What is Senior Software Engineer? (My Standard)
What is Senior Software Engineer? What makes a Senior Software Engineer? What skills, knowledge and capabilities required? What are the roles and responsibilities?
Welcome to The Scalable, blog and newsletter to help you faster in getting promoted to senior position. We are release new content 1-2x a week. Today we are going to discuss about the definition of Senior Engineer which very important before you make strategy.
Before we start, kindly follow me on Twitter & Linkedin and share this content to your friends. Enjoy.
Quick Links:
The Scalable is a newsletter where we discuss how to advance to the Senior Level (including positions such as Senior Software Engineer, Tech Lead, and hands-on Engineering Manager). Many of you may aspire to reach the senior level in your careers. However, before you start planning or taking action, the first thing you need to do is define “what is Senior Software Engineers?”. It can vary because different companies have different standards. But, do you aim for the senior level solely for the title, or do you want to become a senior in both title and quality/capability?
When you obtaining the senior level but only the title, don’t assume that it’s without consequences. I've seen many people ruin their careers because their inflated titles do not match their capabilities. In the post-COVID era, where there have been significant tech layoffs, many senior and even management-level professionals are finding it difficult (at least in my country) to secure new jobs because they are overpaid and have inflated titles. There's a disconnect where employees feel like they're "ex-Unicorn A or ex-Unicorn B," but the new hiring company doesn't believe their capabilities will benefit the company.
In today's article, we will discuss my standards for defining what a Senior Software Engineer is, so you don't fall into the trap of title inflation.
So, What is Senior Software Engineer?
If someone asks me what a senior software engineer is, then my answer would be delivery and independence.
Delivery means that a senior software engineer consistently produces good results within a relatively short time frame. It's important to note that delivery is not just about writing code; it can encompass various aspects, for example:
Asking the right questions to shape and refine scope and requirements, minimizing errors and unnecessary work.
Choosing the appropriate technology to save time while achieving satisfactory results, especially from a business perspective.
If you're a lead or manager with subordinates, your presence should enhance the development process, making it more efficient and effective.
And more...
Independence (or autonomy) means understanding your role within the company and not relying on others to enable your performance. While having peers and superiors for discussion is valuable, you don't require constant micro-management. You do whatever it takes to ensure successful delivery. Although you may not make final decisions, you consistently provide options and influence the decision-making process.
What makes a Senior Software Engineer?
Now that we understand that being at the Senior Level is about delivery and independence, but it's still too broad to fully comprehend what truly makes someone a senior software engineer. To gain a deeper understanding, we need to break down the skills, knowledges and capabilities that support "delivery" and "independence" because I believe both of these qualities are a result of other skills, knowledges and capabilities.
Fundamental Skills
Undoubtedly, a solid foundation in software engineering is essential for every software engineer, especially at the senior level. This includes proficiency in programming languages, frameworks, code quality, databases, and more.
What sets senior-level engineers apart is their comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals for every technology and decision they make, as well as their ability to effectively implement them. For example, while a junior-level engineer may grasp the importance of indexing in a database, a senior-level engineer comprehends the intricacies of how indexing works, knows when it should and should not be implemented, and understands the potential side effects involved.
System Design
Senior software engineers possess the skills to design scalable, efficient, and maintainable software systems.
They understand different architectural patterns and can make informed decisions regarding the appropriate architecture for a given project.
They can analyze business requirements and translate them into technical solutions and system designs. They always consider the long-term relevance of the chosen design.
Balancing Design and Implementation Trade-Offs
Software engineering involves making trade-offs. While a good design often leads to a longer implementation time, a poor design may result in a quicker implementation. Senior-level engineers have the ability to assess options and understand the trade-offs when making decisions. They are pragmatic enough to consider both design and implementation trade-offs, sometimes sacrificing idealism for the sake of the company. If they are forced to make a poor design choice, they have strategies in place to improve it in the future.
Domain Knowledge
Senior-level engineers have a deep understanding of the domain specific to the industry or field in which they work. Combining technical proficiency with domain knowledge sets them apart from other software engineers. They no longer struggle with writing code but instead focus on aligning business and technical aspects.
If they are new to an industry, they are capable of independently acquiring the necessary knowledge specific to that domain. Consequently, they continuously expand their knowledge to effectively address the unique challenges and requirements of their industry.
Senior-level engineers often become the go-to person for domain-specific knowledge. For example, some of my friends who work at HR Tech companies even have a better understanding of their country's tax calculations than tax consultants
Communication
Senior software engineers collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product managers, designers, and quality assurance engineers. They possess excellent communication skills and can effectively convey technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
They can position themselves appropriately when communicating with non-technical person, technical leaders, or even mentees. They adjust their communication style to ensure the message is well received. They understand what to communicate and what questions to ask to unblocked the blockers and ensure successful delivery.
Project Management and Time Management:
Senior-level engineers excel in self-management, including time and task management. They can translate business requirements into technical requirements and break them down into smaller tasks. They accurately estimate timelines and prioritize tasks to prevent bottlenecks.
For roles such as tech lead and engineering manager, they can leverage their team members' skills to ensure projects run smoothly without bottlenecks. This is why having senior-level engineers on a team results in 1+1=5 not 1+1 = 2.
People Management:
In simple terms, at the senior level, you need to empower other team members, including mid-level and junior engineers. In most companies, there are typically two career paths for software engineers: the Individual Contributor Path (Pure Senior Software Engineer) and the Managerial Path, such as becoming a tech lead (a role that blends technical and managerial responsibilities) or an engineering manager (a purely managerial role).
The main difference lies in the fact that pure Senior Software Engineers may not require advanced people management skills. They primarily focus on being the go-to person to assist in the growth and improvement of other team members. They provide insights rather than direct answers, enabling others to develop. They may also delegate tasks to promote knowledge sharing and prevent siloed knowledge.
However, if you chooses to pursue the tech lead or managerial path, more advanced people management skills become essential. In these roles, being actively involved in people management is necessary, including conducting regular one-on-one meetings and creating growth plans for mid-level and junior engineers.
Contribution
Senior-level engineers always contribute in many ways, such as providing ideas for tech planning and project planning. They also contribute to code standardization, establishing standard procedures, and more. They go beyond simply writing code and actively contribute to making the work more efficient.
I have observed that some senior-level engineers are quite vocal and assertive, while others may be more reserved. However, regardless of their communication style, they consistently contribute in their own unique ways. Sometimes, even in meetings, they may voice out just one idea, but it proves to be on point. Whether one is outspoken or reserved, the measure of becoming a senior software engineer can be tracked by the level of contribution one makes.
Debugging Skills
Senior-level engineers always think ahead to prevent bugs by leveraging their technical proficiency and other knowledge. However, when a bug does occur, they are adept at identifying potential causes based on symptoms, debugging the issue, finding the root cause, and solving it with minimal information, often derived from logs. Their focus extends beyond solving the immediate bug; they also ensure that it does not recur in the future.
What are the Roles and Responsibilities of Senior Software Engineer
To answer the question of "what are the roles and responsibilities of a senior software engineer," it may vary across different companies. However, I can provide some common aspects that define the role of a senior software engineer:
One could say that a senior engineer is like a machine or driving force within the company. Therefore, it is likely that you will still need to be hands-on and actively involved in various tasks. Your main responsibility is to do whatever it takes, utilizing your skills and leveraging other team members, to deliver projects on time without constant supervision. As a senior software engineer, you should have a clear understanding of your role within the company.
Additionally, it is crucial to be an expert in at least one domain that is significant to the company. If you lack expertise in a specific domain, it is important to evaluate whether you are truly meeting the expectations of a senior-level role. To grasp the concept of domain expertise, consider the following example: In an e-commerce company, there are several domains that hold importance, such as search, product pages, transactions, ads and promotions, and more.
So, that's it for today. Defining a senior engineer is challenging, and every company has different standards. However, with the guidelines provided in this article, you can establish your own standard and avoid getting caught up in title inflation. If you are currently facing title inflation, this will help you identify areas that need improvement.
Thank you for reading today's newsletter! If you find it valuable, don’t forget to: