The DevLab Podcast

Hosted by hackajob

Technology

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Episodes

111

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-GB

About the show

The DevLab Podcast (by hackajob) is your backstage pass into the world of today’s leading tech professionals. We talk to developers, engineers, product managers, CTOs, and more from some of the most innovative companies in the UK and US. If you’re building a career in tech, this is where you’ll find the stories, skills, and strategies that matter. Each episode brings you real journeys, technical know-how, and actionable insights to help you grow your craft and your career.

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June 9, 2026Episode 71 hr 4 min

BAE Systems: Building impactful tech with inclusive teams

What does it actually take to build technology people can rely on? In this episode of DevLab, Phil sits down with three people from BAE Systems who all came into tech through very different routes and are now doing very different things.Johanna started out wanting to be a primatologist. Davinder got her first computer from her uncle at 14 and has been writing code ever since. Emma came from sports coaching, via a call centre, into a career spanning IT, service management and business relationship work.Together they talk about squiggly careers and the value of non-traditional routes into tech, what it means to stay hands-on as a senior engineer, building systems that sit quietly behind everyday life, AI adoption and where human judgement still matters, inclusion, neurodiversity and OutLink at BAE Systems, and what teams need to feel safe enough to actually do their best work.What would you like us to talk about next?🔥Are you looking for a new role? Create your free hackajob profile and let Archer, your AI advocate in the job market, match you to roles that fit your career goals. Get started here and apply to roles knowing you are a good fit: https://hackajob.com/talent/sign-up 🔥Are you hiring? Discover how hackajob can connect you with top talent by booking a free, no-commitment trial: https://hackajob.com/employer/book-a-demoStay up to date with DevLab and hackajob:X: @hackajobHQLinkedIn: hackajobFacebook: hackajobInstagram: @hackajobTikTok: @hackajob

April 3, 2026Episode 627 min

The women who refused to stop learning: Afghanistan's quiet tech movement

Fauzia didn't plan to go into tech. She wanted to be a doctor. When Afghanistan's university entrance exam placed her in computer science instead, she had no laptop, no coding experience, and no clear idea of what she'd signed up for.Then the pandemic hit. Then in 2021, everything changed again. Women were told they could no longer continue their studies.In this episode of the DevLab podcast, Phil, VP of Marketplace at hackajob, sits down with Fauzia, Software Engineer and Executive Director at CodeWeekend, a community-led bootcamp helping Afghan developers build real technical skills. They talk about her unexpected journey into tech, the reality of learning to code through internet shutdowns and electricity shortages, and the women's cohort CodeWeekend ran in 2025 for Afghan women banned from formal education.This is a conversation about resilience, community, and what it looks like when talent refuses to be stopped.Follow CodeWeekend on LinkedIn and get in touch for any collaborations: https://www.linkedin.com/school/codeweekend/What would you like us to talk about next?🔥Are you looking for a new role? Create your free hackajob profile and let Archer, your AI advocate in the job market, match you to roles that fit your career goals. Get started here and apply to roles knowing you are a good fit: https://hackajob.com/talent/sign-up 🔥Are you hiring? Discover how hackajob can connect you with top talent by booking a free, no-commitment trial: https://hackajob.com/employer/book-a-demoStay up to date with DevLab and hackajob:X: @hackajobHQLinkedIn: hackajobFacebook: hackajobInstagram: @hackajobTikTok: @hackajob

March 17, 2026Episode 555 min

How Tesco’s security teams work together to reduce risk at scale

How do you secure an organisation the size of Tesco?In this DevLab episode, we’re joined by Harry McLaren, Head of Cyber Defence, and Jason Larkin, Head of Platform Security Architecture at Tesco, to unpack how modern security works at real scale.They talk through identity becoming the new perimeter, why attackers are increasingly “logging in, not breaking in”, and how architecture and cyber defence teams work together to reduce real-world risk. It’s a grounded conversation about fundamentals, complexity, cloud security, and what actually matters when theory meets reality.Read more about Tesco: https://hackajob.com/company/tesco?hsLang=enWhat would you like us to talk about next?🔥Are you looking for a new role? Create your free hackajob profile and let Archer, your AI advocate in the job market, match you to roles that fit your career goals. Get started here and apply to roles knowing you are a good fit: https://hackajob.com/talent/sign-up 🔥Are you hiring? Discover how hackajob can connect you with top talent by booking a free, no-commitment trial: https://hackajob.com/employer/book-a-demoStay up to date with DevLab and hackajob:X: @hackajobHQLinkedIn: hackajobFacebook: hackajobInstagram: @hackajobTikTok: @hackajob

March 10, 2026Episode 346 min

Inside LexisNexis | Building AI you can actually trust

AI is moving fast. In legal tech, getting it wrong isn’t an option.In this DevLab podcast episode, we’re joined by Min Chen, Senior Vice President & Chief AI Officer, and Serena Wellen, Vice President of Product Management at LexisNexis.They share how AI is built in a high-stakes domain where trust and accuracy matter every day. From early NLP systems to modern GenAI, the conversation covers how LexisNexis approaches AI quality, collaboration between product and data science, and building AI fluency across teams.If you’re building AI products in regulated or high-impact environments, this episode offers a grounded look at what responsible AI looks like in practice.Read more about LexiNexis: https://hackajob.com/company/lexisnexis?hsLang=enWhat would you like us to talk about next?🔥Are you looking for a new role? Create your free hackajob profile and let Archer, your AI advocate in the job market, match you to roles that fit your career goals. Get started here and apply to roles knowing you are a good fit: https://hackajob.com/talent/sign-up 🔥Are you hiring? Discover how hackajob can connect you with top talent by booking a free, no-commitment trial: https://hackajob.com/employer/book-a-demoStay up to date with DevLab and hackajob:X: @hackajobHQLinkedIn: hackajobFacebook: hackajobInstagram: @hackajobTikTok: @hackajob

March 2, 2026Episode 331 min

How Zillow is building AI for life's biggest decisions

Buying a home isn't a small decision.It's often the largest financial choice someone will make. So what does it take to build AI that people can actually trust in that moment?Kelsey Juraschka, Principal Machine Learning Engineer at Zillow, shares how her team is designing AI systems that support users from search to keys in hand.We get into:• What it really means to test non-deterministic systems• How Zillow approaches agentic AI at scale• Why evaluation and trust are product requirements, not add-ons• How AI tools are changing the way engineering teams work• What kind of mindset actually helps you succeed in AI todayIf you're an engineer, product leader, or just curious about how AI works behind the scenes at scale, this one's for you.Read more about Zillow: https://hackajob.com/company/zillow?hsLang=enWhat would you like us to talk about next?🔥Are you looking for a new role? Create your free hackajob profile and let Archer, your AI advocate in the job market, match you to roles that fit your career goals. Get started here and apply to roles knowing you are a good fit: https://hackajob.com/talent/sign-up 🔥Are you hiring? Discover how hackajob can connect you with top talent by booking a free, no-commitment trial: https://hackajob.com/employer/book-a-demoStay up to date with DevLab and hackajob:X: @hackajobHQLinkedIn: hackajobFacebook: hackajobInstagram: @hackajobTikTok: @hackajob

February 4, 2026Episode 244 min

AI can’t replace knowing your users — here’s what product teams miss

Elizabeth Ferrao splits her time between product research and launching new products at C Spire. She started in engineering, moved into product, and now spends her days turning real customer conversations into ideas that actually matter.In this episode, we get into:✨ Why fast prototyping means nothing if you’re solving the wrong problem🤖 The gap between what AI can automate and what only humans can understand🔍 How continuous discovery actually works in practice🎙️ Why hearing a customer’s voice beats any AI summary🧩 What product teams get wrong about research, insight, and context🤝 How engineering and product can work together without slowing each other downIf you build products, lead teams, work in engineering, or just want to get better at understanding people, this one’s worth your time.🎧 Listen, learn, and subscribe for more conversations with the people shaping how tech gets built.What would you like us to talk about next?🔥Are you looking for a new role? Create your free hackajob profile and let Archer, your AI advocate in the job market, match you to roles that fit your career goals. Get started here and apply to roles knowing you are a good fit: https://hackajob.com/talent/sign-up 🔥Are you hiring? Discover how hackajob can connect you with top talent by booking a free, no-commitment trial: https://hackajob.com/employer/book-a-demoStay up to date with DevLab and hackajob:X: @hackajobHQLinkedIn: hackajobFacebook: hackajobInstagram: @hackajobTikTok: @hackajob

January 28, 2026Episode 131 min

Build a tech career at M&S | The team that keeps things running for millions

What does it take to build a tech career at M&S?In this DevLab episode, Safira Adam, who leads Digital & Technology Service Management at M&S, shares what it’s really like to run technology at national scale. We talk about leadership under pressure, keeping things running for millions, and how culture and service management shape the work behind the scenes.We also dig into M&S’s growing tech hub in Manchester, the opportunities it creates for engineers in the North West, and what it means to build inclusive, high-performing teams at scale.Read more about M&S: https://hackajob.com/company/marks-and-spencer?hsLang=enWhat would you like us to talk about next?🔥Are you looking for a new role? Create your free hackajob profile and let Archer, your AI advocate in the job market, match you to roles that fit your career goals. Get started here and apply to roles knowing you are a good fit: https://hackajob.com/talent/sign-up 🔥Are you hiring? Discover how hackajob can connect you with top talent by booking a free, no-commitment trial: https://hackajob.com/employer/book-a-demoStay up to date with DevLab and hackajob:X: @hackajobHQLinkedIn: hackajobFacebook: hackajobInstagram: @hackajobTikTok: @hackajob

November 25, 2025Episode 1639 min

Building for Millions: How Engineers Grow and Thrive at Marks & Spencer

Ever wondered what it’s like to go from founding startups to leading engineering at one of the UK’s biggest retailers? In this new DevLab episode, Ben Phillips, Engineering Chapter Lead at M&S, joins Mark Chaffey, CEO at hackajob, to talk about building technology at a scale few engineers ever get to experience. It’s also a place where teams still find space to experiment, learn and grow. They dive into culture, curiosity and what it really takes to build products that millions of people use every day.Read more about M&S: https://hackajob.com/company/marks-and-spencer?hsLang=enWhat would you like us to talk about next?🔥Are you looking for a new role? Create your free hackajob profile and let Archer, your AI advocate in the job market, match you to roles that fit your career goals. Get started here and apply to roles knowing you are a good fit: https://hackajob.com/talent/sign-up 🔥Are you hiring? Discover how hackajob can connect you with top talent by booking a free, no-commitment trial: https://hackajob.com/employer/book-a-demoStay up to date with DevLab and hackajob:X: @hackajobHQLinkedIn: hackajobFacebook: hackajobInstagram: @hackajobTikTok: @hackajob

October 7, 2025Episode 1526 min

Inside Global Cyber with BAE Systems: Culture, Communication and Emerging Threats

Cybersecurity is as much about culture and communication as it is about code 🌍🔐In this DevLab episode, BAE Systems’ Berenike explores the human side of cyber and why tech skills alone are not enough.Here are 3 big themes we cover:⚡ Beyond code: Relationships, trust and cultural intelligence are just as critical as technical tools🛡️ Emerging threats: From operational technology in critical infrastructure to the basics we are still getting wrong🤖 AI hype vs reality: The bigger risk is overestimating AI’s capabilities and underestimating security fundamentalsThis episode takes you inside global cyber, showing how diplomacy, culture and collaboration shape stronger defences in cybersecurity. Read more about BAE Systems here: https://hackajob.com/company/baeWhat would you like us to talk about next?🔥Are you looking for a new role? Create your free hackajob profile and let Archer, your AI advocate in the job market, match you to roles that fit your career goals. Get started here and apply to roles knowing you are a good fit: https://hackajob.com/talent/sign-up 🔥Are you hiring? Discover how hackajob can connect you with top talent by booking a free, no-commitment trial: https://hackajob.com/employer/book-a-demoStay up to date with DevLab and hackajob:X: @hackajobHQLinkedIn: hackajobFacebook: hackajobInstagram: @hackajobTikTok: @hackajob

September 30, 2025Episode 141 hr 3 min

AI, culture and inclusion: How the BBC is shaping the future of tech | The DevLab Podcast

🌍 AI is reshaping everything, but how do you build tech that is not just powerful but also fair and inclusive?In our latest DevLab episode, we sit down with Petra Abbam (Principal Responsible AI Manager) and Philip Robinson (Head of Performance & Co-Chair of Embrace) from the BBC.Together, they share:✨ How the BBC is embedding ethics into AI✨ Why generalists thrive in fast-changing tech environments✨ A fresh take on diversity: commonality as strength, diversity as resilience✨ What culture experiments really look like inside a global organisation🎧 Tune in for a conversation that blends AI, culture and inclusion, and why it matters for the future of tech.What would you like us to talk about next?🔥Are you looking for a new role? Create your free hackajob profile and let Archer, your AI advocate in the job market, match you to roles that fit your career goals. Get started here and apply to roles knowing you are a good fit: https://hackajob.com/talent/sign-up 🔥Are you hiring? Discover how hackajob can connect you with top talent by booking a free, no-commitment trial: https://hackajob.com/employer/book-a-demoStay up to date with DevLab and hackajob:X: @hackajobHQLinkedIn: hackajobFacebook: hackajobInstagram: @hackajobTikTok: @hackajob