Employee Spotlight: Rachel Noonan

In this ongoing blog series, we speak with WP Engine employees around the globe to learn more about their roles, what they love about the cities they work in, and what they like most about working at WP Engine. 

In this interview, we talk to Rachel Noonan, an Engineering Manager at WP Engine’s Limerick office, who’s been with the company for nearly three years.

Going back to the start, how did you discover WP Engine?

A friend of mine, whom I had worked with in a previous role, was already working at WP Engine Limerick. He thought I’d be a good fit. He was very enthusiastic when speaking with me about WP Engine, the people, the culture, and the technologies he was working with. It worked, he convinced me to have a chat with his hiring manager for a role in R&D!  

Can you explain your current role at WP Engine?

I’m a Manager of Engineering in our Limerick office. In this position, I’m responsible for supporting and growing my team and ensuring our delivery of features to ensure effortless experiences across our user portal. I get to work with my team to ensure they are empowered and supported to plan for and deliver on innovative technical solutions that help us to make effortless and intuitive experiences for our customers. 

What is your favorite thing about working at WP Engine?

The main draw for me at WP Engine is the people I get to work with every day, it’s the people that make a place. We work in a fast-paced, innovative environment but we still get to have fun every day. 

Can you describe the culture of the Limerick office?

It’s wonderfully different. The culture in the Limerick office has remained the same since I first joined despite its growth. While there is a strong commitment to getting the job done, I find we have a positive, collaborative, and inclusive culture in our office. 

How do you contribute to the success of WP Engine?

As an engineering manager, my role involves making sure I empower my team and help remove any impediments that may reduce their ability to be effective in delivery. I’m responsible for the delivery of our projects and features, which aim to ensure our customers have an effortless experience on our platform. 

What is the most challenging part of your job?

There’s always a lot to get done in the day, it’s important to sit down each day and structure what can be achieved. In my role, it’s important to make sure I’m circling back on things for my team and closing out the loop on items.  

What is a good lesson you’ve learned in your career?

Fail forwards. Whenever we experience a failure, it’s important to learn from it and ensure that you’ve learned enough to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future. 

What’s the favorite part of your workday?

My favourite part of the day is probably lunchtime—getting out for a lunchtime stroll and, as we work in a city centre location, it’s always fun to get in around the city centre and shops. 

What is one of the coolest projects you’ve worked on while at WP Engine?

Most recently my team delivered our Seamless Login feature. This awesome feature gives our customers the ability to login to their installs from our user portal without needing to remember multiple login credentials. 

Which one of WP Engine’s values speaks to you the most?

Do the right thing is probably the one that jumps out to me the most. It’s important when making decisions to consider, are you doing the right thing based on what you know now, and ensuring you have considered everything and everyone involved. 

What are some of your favorite things about working and living in Limerick?

Having lived in Dublin for a number of years after I graduated from university I really enjoy how relaxed a city Limerick is and how close everything is in the city centre. There are lots of lovely cafes and restaurants to enjoy, and there is a great social atmosphere in the city for meeting up with friends and family. 

What are some hobbies you enjoy outside of work?

I have two dogs so I enjoy getting to take them out for walks—luckily there are lots of nice, quiet areas to enjoy around Limerick. Other hobbies I enjoy are reading, listening to music and also to podcasts. 

Favorite TV show of all time?

Of all time I would say it’s Absolutely Fabulous—great show. A more recent series I think is great has to be Derry Girls.  

Current addiction?

At the moment it’s cooking, being able to work from home at the moment is giving me more time to try new recipes and experiment with some good and some not so good. 

What would you recommend others do if they’re interested in WP Engine Limerick or engineering in Europe?

I would recommend reaching out and chatting with us. We do advertise open roles but we are always on the lookout for great talent and open to having conversations about who we are and what we do. 

Thank you, Rachel! 

Want to find out more about what it’s like to work at WP Engine? Visit our careers site to see the roles we currently have open and check out our blog for more information about all the great people who work here!