roles
Senior Software Engineer
Primary Role:
Owns complex features and delivers high-quality production code
Reporting Relations:
Reports to EM/TLM
Decision Making Authority:
Technical decisions within feature area
Stratigic Planning
Contributes to roadmap feasibility
Team Management:
None
Meeting Involvment:
Participates in sprint + design reviews
Project Management:
Owns execution of major features
Communication:
Cross-functional within team
Professional Development:
→ Staff Engineer / EM
Principal Engineer
Primary Role:
Company-level technical authority for major systems
Reporting Relations:
Reports to Director/VP
Decision Making Authority:
Final say on major technical standards
Stratigic Planning
Shapes long-term tech strategy
Team Management:
None formally; deep influence
Meeting Involvment:
Executive-facing design reviews
Project Management:
Oversees strategic system initiatives
Communication:
Communicates with execs and stakeholders
Professional Development:
→ Distinguished Engineer
Director of Engineering
Primary Role:
Leads multiple engineering teams and managers
Reporting Relations:
Reports to VP/CTO
Decision Making Authority:
Budget + headcount authority
Stratigic Planning
Owns annual planning for domain
Team Management:
Manages EMs/Senior EMs
Meeting Involvment:
Executive leadership contributor
Project Management:
Portfolio-level delivery oversight
Communication:
Executive reporting
Professional Development:
→ VP of Engineering