roles
Head of Engineering
Primary Role:
Top engineering leader (often in startup)
Reporting Relations:
Reports to CEO
Decision Making Authority:
Final say on technical direction
Stratigic Planning
Owns engineering strategy
Team Management:
Manages EMs/Directors
Meeting Involvment:
Executive team member
Project Management:
Oversees full engineering roadmap
Communication:
Board/investor communication
Professional Development:
→ VP / CTO
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
Principal Architect / Software Architect
Primary Role:
Defines large-scale system architecture and standards
Reporting Relations:
Reports to Director/VP
Decision Making Authority:
Sets architectural patterns and standards
Stratigic Planning
Long-term platform planning
Team Management:
None
Meeting Involvment:
Architecture councils + exec reviews
Project Management:
Oversees platform evolution
Communication:
Senior technical communication
Professional Development:
→ Distinguished Engineer