Who are you and what defines you?
I'm Roman Siebert, and I've been a team leader in service at maxcluster for three years. I've always been fascinated by technology – it all started with buses ☺️. Later, my interest shifted towards programming and development.
But transportation technology never completely let go of me: Since I flew for the first time in 2022, I've been totally enthusiastic about aviation. I love traveling itself, especially arriving: Lying in the sun by the pool, chatting with family, playing cards, and just enjoying the time – that's pure relaxation for me.
Gaming also provides a balance for me. I used to be more into the racing genre, but now I prefer building games like City Skylines or Minecraft. Lately, I've also started enjoying games with minimalist graphics, like Mini Metro.
Because I spend a lot of time sedentary for work (and gaming), I started exercising regularly about a year and a half ago – initially more out of common sense than enthusiasm. In the meantime, I've tried a lot of things and focused on strength and endurance training. The Wellpass, which maxcluster has been offering since the beginning of the year, is a great fit for that, of course. And as for sports: I'm also fully involved as a spectator – I support Arminia Bielefeld loudly and have been a proud season ticket holder since 2018 ⚽.
How did you come to maxcluster?
I completed a dual degree in computer science at Münster University of Applied Sciences and then completed my Master of Science degree part-time. I've always been fascinated by the topic of knowledge transfer – that's why I also earned my training certificate during my studies.
In my previous job, I originally worked as a software developer. Since we also worked on DevOps topics in development, I gradually "slipped into" that. At the same time, I was always looking for a position with more responsibility. I love technology, but I also really enjoy working with people – and that can be perfectly combined in a leadership role.
When I discovered maxcluster's job posting for Team Lead Service on Stepstone, I was immediately interested – and luckily, it worked out 🙂
Like all new colleagues in service, I initially went through a general onboarding process – meaning, without a leadership focus. I was active a lot in direct customer support, which was extremely helpful for my current role. Gradually, with the support of my colleagues in management, I took on more management responsibilities and eventually led my own team.
Today, I'm still involved in operations – I'm still passionate about technology – but a large part of my work involves passing on knowledge. I help people help themselves, act as a sparring partner, and support my team members through check-ins and regular feedback sessions. I'm very good at that.
I'm also heavily involved in the training of our apprentices – I helped set that up.
What's special about your job?
For me, it's clear: the collaboration. On the one hand, with my team – on equal terms and with trust. On the other hand, with the management team, which embraces a strong and very human leadership culture and supports each other very strongly. Whether it's in the ideal distribution of tasks or in sparring with demanding leadership situations.
The collaboration among the team leaders in service is also great, especially. We hand over topics when they are more relevant to the other team leader and are directly available to colleagues at any time – regardless of which team they're from.
I also find it exciting how I can develop myself further through various topics – both professionally and in my role as a manager. It's precisely this combination of technology and leadership that makes my work so special.
What has been the most exciting project so far?
It was definitely the so-called team scaling. When I started, the service department consisted of a large team led by Carlos. But given the team size and volume of tasks, it quickly became clear: We needed to split up. So I joined as a second team leader.
The splitting process was extremely exciting: How do we divide the colleagues sensibly? How do we ensure that no knowledge is lost and that collaboration continues to function? And how do we ensure that employees don't have to start from scratch, but instead bring their strengths and experiences with them? And how do we organize ourselves as team leaders?
We considered all of these questions – and thus made the split efficient and meaningful. At the same time, everyone was able to develop further, for example, through new expert roles.
With further growth, a second scaling followed – this time it wasn't just about team sizes, but about creating two operational and one project-oriented teams. That was also an exciting challenge.
What does your perfect workday look like?
Quite unspectacularly: It starts with the fact that there was no system outage last night 😊. Since I don't drink coffee before 12:00 (yes, there are IT people like that!), I start right away at my computer and sort out my priorities.
Then I walk through my team's offices: Who's here? Are there any issues I can help with? It's important to me that everyone has a good start to the day.
Then comes the "daily business": projects, meetings, technical support, but also one-on-one conversations with colleagues. It's especially nice when a long-standing customer issue can be resolved during that time.
And if there's mac 'n' cheese for lunch – then the day is truly perfect.
How does it feel to be part of the maxcluster team?
I'm proud to work here. The team spirit is great, and there's a very human leadership culture. We live by the motto: "As you sow, so shall it echo back."
I particularly value my service team: a bunch of nerds with genuine passion for what we do. Time clocks don't matter here – we work with joy and motivation.
How satisfied are you with the technology and equipment?
Very! I have a height-adjustable desk, three monitors, and everything I need to work efficiently. Sure, the sound equipment doesn't always work perfectly – a bit typical of Linux – but I accept that.
I'm also very satisfied with our ticket platform now. Things didn't go smoothly at first, but we've optimized processes together. We're also working on reducing technology backlogs and creating more independence through clear structures.
What would you not want to be without?
- There's a lot going on – in no particular order:
- The sports flat rate (Wellpass)
- The internal sports offerings (back training, fitness room)
- The excellent catering – also taking personal preferences into account
- Cake Wednesday and Iced Tea Summer
- The overall sense of togetherness
- Flat hierarchies and quick decisions
- The manageable size – everyone knows each other
- Personal onboarding: New colleagues are introduced everywhere
- A living knowledge culture – knowledge is shared, not hoarded
- And not to forget: the game nights and team events
All of this shows me: The people here enjoy working, are proud of what we do – and simply have fun doing it.
