Sahaja works at Dexter as a Forecast Operations Engineer (FOE), a role that sits at the intersection of technical problem-solving and customer success. Her journey highlights the importance of open-source communities and the value of a physics background in the evolving energy sector. Beyond her daily engineering tasks, Sahaja is an active member of the organizing committee for PyData Amsterdam, a role she took on organically after volunteering for the conference last year.
Originally coming from an academic background in physics, Sahaja has fully embraced the fast-paced world of tech. She is a firm believer in the power of continuous learning, noting that if she isn't picking up something new, she feels she isn't progressing. Outside of work, she brings this same spirit of curiosity and kindness to her community involvement, helping to create a welcoming environment for others entering the tech space.
Sahaja, what does your role look like day to day?
“I have two primary responsibilities at Dexter. First, I focus on customer-centric onboarding and resolving technical issues. Second, I work on improving our features and codebases based on the direct interactions I have with our customers. This dual focus is great because it provides me with a separate perspective that I can use to improve Dexter’s overall workflows.
Working in my first tech role here has also taught me valuable communication skills. I’ve learned how to communicate effectively within team structures and the importance of providing quick updates for visibility. These skills are actually extremely important in my work with the PyData community too, where different members are often working on a variety of different tasks at once.”
How does your involvement with the PyData community influence your work at Dexter?
“Being part of the PyData Amsterdam committee helps me expand my worldview. It allows me to identify new possibilities for our work at Dexter, specifically regarding things like AI and AI agents. Coming from a physics background, the community provides me with a vital network of data scientists and keeps me inspired by the different types of work people are doing in this space.
I believe that the best part of being in these communities is the exchange of ideas. Discussion is vital for accelerating innovation. Dexter is incredibly supportive of this; they are very pro-open-source and have been a long-time sponsor of PyData. By making our own documentation public, Dexter shows its commitment to being part of a larger community and opening up our ideas to others.”
What values do you think are most important for someone starting out in this field?
“I personally value constant learning. My academic background instilled that in me, and Dexter supports it by encouraging us to share knowledge and constantly pick up new information. But beyond technical skills, I believe that curiosity and kindness are the most essential qualities for professional development.
The energy sector and the AI world move so fast that you have to stay curious to keep up. Kindness is just as important because it fosters inclusivity. It creates a safe environment where people feel welcome to ask questions and understand complex concepts better. These attributes don't just help you stay updated, they positively influence everyone around you.”