Jan. 3, 2022

S3E9: Jennifer Petoff - A Traveling American Techie in Dublin

S3E9: Jennifer Petoff - A Traveling American Techie in Dublin


Born in the Irish America hotbed of Buffalo, New   York, Jennifer Petoff lives in Dublin now. Following a career that has taken unexpected twists. A holder of a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Stanford University, we talk about women in STEM and how Jennifer made her way to Dublin, where she works in the SRE (Site Reliability Engineering) field. Jennifer is also one of four editors of Site Reliability Engineering: How Google Runs Production Systems, a highly successful publication in the world of SRE.

While Jennifer is busy in her day job, she also created Sidewalk Safari, an expansive travel blog featuring her travels in Ireland and locales further afield over the past ten years. Her posts display a keen photographic sensibility notable for their focus on colorful or unusual doorways likely cultivated by Dublin's famous Georgian Doors.

Jennifer's Business Links

Jennifer's Travel Links

Jennifer Petoff Profile Photo

Jennifer Petoff

Director, SRE Education, Google & Travel Blogger

Jennifer Petoff (she/her) has had a wide range of career experiences at Google and beyond. She considers herself a poster child for non-traditional careers for scientists. Jennifer is currently working in Dublin, Ireland, as a Senior Program Manager for the Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) team. She leads the SRE EDU program globally and is one of the co-editors of Google’s bestselling book Site Reliability Engineering: How Google Runs Production Systems.

Jennifer joined Google after spending eight years in the chemical industry. Her first six years were spent at the lab bench in Research and Development at Union Carbide Corporation and the Rohm and Haas Company, where she was credited as an inventor on eight patents. Jennifer went on to manage the MBA and PhD campus recruiting and university relations programs at Rohm and Haas. Jennifer holds a PhD in Chemistry from Stanford University and a BS in Chemistry and a BA in Psychology from the University of Rochester.

Jennifer was a volunteer Career Consultant for the American Chemical Society and regularly conducted PhD resume reviews and mock interviews. She has written a number of articles on effective job search strategies. Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys domestic and international travel, urban walks (she walks over 1,000 miles a year), and writing posts for her part-time travel blog Sidewalk Safari.

Source: 7 Questions with Jennifer Petoff - Women of Silicon Valley - Medium