Tech ladder template
Small Engineering Team
This ladder outlines a clear career progression for Individual Contributors in a Software Engineering Team, with 4 levels based on technical execution, debugging & observability, teamwork, and ownership, and expected experience ranging from entry-level to leadership level. It is a generalist ladder applicable to any Engineering team. Great place to start creating your own ladder if you have a small-size tech team.
Tech ladder overview
Junior Software Engineer
Software Engineer
Senior Software Engineer
Principal Software Engineer
Ladder breakdown
Small Engineering Team
Level 1
Junior Software Engineer
Entry-level role with a basic understanding of software development concepts and programming languages. Expected experience: 0-2 years.
Level 1
Junior Software Engineer
Entry-level role with a basic understanding of software development concepts and programming languages. Expected experience: 0-2 years.
Technical Execution
- Follow coding standards and best practices
- Complete assigned tasks within the given time frame
- Produce code that is maintainable and scalable.
Debugging & Observability
- Follow debugging and troubleshooting practices
- Use logs and metrics to diagnose issues.
Teamwork
- Participate in all team meetings
- Seek help and guidance from senior engineers
- Contribute to team initiatives and projects.
Ownership
- Take responsibility for assigned tasks
- Seek feedback on work and improve continuously
- Follow the team's vision and goals.
Level 2
Software Engineer
Intermediate-level role with a solid understanding of software development concepts and programming languages. Expected experience: 2-5 years.
Level 2
Software Engineer
Intermediate-level role with a solid understanding of software development concepts and programming languages. Expected experience: 2-5 years.
Technical Execution
- Design and implement complex features and functionalities
- Optimize code for performance and scalability
- Contribute to technical design discussions.
Debugging & Observability
- Identify issues quickly and efficiently
- Contribute to the development of troubleshooting tools and processes.
Teamwork
- Mentor junior engineers
- Collaborate with other teams to achieve common goals
- Take ownership of team initiatives and drive them to completion.
Ownership
- Take initiative to drive technical projects and tasks forward
- Seek feedback from stakeholders and customers
- Continuously improve code quality and system reliability.
Level 3
Senior Software Engineer
Senior-level role with an extensive understanding of software development concepts and programming languages. Expected experience: 5-8 years.
Level 3
Senior Software Engineer
Senior-level role with an extensive understanding of software development concepts and programming languages. Expected experience: 5-8 years.
Technical Execution
- Drive technical design decisions
- Contribute to the development of coding standards and best practices
- Mentor junior engineers on technical skills.
Debugging & Observability
- Troubleshoot complex issues across multiple systems and services
- Implement solutions to improve observability
- Lead the development of troubleshooting tools and processes.
Teamwork
- Lead team initiatives and projects
- Collaborate effectively with other teams and stakeholders
- Communicate technical solutions to non-technical audiences.
Ownership
- Take ownership of complex technical projects
- Drive the team's vision and goals forward
- Continuously improve system performance and reliability.
Level 4
Principal Software Engineer
Leadership-level role with exceptional understanding of software development concepts and programming languages, as well as strong leadership and strategic thinking skills. Expected experience: 8+ years.
Level 4
Principal Software Engineer
Leadership-level role with exceptional understanding of software development concepts and programming languages, as well as strong leadership and strategic thinking skills. Expected experience: 8+ years.
Technical Execution
- Set technical direction for the team
- Drive the development of new features and functionalities
- Continuously improve code quality and system architecture.
Debugging & Observability
- Lead the development of observability solutions
- Drive the development of troubleshooting tools and processes
- Identify and mitigate potential system issues.
Teamwork
- Lead cross-functional teams to achieve complex technical initiatives
- Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders and customers
- Communicate technical solutions to executive leadership.
Ownership
- Drive the technical direction of the company
- Develop and implement technical strategies to achieve business goals
- Mentor and coach other engineers on technical and leadership skills.
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