Fostering Inclusion and Innovation: A Q&A with Taylor Kerr

As Team Leader for Software Asset Management, Taylor Kerr prioritizes creating an environment where every team member feels valued and respected. 

Since joining Jacobs, Taylor has seized career growth opportunities and leveraged the diverse team culture to foster collaboration and drive innovative solutions. 

Tell us about your role and what you are most passionate about.

My role is Team Leader of the Software Asset Management team. I’m here to help the rest of my team succeed in their roles. 

I’m most passionate about making sure people can enjoy what they do. As a leader, I’m responsible for creating and maintaining a team culture and environment that makes everyone feel important, empowered and respected. I fully believe in the “Rubber Duck” problem-solving method, where explaining an issue to someone can often help you come up with a solution. With that in mind, if you have no experience with a problem but are asking questions, you can still help the rest of the group process and understand the situation.

How has your role evolved since you joined the company?

Since starting with this company, I’ve received seemingly endless opportunities for growth and development. This role and this team have experienced multiple twists and turns, but that is part of Jacobs' value “We challenge the accepted.” My team and my leadership evaluate our work and always entertain the idea of trying something different to see if that new process is more efficient than the last.

What’s the most unique part about working here?

The environment. I’m in awe of the opportunity to work here whenever I’m on location. It’s unlike any job I’ve held before.

What do you enjoy most about the Jacobs Missile Defense Group?

What I enjoy most about Jacobs is  our core values: We do things right, We challenge the accepted, We aim higher, and We live inclusion. This recipe is perfect for everyone to improve and accomplish the mission. Inclusion and collaboration are essential to me as a leader because I’ve experienced so many moments in my life where someone outside of a problem has been able to ask the right questions to steer me toward a better solution. Having people with different skills, backgrounds or experiences weigh in on scenarios can be valuable for problem-solving and personal growth. Building a culture in your workplace where everyone feels comfortable enough to weigh in on a topic or question a plan is essential.