Meet Joy Maloney, Engineering Manager at Goalbook
Based in Ashburn, VA
What was your experience prior to Goalbook?
I first got into the tech industry on a help desk. I moved into implementation and then Unix systems administration before finding my place as a coder many years ago. Just before Goalbook, I was a team lead at another company that also had a division supporting K-12 school districts.
What gravitated you towards Goalbook’s mission?
My bachelor’s and master’s degrees are both in education, and I taught high school math for five years after college. I’m passionate about public education, especially meeting the needs of each and every student.
What is your role, and what are your favorite parts of it?
I manage the engineering team. My favorite parts are helping the team continuously improve our product and processes, grow professionally, and enjoy their work.
I’m passionate about public education, especially meeting the needs of each and every student.
Outside of the role, what are one or two things you love here?
Goalbook truly values its employees—it’s not just something we say, it is evidenced by our actions. Some of the actions can be seen through our benefits, such as our flexible time-off policy, extra days off at Thanksgiving and the end of the year, or the Goalbook Universal Basic Income (GUBI) stipend that encourages me to spend a little on myself. It’s also our commitment to anti-racism, diversity, and belonging, not just in our mission and products but also within our Goalbook team.
How do you work and communicate with your manager?
I report to our co-founder and the lead of our product team, Daniel. He’s always working to be a better people manager and overall leader, and I rely on him as a mentor. We talk regularly, and we’ve established a great deal of trust.
What have you learned in your role so far?
It wasn’t on my radar before coming to Goalbook, but I’ve learned that a trait employees value in their managers is decision-making when the team may not want to give input. On the other hand, decisions I’ve made with team input are some of my favorites — for example, not scheduling meetings one day a week to give everyone a big block of individual coding time.
I’m also developing my skills as an influential technical leader by bringing both my team and the executive team on board for new initiatives.
What are some areas you’d like to continue growing professionally?
We are continually evaluating our product to help our users create just and equitable classrooms. I love this work and am always learning from it. I’m also developing my skills as an influential technical leader by bringing both my team and the executive team on board for new initiatives.
What personal goals have you set outside of work?
Eating healthier and getting more exercise. I started tennis lessons about a year ago and hope to someday win a game.
What are some of your favorite spots in the Washington DC/DMV area?
I am a regular theater-goer, and we have some excellent options like the Kennedy Center. As a movie fan, I love the special experiences at our local Alamo Drafthouse, the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy IMAX, and the AFI Silver. I usually take out-of-town guests to my suburb’s version of the Clyde’s local restaurant chain, Willow Creek Farm. It’s in a converted barn and carriage house and also has a nice outdoor dining area.
What’s your favorite memory during your time at Goalbook?
Our last summer celebration week scavenger hunt — I had a blast creating videos of our favorite yoga pose (savasana) and our team Summer Olympic sports. I would have never imagined myself recreating the end of the Will Ferrell rhythmic gymnastics ribbon scene from “Old School.”
Which team activity has been your favorite?
I’ve really enjoyed the Goalbook Club (our team-wide book club) selections and the discussions we have. I’ve recommended Such a Fun Age to many folks, and we had a stimulating conversation about women in tech after reading Uncanny Valley (even though none of us loved the book).
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