Spring 2021
As a solutions architect at Vectrus, every day is different for Kelly Voci.
“I work with our engineering, marketing and business development teams to deliver engineering technologies and energy solutions to our customers,” she explains. “I leverage our engineering team’s expertise and customer interactions to understand customer requirements and price solutions, and to grow our business with existing and new customers.”
She also works with Vectrus’ communications department to provide a voice to the engineering team and to showcase its capabilities. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO, Vectrus provides facility and base operations, supply chain and logistics services, information technology (IT) mission support, and engineering and digital integration services primarily to U.S. government customers around the world. With Vectrus since July 2018, Voci recalls how, during the interview process, the people she met with were open and honest about the position in which she would be working.
“I knew, if the Vectrus team was transparent in where we shined, as well as where we could improve before I even joined, the insight the team would share once I became a Vectrus employee would be indicative of how we perform and collaborate as a team,” she notes. “I’ve always striven to work in an atmosphere that treated its people like family, no matter how big or small the company. I’m fortunate to say that, nearly three years later, I still feel like we look out for one another and, of course, our customer.
Voci says there are two things that come to mind in regard to what makes Vectrus a great place to work. The first is how it values its people, which was keenly apparent during the pandemic.
“Our leadership and teammates treat people like people. The work-life balance during COVID-19 isn’t always easy, but it’s easier with a team that understands how real life works. Vectrus values taking care of its employees and our families. For most of us, this is why we work,” she says, “to support our families. Vectrus gets this.”
“Skill sets can be learned, but the willingness to buy into the culture and work with the people around you, that’s something that should match when you start a job,” she says.
Second is Vectrus’ willingness as a company to talk about things that matter to people. The company utilizes “courageous communication,” where employees can be open and honest, in a respectful and kind manner.
“Vectrus invests a lot of time and energy to make sure we’re treating our people correctly,” says Voci.
“When you deliver the mission with the technical know-how and kindness, you’ll feel the energy that people bring to our customers and each other.” The best career advice that Voci ever received was that prior to accepting a job, make sure the culture is a good fit for you.
To excel in your career, she adds, understand your strengths, and how you can use them to add value to the team. Also understand what you don’t know, then be hungry to learn to fill in the gaps and ask questions. Finally, leverage the experience of your teammates and learn from them.
“One reason the Vectrus engineering team works so well is the team is diverse. People bring different perspectives to our solutions. We lean on people’s experience in the field, on interactions with our customers to understand the inner workings of their requirements, and we have internal brainstorming to discuss our choices and strengthen our solutions. During all of these steps, we learn along the way. Be prepared to learn, and never stop.”
Find career opportunities with Vectrus at careers.vectrus.com and connect with them on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.