 15 other volunteers. He describes it as an experience of a lifetime and gave him the chance to experience the cambodian culture and realise how fortunate we are in the UK. His friends would describe him as friendly, dependable and persistent.
“For me, the best thing about working in Operate is the people. My team and the wider OpTech team are made up of a diverse group of people from many different backgrounds. This diversity gives us unique insights that I, as someone from a more traditional software development background, may not have. There’s a strong social aspect to the team, from weekly lunchtime games to Hackathons, giving us the opportunity for everyone to get to know each other in a more relaxed way.”
Working in technology at PwC will provide you with a career full of variety. With opportunities to work with clients internally and externally, alongside the chance to use the latest technologies, no two projects are quite the same. Even in RPA, it prevents the work becoming repetitive as there’s always new scenarios to overcome.
To find out more about a career in Operate, click here.
