Engineering Ladders Framework

The Engineering Ladders Framework provides a comprehensive, open-source approach to defining career progression in engineering organizations. Born from real-world experience at companies like Spotify, Soundcloud, and Monzo, it offers clear expectations for each level.

The framework covers five key areas: Technology (technical expertise and system design), System (architecture and scalability), People (mentoring and collaboration), Process (planning and execution), and Influence (leadership and vision).

Each area is broken down by level from Developer to Principal Engineer, with specific, measurable expectations. For example, a Senior Developer should "own systems" while a Staff Engineer should "own architecture."

What makes this framework powerful is its adaptability - organizations can customize it to their context while maintaining the core structure. It helps eliminate ambiguity in promotions, provides clear growth paths for individual contributors, and ensures consistent expectations across teams.

The framework also addresses the common challenge of the "dual track" - providing equally valuable paths for both management and technical leadership roles.