Etsy Engineering Career Ladder

Level Progression | Competencies (download as .pdf)

Level Progression

Engineer I

Expectations
Competencies

Engineers at this level will generally be beginners, or working towards the Beginner level in all competencies.

Engineer II

Expectations
Track Record

Your work has been integral to the success of a project of moderate complexity.

Competencies

Engineers at this level will generally be Intermediate in two or more competencies or will display some Intermediate level skills across all competencies.

Senior Engineer

Includes: Senior Engineer I, Senior Engineer II

Expectations

Senior Engineer I

Track Record

You’ve met the above expectations over multiple projects.

Competencies

Engineers at this level will generally be Advanced in at least one competency or will display some Advanced level skills across competencies.

Senior Engineer II

Track Record

You have consistently met and often exceeded these expectations over the course of many projects. You regularly demonstrate at least one of the Staff Engineer expectations listed below.

Competencies

Engineers at this level will generally be Advanced in more than one competency. Engineers at this level (and above) should not be Beginners in any competencies.

Staff Engineer

Includes: Staff Engineer I, Staff Engineer II

Expectations

Staff Engineer I

Track Record

You’ve consistently met these expectations as you’ve led and completed multiple large, successful projects. Each of these projects may have taken many months or longer to see through.

Competencies

Engineers at this level will generally be Experts in one competency or Advanced in all competencies.

Staff Engineer II

Track Record

You have consistently met and often exceeded these expectations over the course of many projects. You regularly demonstrate at least one of the Senior Staff Engineer expectations listed below.

Competencies

Engineers at this level will generally be Experts in at least one competency and will display a range of Expert level skills across competencies.

Senior Staff Engineer

Expectations
Track Record

You’ve met these expectations as you’ve led numerous projects with consistently high value to Etsy. Your work (e.g. architectural decisions, implementation, etc.) has been validated as a success over a significant window of time, typically at least a year.

Competencies

Engineers at this level will generally be Experts in multiple competencies, including Leadership.

Principal Engineer

Expectations
Track Record

Your portfolio of successful and impactful work is long and diverse. It includes both projects you’ve led directly and projects led by others who depend on your direction.

Competencies

Engineers at this level will generally be Leading Experts in at least one competency and Expert in one or more others, including Leadership.