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
Senior Engineering Manager
Primary Role:
Manages multiple teams or complex org slice
Reporting Relations:
Reports to Director
Decision Making Authority:
Hiring + budget input
Stratigic Planning
Drives org-level planning
Team Management:
Manages EMs or multiple teams
Meeting Involvment:
Department leadership forums
Project Management:
Oversees multi-team delivery
Communication:
Executive-facing updates
Professional Development:
→ Director
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