Libby Rejman is the software manager for the Oceaneering Technologies (OTECH) group headquartered in Maryland. In her position, Libby finds it most rewarding when she sees her ideas come to fruition.
“I’ve really enjoyed the full circle aspect of developing a working product, delivering it, and seeing it actually utilized.”
A team member on the large vehicles Dorado program for almost nine years, Libby was recently promoted from staff software engineer to OTECH software manager. In her new role she is responsible managing over 20 people.
“The Dorado team is comprised of approximately 40 people, spanning all the way from mechanical engineers to LSAs [Logistics Support Analysis]. This exposed me to a lot of invaluable knowledge on how the end product is made and is great experience for me to carry over to my new role.”
Moving from the professional group into management is a big change for Libby, she said. But she is excited to hit the ground running in her new position.
“After being with this group for nine years, I have a lot of experience in learning what works, but also what I’d like to change. I have to learn to navigate all of that as less of a peer and more of a supervisor.”
She also looks forward to increasing OTECH’s strengths. Libby said that the group has been supportive of developing stronger functional management and has put more emphasis on developing stronger engineers.
“This [development] is everything from mentorship to addressing project needs and advocating for your team and people,” she said. “Having these things work harmoniously will make us stronger than ever.”
Libby didn’t always know she would become an engineer. When she was a child, she thought she would become a jockey due to her love of horses.
“As I grew up, mentally and physically, it became obvious that my strengths lay in the technology and science realms,” she said. “I committed to engineering my senior year of high school.”
The biggest challenge for Libby has been growing her confidence in the workplace.
“Too often, I see women in the workplace surprised when they’re offered bigger roles or given a promotion. I’ve been guilty of this myself,” she said. “We need to realize that these opportunities are earned and awarded because team leaders recognize and trust in the capabilities we’ve demonstrated. You have to learn to trust in yourself. Looking at my past successes has been a key factor in growing that for me.”
Libby credits her peers at Oceaneering for judging people based on their merits.
“What I’ve found at Oceaneering is that once you prove your capabilities, it doesn’t matter who you are,” she said. “If you come in and start contributing, you’ll always be seen on equal footing.”
Libby feels that the next generation of female engineers should always be honest, even if they fear that it will make them look bad.
“If your leaders and supervisors learn that they can trust you – because you’ll disclose the good and the bad to them – you are already an invaluable asset,” she said.
“For me, honesty is one of the most deeply appreciated characteristics a teammate can have,” she said. “When you admit your mistakes, it buys a lot of faith with the entire team, and it can buy a lot of faith with your customer. This is crucial to the development from an engineer to a great engineer.”
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