Career Progression Framework
| Dimension | Level I | Level II | Level III | Senior | Lead | Principal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deliverable | Supports well-defined work items with clear outputs, following guidance and predefined procedures. | Contributes to team goals by executing assigned tasks; begins to interpret requirements and deliver outcomes with some independent judgment. | Understands and contributes to team objectives by defining parts of the deliverables; actively improves processes and plans work to meet goals. | Delivers complex technical projects, often coordinating across multiple teams or components; handles multi-dimensional tasks and novel challenges with minimal oversight. | Drives high-impact projects of broad scope; accountable for multi-team deliverables and significant changes; engages stakeholders to ensure project success. | Sets technical vision and strategy for major initiatives; leads organization-wide projects and large-scale innovations. Makes strategic decisions about technical direction and scope, ensures long-term stability, security, and performance of systems across the platform, and drives research into new technologies to advance the organization. |
| Autonomy | Works under direct supervision; follows instructions and established guidelines closely. | Able to perform tasks independently with occasional guidance; growing confidence in making decisions when following defined processes. | Works independently on most tasks; collaborates with experts as needed rather than requiring constant support, and tackles problems with minimal guidance. | Highly autonomous in addressing complex problems; requires little oversight and comfortably navigates ambiguity to find solutions. | Operates with broad autonomy; recognized for both exceptional technical skills and the ability to lead and influence others. Handles the most difficult technical challenges and guides others through technical leadership and strong stakeholder management. | Functions with the highest level of autonomy, defining and solving the most complex, strategic problems. Serves as an authority in the organization and often in the industry, setting direction with minimal guidance and securing buy-in from executive stakeholders. |
| Practical Knowledge | Adheres to existing procedures; has basic awareness of industry standards and internal processes, focusing on learning and following best practices. | Understands the reasoning behind standard procedures and can explain them; possesses solid knowledge of routines, standards, and systems in their area of work. | Applies growing expertise to analyze technical problems and deliver solutions that meet defined standards; uses best practices effectively and consistently. | In-depth knowledge of at least one specialization and a broad view of how systems and services integrate; able to synthesize information from various sources to solve complex technical issues. | Ensures best practices are applied across projects; extends knowledge beyond own specialization to supervise projects and plan work for others, upholding high standards of quality and efficiency. | Defines and evolves technical standards and processes for the organization; has a comprehensive view across multiple domains and drives adoption of best practices company-wide, innovating where existing processes are inadequate. |
| Mastery of Skill | Novice – New to the field or task, with little to no practical experience. Relies on learning and guidance to perform duties. | Competent – Has a sufficient level of skill and knowledge to perform the job effectively under normal circumstances. Demonstrates solid proficiency in one primary area. | Proficient – Highly skilled in a specialized discipline; able to work fluently with minimal assistance. Beginning to expand skills into additional areas (novice exposure to related domains). | Proficient/Expert – Deep expertise in a primary discipline (considered an expert within the team); also has working knowledge in other related domains, allowing effective collaboration across disciplines. | Expert – Recognized expert in their primary technical field, with comprehensive knowledge and skill. Additionally, competent in several other domains, enabling cross-functional insight and innovation. | Master – A true authority with an exceptional technical skillset. Widely regarded as an expert across multiple disciplines; demonstrates both breadth and depth of knowledge at an elite level, often defining best practices and new approaches in the industry. |
| Accountability & Impact | Takes responsibility for personal output and task completion; impact is limited to assigned work within the immediate team. | Owns contribution to team goals; shows initiative in projects/products. Impact is primarily within the immediate area, as a reliable team member ensuring team success. | Takes ownership of team deliverables and proactively suggests improvements. Impact spans the team and begins to influence the broader area through improved practices and project outcomes. | Influences short- and mid-term technical decisions; helps implement new products or systems. Impact extends beyond the team to the wider area or division, as their decisions and expertise guide broader efforts. | Drives technical decisions and change across multiple teams or an entire department. Holds a high level of accountability for significant initiatives and outcomes; influence extends to senior stakeholders (up to Director level), driving organization-wide improvements. | Accountable for the company’s strategic technical direction and major technological outcomes. Shapes company-wide (even industry-wide) strategy, with influence that reaches the highest levels of leadership. Principal engineers make crucial decisions on product direction and architecture, and provide technical leadership across teams, ensuring that their vision delivers broad, lasting impact. |
| Behaviors | Eager to learn, cooperative, and curious. Asks questions, listens to feedback, and is honest and reliable. Focuses on building context and foundational skills; learning is primarily guided by given context and instruction. | Demonstrates ownership within their scope. Takes responsibility for driving improvements in their work. Serves as a role model in integrity and work quality for more junior team members, consistently delivering high-quality results. | Proactively influences and challenges current practices to improve them. May supervise or coordinate well-defined tasks for junior colleagues, offering guidance in areas of expertise and fostering better team practices. | Manages stakeholder expectations effectively and communicates clearly. Mentors, coaches, and teaches others in their own area of expertise. Supports teammates’ growth by considering individual strengths and working styles, and by sharing knowledge generously. | Leads by example and fosters a high-performance culture. Attracts and retains talent by creating an environment of technical excellence and learning. Develops the technical skillset of team members through coaching and mentoring. Able to prioritize team’s work and influence change across the department, working with senior stakeholders (up to Director level) to drive measurable outcomes that align with company objectives. | Acts as a visionary and champion of technical excellence across the organization. Enhances the company’s brand as a technology leader by contributing to industry forums or publications. Represents complex technical issues and the case for change to executive (e.g. Managing Director/C-suite) stakeholders, securing support for strategic initiatives. Takes accountability for both tactical and strategic prioritization, leads through influence in matrixed environments, and holds teams accountable for delivering significant, measurable improvements and innovation. Often serves as a mentor and advisor not just within the company but in the broader professional community. |
Relevant Note(s):