We sat down with Ben, an engineer at Trillium, to learn more about him, and what it’s like to work on the engineering team at Trillium.
Hello Ben, can you tell us a bit about yourself outside of work?
Hi. Well, I’ve been a caver and outdoor climber for over a decade. I mostly climb indoors now, but when I get outside, I like getting up to the Gunks in New Paltz. Bouldering in Central Park is my next go to. I’ve also been renovating a house in Red Hook, Brooklyn, for longer than I care to admit, but it’s been a great journey. I lived through several winters with only a wood stove for heat.
That’s dedication. So what led you to Trillium?
I had been working at a small options-centric hedge fund for many years. It was a close knit group of really smart people and it was hard to decide to move on. But when I came and spoke to Erik Gordon, the chief of technology here, I realized that Trillium had all those traits and more, and it made the transition much easier.
And what kind of work do you do here now?
There are new problems to solve every day. Some are technical, like figuring out how to process huge amounts of data, networking, data structures, and so on. But then there are others like data visualization and usability issues that require a very different approach. So I would say that there is a good mix of left brain and right brain problems to solve with the team.
You mentioned the rest of the team; how is it like working with this group of people?
One of the things that I immediately noticed was how quickly people are invited into the “family” here. The people at Trillium talk to each other a lot, and not just about work. People can say what’s on their mind because they’re comfortable with each other, which makes for a great working environment. I think having communication like that is very important when you’re solving hard problems because you need to be able to argue with each other without worrying about anyone taking things personally. You can have it out with someone, and then grab lunch with them right after and talk about the weekend.
Has that changed your approach to working on a team since you started here?
Oh, definitely. I think my view of work dynamics has changed. I’ve grown to realize how important the way people interact with each other is, and how important that is to getting results. You can have the smartest people in the world in the same room with each other, but if they can’t communicate and work together, no one benefits. Luckily, we have both here.
Ben is part of the engineering team at Trillium. Visit our careers page to learn more about the culture and career opportunities within engineering and other fields at Trillium.