roles
Distinguished Engineer
Primary Role:
Highest IC level; sets enterprise technical direction
Reporting Relations:
Reports to CTO/VP
Decision Making Authority:
Defines technical principles and standards
Stratigic Planning
Defines multi-year technical vision
Team Management:
No direct reports
Meeting Involvment:
Executive + board technical advisor
Project Management:
Oversees transformational initiatives
Communication:
External thought leadership + board-level clarity
Professional Development:
→ Fellow / CTO track
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
Technical Lead Manager (TLM)
Primary Role:
Hybrid manager and technical leader
Reporting Relations:
Reports to Director
Decision Making Authority:
People + technical decisions
Stratigic Planning
Contributes to org planning
Team Management:
Manages 5–8 engineers
Meeting Involvment:
Facilitates roadmap & execution reviews
Project Management:
Oversees sprint + roadmap execution
Communication:
Cross-functional leadership
Professional Development:
→ Senior EM / Director