27 September 2023
#WeAreTOMRA: Meet Elin Sunde Wilberg, Developer
Elin is a developer living in Asker, where TOMRA`s headquarters are located. Long before she started with TOMRA, she had passed the office numerous times; however, she was unaware that we had a large software team and that her dream job was closer than she thought
I've been working at TOMRA since 2020. I work in the Consumer & Customer Products team (CCP). My team works on solutions aimed at end users, such as the myTOMRA and “Return and Earn” app; these are apps (available in select regions) where you can easily return your containers to TOMRA reverse vending machines and get your deposit refund paid out through your PayPal or directly to your bank account. We also work with solutions for locations who operate the machines and with the developer portal, where we have different APIs so retailers can integrate with our systems.
I am a front-end developer, so you can say that I work on what the customer or end user sees. I have previously worked within a lot of different areas of software, but now I have truly found my passion in working with the front end of the stack. It allows me to be creative and it's fun to be able to see what you create straight away. In my role, I cooperate with UX, designers, product managers and the people in my team. In other words, I get to be involved in a little bit of everything, which I love.
Why did you want to work as a developer for TOMRA?
For me, working for a company that contributes to something
positive was important. I wanted a job that made me feel proud of going to work,
something meaningful. Here at TOMRA, I know that what we do contributes to
creating a positive impact on the planet. That was my main reason for starting,
and my motivation for staying is that we get to experiment a lot, we are
allowed to be innovative, and we are very autonomous within our team. TOMRA is
also a positive workplace. People here are very good at speaking highly of each
other, and everyone who works in TOMRA is exceptionally friendly
people.
What is the best advice you have been given in your career?
Don’t be afraid to talk about the fact that you made a mistake or did not achieve what you thought you would. In my profession, you fail all the time. It is part of the process of understanding how things are connected.
What surprised you the most about TOMRA?
I am from the area where TOMRA`s headquarters is located and have driven past TOMRA many times, but I was unaware that there was such a large, cool software department located right here in Asker. It also surprised me to learn how modern, big and sophisticated TOMRA is. There are so many puzzle pieces that need to fit together you don’t necessarily see the complexity from the outside.
What kind of things do you like doing outside work?
When I am not working, it’s important for me to get away from the screen and do something completely different. I love to learn so every day I try to spend one hour playing piano. I also love dancing as an exercise when I get the chance. Except that, I spend a lot of time with my two kids and being social with my friends.
How do you feel that you are making an impact through your work?
When we see the app in use, like in Australia, where some people do a lot of fun and meaningful things with our services, for example, I heard about a guy who has our app and travels around to people and picks up their containers. He has managed to collect over 500,000 containers. People like him help to collect even more containers than we would otherwise. That really motivates me to make it even easier for people like him.
