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
Tech Lead
Primary Role:
Leads technical execution for a single team
Reporting Relations:
Reports to EM
Decision Making Authority:
Day-to-day technical decisions
Stratigic Planning
Translates roadmap into implementation plan
Team Management:
None formally
Meeting Involvment:
Leads technical discussions
Project Management:
Owns delivery coordination
Communication:
Primary technical voice for team
Professional Development:
→ Staff Engineer / TLM