60 Seconds with Hayley Scott

Tell us about your role and your organisation.
I am a Software Development Manager at Pytilia, a Belfast-based IT company specialising in financial services, cyber and healthcare technologies. My primary focus is on day-to-day project running for our main FinTech client, where I oversee planning, tracking, and daily team coordination. I ensure projects stay on schedule by identifying & aiding in resolving issues and reporting progress to senior management.

Having started at Pytilia as a Front End Developer focusing on designing & creating the parts of a website that users see and interact with, I continue to review project visual & tech designs, and suggest improvements. Internally, I lead a team of Front End Developers and UX Designers (who specialise in making websites easy and intuitive to use), maintaining regular contact through sync-ups as we work across various projects and clients.

Additionally, I assist with recruiting and serve as a STEM ambassador, focusing on encouraging young girls and women to pursue careers in Science & Technology and in Software in particular.

Give us a brief overview of your career journey so far.
My career began as a Software Engineer with HPE 3PAR during my placement year at Ulster University, where I focused on developing automated tests and maintaining the test framework. 
I then joined Xperi DTS as an SQA Engineer, working on manual and automated test environments for audio encoding tools. Returning to HPE in a different business unit, I continued to develop my skills in test automation and framework development. 
In 2021, I joined Pytilia as a Software Engineer, having decided I wanted to move into software development, specialising in Front End development. Over time, I advanced to Front End Lead and recently was promoted again into more of a project management role.

Describe yourself in 3 words.
Approachable, Open-minded, Considerate.

What is one skill that helps you most in your role?
Communication – it’s essential for building strong relationships and trust with both clients and internal teams.
What advice do you have for women in your sector/industry/type of role?
Take the leap – don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t achieve your goals. Be kind to yourself and believe in your abilities; you are where you are for a reason, not by chance.

Are there any exciting plans in the year ahead in your organisation that you can share with us?
We’ve a strong focus on innovation and one example of this is in our work with Queen’s University, Belfast in the Cyber-AI Hub established as part of the New Deal for Northern Ireland and where we’re looking forward to playing our part in shaping the future of responsible Cyber AI technologies. 
We’ve been growing quickly since Pytilia’s launch in 2020 and are looking forward to welcoming our latest recruits over the summer – that’s a combination of graduates, placement students and Higher Level Apprentices (HLAs) - building on the success of our HLA programme from last year. 
We’ll also be continuing our community engagement through partnerships with universities, schools, charities & other local initiatives and have a series of events planned (including a skydive!) to help support our charity of the year – Air Ambulance NI.

Who has been your biggest career inspiration and why?
My career has been influenced by many mentors and managers in each of my roles, but the co-founder of Pytilia has been particularly inspirational. Angela has provided me with opportunities and challenges that have shaped my skills and career direction, and her leadership has been a significant impact on my professional growth.

If you had to pick your soundtrack song to get you through the working day, what would it be?
I’m a rock girl, so my ‘Daily Rock’ playlist is essential!

What's your favourite break-time snack?
During our all-hands meetings, scones are provided from a local bakery. One of those with a cuppa is my favourite!

How can you fellow Women in Business members keep up to date with you and your organisation?
Follow Pytilia on Instagram or LinkedIn and connect with Hayley on LinkedIn here.