Employee spotlight

Meet one of our youngest members of the ALMIS® Cobalt Treasury Management product team, Sophie Douglas, Graduate Product Analyst. This is the first in a new series of interviews where we will be shining a light on the unique talent, stories and contributions of our excellent team members at ALMIS® International.

Can you tell me a little about yourself?

“I’m Sophie, I joined ALMIS® as an intern in 2022 and I’ve been a Graduate Product Analyst since July 2023.”

What did you study at university?

“I studied Mathematical Studies at Herriot Watt University and studied a range of different modules including some in Computer Science.”

What has been your career path so far to lead you to this graduate role?

“I started my three-month internship at ALMIS® between my third and fourth year at university where I worked in the Client Experience team, learning more about data analytics and power BI, as well as writing SQL rules for our data warehouse solution.

During my internship, the development team branched into three smaller teams, each focusing on a different product in the suite. I transitioned from working in the Client Experience team to working on ALMIS’ Treasury Management System, Cobalt. I enjoyed being part of the transition and getting a closer look at how the Development teams worked.

My internship ended in August 2022 and in October of that year I was offered a graduate role with a start date in Summer 2023, once I had completed my degree. At this time, the Chief Product Officer and the Product Owner of Cobalt, also offered me the opportunity to continue working part-time until the end of my university course. I, of course, accepted and I worked one day a week where I focused on rewriting documentation and carrying out manual testing. In July 2023 I graduated university and began my full-time role as a Graduate Product Analyst.”

What kind of training and development opportunities have you received at ALMIS?

“I have always felt very supported since I joined ALMIS. It’s a positive and motivating environment. I am currently studying for a Certificate in Treasury Fundamentals which is funded by the company, and I will look to complete further qualifications once I have finished the Certificate in Treasury Fundamentals. I work from the office at least 4 days a week which means I learn a lot from my colleagues and really enjoy the on-the-job learning too.”

Can you describe a typical week in this role?

“Each day is always different which I enjoy. I have many key responsibilities, but my focus is mostly on manual testing of Cobalt and responding to client support queries. Each time the team release a new version of software, it is my responsibility to carry out the Regression Test and complete any supporting documentation to go alongside the new release. I really enjoy the client-facing aspect of the role and being able to communicate any feedback and potential developments with the development team so that these can be included in a future version.”

What career progression opportunities are available for graduates?

“ALMIS® is continually expanding which means roles are constantly evolving and developing with time. Whilst employees in the same role do very similar work as each other, we are all given the opportunity to expand into areas that play to our strengths which provides a certain flexibility about the job that I love. They see potential in all employees and encourage progression at all levels.”