Team Kinesis Spotlight: Anja Taylor

At Kinesis, it's no secret that we're passionate about transformation. That means constantly looking for ways to grow and evolve our team, our service, and our processes. Transformation is in our blood - and fortunately, it's in Anja's too. We're excited to introduce our new Resource Manager, Anja Taylor - who brings broad project management experience and a can-do attitude to her new role.

Anja works with our team to…

• Allocate the right internal resources to the right clients and projects
• Forecast workload to balance the capacity between departments and team members
• Create a predictable project management system to serve our clients efficiently and consistently

Read more about Anja's unique role and how she is transforming our team in this week's Kinesis Team Spotlight!

Thanks for sitting down with us, Anja! I'll start by asking you to talk a little bit about your role. Kinesis has never had a Resource Manager before, correct? What does that position look like?

Simply put, I am responsible for finding ways to get our work done. This does not just extend to resources but also to systems, tools and – on an individual level, habits. We have grown a lot in the last couple of years – and we have radically changed the ways in which we do business. I am working on optimizing our tools and systems to support this evolution.

Growth has definitely been a theme at Kinesis for a long while - I'm sure you have your work cut out for you. What is your personal approach to this type of work?

It is my job to evaluate our internal operations and find solutions that make sense now and also set us up for future growth. Our mission is transformation – we are living that internally as well. My approach is grounded in thoroughly examining what we have and a collaborative mindset when it comes to changes. I want the team to feel heard and included – they are my internal client and it is important that they are on board.

I know you have a pretty diverse background, drawing upon a number of adjacent (if not totally identical) roles. How do you think that experience has helped you here at Kinesis? 

A big part of my experience is in client-facing project management in a very dynamic, short-deadline-driven environment. I understand what it means to service clients and what it takes to get something done. In my experience, there is always a high demand on resources when it comes to project work – in order to balance that, it is crucial to make future workload and demands visible.

I was also fortunate to manage a team of project managers – a role that I truly enjoyed. I get great satisfaction from coaching people and helping them succeed. This really informs a lot of what I do – I always think about the team.

Throughout my career, I have sought out work that challenges me, puts me outside of my comfort zone. I have done work in the government, non-profit and for-profit sectors both in the US and in Germany. All of these experiences inform how I approach my work today.

What else makes you such an awesome fit for this position? Or vice versa, what makes Kinesis the right place for you?

Intrinsically, I have a solution-oriented mindset. I always look for what can be done better. I was looking for a company that is open to that kind of approach, a place where input is wanted. When I talked to Shawn and people here at Kinesis I knew I had found it!

And we're so lucky to have found you! What would you say is your favorite aspect of your role here?

There are so many! Working with an amazing group of people, of course. I love being responsible for everything operations. I have a lot of freedom which is invigorating.

Being part of the leadership team gives me the opportunity to have input in the strategic direction of Kinesis on a high level – that is very motivating and helps inform and support my daily responsibilities.

There is a lot on my plate that I want to tackle and I am excited to see where we are in 6, 12, 24, 36 months!

And if I'm not mistaken, it's not just in your professional life that you're goal-motivated... you also run and bike, is that right? What else do you do outside of work?

Outside of work, I love spending time with my kids. They are amazing human beings and there is nothing better than being their mom!

On weekends, I always look forward to riding my bike for a couple of hours. That is my me-time, my reset.

Generally, I really enjoy doing things outside here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest– biking, running, hiking, backpacking.

Are you interested in joining the Kinesis team? We're hiring! Take a look at our Career Center.