Seniority Levels

Companies use levels because it provides structure, and you can use that structure to make your climb easier. Every company will have a leveling system that’s slightly different, but the basic idea will remain the same. Learn the levels, learn what’s expected for the next level, and then direct your energy in that direction. This is the best strategy to advance your career.

The levels follow guiding principles along core expertise areas:

• Experience and Technical Knowledge
• Attitude and Professional Development
• Responsibilities and Collaboration

TIP

Each skill in each level is a stepping stone to becoming a better engineering team member.

SE1

• 1-2 years of experience.
• Proficiency in programming and databases.
• Continuous learning.
• Motivation to learn and improve.
• Effective time management.
• Responsibility and adaptability.
• Requires supervision and communication improvement.
• Independent problem-solving.
• Planning by team leader.
• Autonomy and design capability.
• Collaboration with team members and consultation.

Software Engineer (SE1) Handbook

SE2

• 2-4 years of development and technology experience.
• Independent in technical tasks.
• Mentorship for junior developers.
• Proficient in code debugging and best practices.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects.
• Effective communication with stakeholders.

Software Engineer (SE2) Handbook

SE3

• 5-8 years of experience.
• Proficient in complex development stacks and production deployment.
• Strong mentoring and leadership skills.
• Actively seeks learning and best practices.
• Effective communication with stakeholders.
• Problem-solving and risk management expertise.

Software Engineer (SE3) Handbook

SE4

• More than 8 years of experience.
• Elevates development across multiple teams.
• Conducts technical interviews for candidate assessment.
• Recognized for valuable and quantifiable contributions.
• Collaborates with leadership on technical strategy.
• Ensures technical project integrity.
• Intrinsic passion for self-development as a manager.
• Proactive problem-solving for future team challenges.
• Adaptable approach to problem-solving.
• Focuses on team alignment and clarity.
• Balances involvement in project details as needed.

Software Engineer (SE4) Handbook