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
Engineering Manager
Primary Role:
Manages engineers and delivery for one team
Reporting Relations:
Reports to Senior EM/Director
Decision Making Authority:
Team-level hiring and performance decisions
Stratigic Planning
Contributes to quarterly planning
Team Management:
Manages 5–10 engineers
Meeting Involvment:
Leadership + sprint reviews
Project Management:
Oversees team roadmap execution
Communication:
Cross-functional with Product
Professional Development:
→ Senior EM
Solutions Architect
Primary Role:
Designs technical solutions for customers or enterprise clients
Reporting Relations:
Reports to Eng/CTO/Sales Eng
Decision Making Authority:
Technical design authority for implementations
Stratigic Planning
Limited internal strategy; supports GTM strategy
Team Management:
None
Meeting Involvment:
Client meetings + pre-sales calls
Project Management:
Oversees solution implementation
Communication:
Customer + sales communication
Professional Development:
→ Principal Architect