A framework that lets engineering managers hold concrete career conversations by mapping roles, levels, and five performance axes across four ladders.
The framework gives engineering leaders a concrete map for career conversations, breaking down four distinct ladders-Developer, Tech Lead, Technical Program Manager, and Engineering Manager-each with defined levels from 1 to 7. It ties each role to five performance axes: Technology, System, People, Process, and Influence, and describes five gradations of proficiency on every axis. By visualizing expectations on radar charts, managers can quickly see where a direct report excels or needs growth.
Each axis captures a different dimension of impact. Technology spans from simple adoption to creating new stack components. System moves from enhancing features to owning architecture and leading technical excellence. People progresses from learning to managing careers and happiness. Process evolves from following guidelines to defining mature workflows. Influence expands from subsystem impact to shaping the broader tech community. The framework insists that higher levels embed all lower-level behaviors, making it a practical ladder rather than a checklist.
The resource is intentionally open-source, encouraging teams to adapt the levels, titles, and examples to their own context. It also provides guidance on gathering evidence-1:1 talks, peer feedback, and self-evaluation-to support promotion discussions. By grounding career growth in observable behaviors, the framework helps reduce ambiguity, align expectations, and make promotion decisions more data-driven.
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