Our Lead(H)er series features impressive women leaders in the tech industry. In this Q&A, we are featuring Ariella Yosafat, Director of Engineering at Paperless Parts.
Where did you grow up and how would you describe yourself as a child?
I grew up primarily in New Jersey. As a child, I’d describe myself as driven but balanced, splitting my time between academics, extracurriculars like piano and robotics, and even a part-time job at Wegmans (the best grocery store on earth). While I was definitely academically focused, I also had creative outlets like writing.
What did you study in college and what was your first job out of school?
My path was a bit unexpected. I was fascinated by psychology in high school, which led me to pursue a double major in neuroscience and biology with a minor in creative writing. I initially planned on going down the PhD path and worked in a research lab, but I wanted to explore opportunities in industry first.
My first job out of school was at athenahealth, where I helped hospitals adopt our technology to meet healthcare quality guidelines. The company’s hospital product was tailored to small, rural facilities, so I got to see how technology could be both an enabler and a complex challenge for the people it’s meant to serve.
Can you share the details on your career path and what were the critical moments that got you to where you are today?
My career path so far has been a story of building skills layer by layer, especially coming from a non-software engineering background. In my first couple of roles, I started by getting comfortable with data analysis and managing large datasets. That experience led to an opportunity to automate internal processes, which was my bridge into a more traditional software role.
The most critical element at every stage was having advocates. At each company, leaders saw my drive and gave me opportunities to stretch, whether that was taking a SQL class, designing my first cloud application, or eventually, managing my first team of engineers. Their belief in me was instrumental.
What is your current role and responsibilities?
I’m a Director of Engineering at Paperless Parts, where I oversee two of our engineering teams. My role has three main pillars: people management, cross-functional alignment, and operational excellence.
I’m responsible for the career growth of my direct reports, ensuring they have the support to level up their skills. I also work to create strong alignment with product, customer success, and other departments to ensure we’re all moving in the same direction. Finally, I focus on scaling our teams by adopting new standards and enhancing our developer experience, which helps us build a better product and a more sustainable engineering culture.
Looking back, is this where you thought you’d be professionally? Was it always your goal to be in this position?
Not at all, and I think that’s a good thing. I’ve never been one to map out a rigid five-year plan; there are too many variables and unexpected opportunities that arise. My focus has always been on constant improvement, building strong relationships, and seeing how I can provide more value. Circumstances always change, and you never know which conversation or project will open the next door.
For people who are looking to be in a similar position, what advice would you give to others in terms of helping them achieve their career goals?
Focus on results and follow-through. Be known as the person who not only delivers high-quality work but also enables others to do the same. Find advocates, but also be your own, and make sure the impact of your work is visible. You could build something brilliant, but without clear impact, it won’t get the recognition it deserves.
Embrace an ownership mindset. If you see a problem, do what’s in your power to fix it. As a leader, when someone on my team approaches me with an idea to improve our processes or product, I’m always delighted to help find the time for it.
Cultivate a network of people with whom you’ve built mutual trust. This will be your greatest asset, both within your current company and beyond. Then, pay it forward by finding people you can advocate for in return.
What are the most important skills that you need to do your job well?
I often joke about needing a second brain, but being pulled in so many directions, it’s critical to process information from multiple sources and make sound judgment calls on what’s most important. It allows me to stay on top of things, even if it means what I meant to do today actually gets pushed to next week.
The other skills are empathy and listening. To be an effective leader, I have to understand what motivates people, both on my own teams and across the organization, and how I can best support them. Building that trust is the foundation for giving constructive feedback, having tough conversations, and aligning everyone around a shared goal.
What do you find most interesting/rewarding about your work? What’s the most challenging?
The biggest challenge is prioritization. At a fast-moving company, priorities can shift daily, and there are always countless ways we can improve our product and operations. The constant puzzle is figuring out which initiatives to invest in, balancing the drive for great new features with the need to maintain our long-term engineering health.
The most rewarding part is seeing the payoff from those efforts. Whether it’s watching the team handle a complex situation predictably, seeing them become more efficient, or watching someone grow in their role after taking on a new challenge, it’s incredibly fulfilling.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment?
At a director level, my pride comes from my team’s accomplishments. I love seeing them release features that have a huge impact, but my personal favorite moments are when I see the team level up and truly internalize the value of operational excellence. Recently, one of our teams began implementing proactive monitoring on their own initiative. Seeing them use it to get ahead of issues as a new feature rolled out—and seeing them own that success—was a fantastic moment.
For a personal accomplishment, I think back to one of my first projects as a software engineer. I was tasked with a small project to automate equipment procurement for new hires. After digging in, I realized it required a much larger system to gather home addresses and manage equipment variations. I turned it into an opportunity to partner with our People and IT teams, design a system based on their requirements, and learn how to manage change cross-functionally. It threw me into the deep end of not just software design, but also collaboration and stakeholder management.
Q&A
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I’ve always preferred relaxing hobbies, like reading and knitting. I love adding to my yarn collection, which definitely grows much faster than I can use it (yarn is my go-to souvenir when I travel). Otherwise, I enjoy spending time with my partner and our dog, and getting a bit too competitive in Mario Kart.
How do you manage stress?
I try to reset and refocus. When my to-do list, schedule, and incoming messages feel overwhelming, I give myself permission to pause. I know I won’t be productive in that state, so I’ll take a few minutes to breathe, walk around, or drink some water. Once I’ve managed the physical stress response, I’m in a much better position to look at the list, decide what the real priority is, and break larger tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces.
How many cups of coffee do you have in a day?
Surprisingly, just one! Living in Boston finally converted me — I make myself a cup of Dunkin’ French Vanilla every morning.
Any book or podcast recommendations?
Professional: Crucial Conversations and The Manager’s Path.
Fun: The Roots of Chaos series by Samantha Shannon. It’s a great fantasy series with incredible world-building.
What advice do you have for recent college graduates?
It’s never too early to start building your network. Focus on creating connections with peers, mentors, and leaders. A supportive environment with advocates who believe in you is one of the most powerful assets you can have throughout your career.