Shirley S Davila is a Rutgers alumni from the class of 2014. She graduated with an Electrical and Computer Engineering degree with her capstone focusing on microelectronics. As Davila pursued different careers in the engineering and technical fields, she was able to build on what she learned throughout her degree at Rutgers and discover where her passions lie.

Initially, Davila was set on pursuing a career in chip design and electrical engineering. However, during her first internship at Johnson and Johnson, she was introduced to the world of Information Technology and realized her passion lay in the tech industry.

Her software career commenced at Lockheed Martin as a software engineer. In just two months, she learned Python and began writing automation scripts for the Aegis Combat System and Trident Missile System.

After nearly three years at Lockheed Martin, she moved to NBCUniversal. There, she gained comprehensive knowledge of the content and distribution side of media and entertainment, supporting media scheduling, graphics, and infrastructure for all NBCUniversal networks. She also contributed to the launch of the Peacock streaming service.

After four and a half years at NBCUniversal, she was recruited by Amazon Web Services (AWS). She joined the Envision Engineering team, now known as the Prototyping and Cloud Engineering (PACE) team. This role marked her entry into sales tech, where she leveraged her extroverted personality to engage with customers across various industries and helped them innovate using AWS technologies.

Currently, she is working with Major League Soccer on their Innovation and Data Engineering team. Her focus is on modernizing and advancing the technological aspects of Major League Soccer, and is also involved in exciting new AI projects.

Experience at Rutgers

During her undergraduate studies, she encountered numerous challenges that shaped her professional skills. Despite the primary focus of her major on electrical engineering, she quickly learned to grasp and master complex concepts. Courses such as Optoelectronics and Calculus 4 were particularly demanding, requiring her to develop strong skills in prioritization, efficient studying, and perseverance to succeed within a single semester. These experiences contributed to her career, equipping her with the ability to stay up-to-date with evolving technologies, learn independently, and solve problems effectively

Journey Post-Grad/Transition from Engineering to Technical Program Management

Her studies and research at Rutgers laid the foundation for her successful career in the tech industry, ultimately leading her to be recruited by Amazon Web Services to join their team in technical program management. “Throughout my career, I've always had a passion for software engineering, but I'm also very much a people person. Being a TPM allows me to blend both passions effectively. It's the best of both worlds: I get to apply my technical knowledge while also delving into the business side of projects. Working closely with stakeholders from various backgrounds is both challenging and rewarding. It's like learning a new language—executive conversations become a crucial part of the job, where understanding and effectively communicating technical details to non-technical stakeholders is key to project success. This role has truly allowed me to grow and thrive in ways I hadn't imagined before.”

Advice to Current and Recent Graduates

Davila shares some advice to current and recent graduate students. Gather insights from her perspective below:

“My advice to current students or recent graduates looking to pursue a similar path would be to start your career on the technical, individual contributor path. Invest time in building a strong technical foundation and gaining hands-on experience. Learn as much as you can about the technologies and systems you're working with. This phase is crucial as it lays the groundwork for understanding the intricacies of projects and solutions.

As you progress, take the time to figure out your preferences and strengths. Are you someone who enjoys interacting with people and navigating through various stakeholders? Or do you prefer a more technical, hands-on role? It's essential to know yourself and what kind of work environment suits you best.

Transitioning to a Technical Program Management (TPM) role can be a natural progression once you've built solid technical expertise. Successful TPMs often possess a blend of technical prowess and strong interpersonal skills. They excel at bridging the gap between technical teams and business stakeholders, navigating through meetings, and driving projects forward.

Ultimately, finding success in a TPM role involves understanding and leveraging both technical knowledge and people skills. So, my advice boils down to this: build a strong technical foundation early in your career, understand your own strengths and preferences, and pursue opportunities that align with your aspirations and abilities.”

Congratulations to Davila

Shirley Davila showcases her remarkable transition from a Rutgers ECE graduate to a leader in her engineering and management teams. Her story highlights her perseverance and dedication in pursuing her passions, serving as an inspiration to many. We congratulate Davila on her incredible achievements and wish her continued success in her future endeavors!