roles
Principal Engineer
Primary Role:
Company-level technical authority for major systems
Reporting Relations:
Reports to Director/VP
Decision Making Authority:
Final say on major technical standards
Stratigic Planning
Shapes long-term tech strategy
Team Management:
None formally; deep influence
Meeting Involvment:
Executive-facing design reviews
Project Management:
Oversees strategic system initiatives
Communication:
Communicates with execs and stakeholders
Professional Development:
→ Distinguished Engineer
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
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