Interview with Pai, Software Architect at Valeo

Tell us about your job and what you do at Valeo

Pai – I’m a software engineer, and I code software that controls motors. The specifications for the code we work on come from the OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), and they are brought to our attention by the product technical manager. Then, we get to work.

I work with code day and night, step by step, every day. After coding, I simulate and validate, then I find bugs. Then I recode and retest and revalidate. It’s a pattern, perhaps, but it’s a pattern that I love. Finding new issues and solutions to tackle them can be exhilarating. Plus, I focus on different parts of the model. For example, last year it was the lights. Next year will be another part, and we’ll look at how to make it run smoothly, or how to make it economical. These changing priorities keep things fresh.

What’s the team dynamic with your particular work?

P. – To do all this I collaborate with other software architects, because sometimes counterparts with a fresh point of view can find bugs in my code that I’m unable to. It’s a bit like a peer review, I suppose. This way we deliver the best code possible.

We’ll often be three members of a specific delivery team: myself (the software architect), the hardware expert and the hardware engineer. We work really well together, coming from our different backgrounds.

What’s your Valeo story?

P. – This is my first job. I definitely wanted to work in the automobile industry, specifically on software, with a company like Valeo. It’s a big, established company in the industry, the site is a respected employer in the city, and I knew the company was full of experts I could continue learning from. I knew it would be a career I would really grow and develop in.

To make things even better, the site is walking distance from my home! So I get to spend more time with my young children, who just started going to school.

That’s certainly practical. But tell us, Pai, what motivates you to give your best at work?

P. – Our field is changing every day. Innovation is constant. It’s a very fast-paced world, and I love that it challenges me to keep learning, studying and improving. I commit myself to reading technical books for at least three hours a day when I get home, paying particular attention to the pages related to my current projects, then I apply what I learn. It takes discipline, but it pays off. Plus, the developments in software are fascinating. You could say my hobby and my career are intertwined.

I like to think of my passion for studying as being similar to my love for travel. You’re exploring the unknown, and unearthing further avenues for development. It’s a clear path towards overcoming a challenge.

What do you think when you’re faced with a challenge?

P. – I tell myself it’s a way to grow, to understand something new. It’s something I can overcome, and when I do, it will be worth it.

What do you have to say to future Software Architects?

P. – Keep studying. Never stop. That applies to everybody, software engineers included.

What makes working at Valeo special?

P. – Working for a global project, on projects that impact the lives of many people, is amazing. The level of innovation and technology that we have here, as well as the great team behind it, is something I’d have a hard time finding elsewhere.

In the future, what role do you see yourself in?

P. – I’d love to be part of the 48V project someday! I think it’s a really cool innovation. Otherwise, I’d like to someday design a whole software project myself, from the ground up.