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eng mgmt ep8: So you want to be a Director (Quiz Show edition)
This is episode 8 of my series on being an Engineering Manager (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). How do you get to the next level of Engineering Management, and what does that level mean?
Recently we discussed how to evaluate yourself as an Engineering Manager. How are you doing as a manager? Are you outperforming expectations? Are you objectively good at your job?
If so, you might have the makings of a Director! Fame, fortune, and a fancy title to boot. But what is a Director? How do you know if you are ready to be one? How do you get there, and once you’re there, what do you do? Let’s find out!
What are the levels of management?
First, let’s set the stage regarding management levels. Here are some general guidelines:
- Manager: Manages individual contributors (ICs). Typically, 3–8 direct reports.
- Senior Manager: Sometimes, “A really good manager”. Sometimes, “Has several teams and manages all those individuals directly”. Typically, 3–12 direct reports.
- Director: A manager of managers; a leader who is responsible for a specific domain. Typically that domain is a sizable part of your department. Example domains: Data Science, Platform, Integrations. Typically, 2–5 direct reports, and a team of 10–40.
- Senior Director: Sometimes, “A really good director”. Typically, 2–8 direct reports, and a team of 30–80.
- Vice President: At small-/mid-sized companies, responsible for a whole department (like “Engineering”). At larger companies, there may be multiple VPs or Senior VPs who own large sections of the department.
Some companies use different labels, or different parameters. Feel free to adapt the content below to your org’s management ladder.
What differentiates Managers and Directors?
A lot of articles describe the difference between Managers and Directors like this:
- Managers manage: They lead a team to deliver on a plan.
- Directors direct: They come up with the plan.
