# Engineering Ladder
### 2025 · H2

<div class="intro-subtitle">AgileLab · Career Framework</div>
<div class="intro-nav">← → arrow keys or scroll wheel to navigate · press <kbd class="intro-kbd">?</kbd> for shortcuts</div>

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## Career Tracks

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## How to Read the Ladder

<div class="rules-list">
<ul>
<li>Expectations at each level are <strong>cumulative</strong></li>
<li>Managers have the same expectations as ICs for individual work, plus manager-specific expectations</li>
<li><strong>Dex + Str</strong> ("adder" attributes) drive promotions at lower levels; <strong>Wis + Cha</strong> ("multiplier" attributes) become increasingly important at higher levels</li>
<li>Not everyone progresses in each column in lockstep — e.g. Dex:6/Cha:3 won't block you at L3, but may limit progression to L6</li>
<li>You must <strong>consistently perform at the next level for 6M–1Y</strong> before promotion (except Rookie → E1 which can be fast)</li>
<li>Not possible to jump 2 levels at once</li>
<li>Rookie → E1 requires only coach approval</li>
<li>Each level has a <strong>minimum working experience requirement</strong> (hard gate); no upper limits — being stuck forever is possible</li>
<li>Retention Pack is a one-shot payment at 31/03 each year; employee must still be with the company and employed for more than one year (E1 contract only)</li>
<li>Roles above E4 (Engineering Manager, Staff Engineers) <strong>must have E1 contract</strong></li>
<li>Each level has an intersection matrix with company roles</li>
<li>A level marked <strong>*</strong> means there is a weakness to fix; * can only be assigned after the hiring process, not during normal evolution</li>
<li>After a level is assigned at hiring, the <strong>next level must be demonstrated in the context of AgileLab</strong> — no past experiences counted</li>
</ul>
</div>

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## Technical Specializations

<div class="specs-grid">
<div class="spec-card">
<div class="spec-code spec-code-de">DE</div>
<strong>Data Engineer</strong>
<div class="spec-desc">Build and industrialize Data Platforms or Data centric use cases</div>
</div>
<div class="spec-card">
<div class="spec-code spec-code-ds">DS</div>
<strong>Data Scientist</strong>
<div class="spec-desc">Develop and operationalize ML-based use cases within a broader picture and ecosystem</div>
</div>
<div class="spec-card">
<div class="spec-code spec-code-da">DA</div>
<strong>Data Analyst</strong>
<div class="spec-desc">Ad-hoc analysis, reporting, dashboards and light data transformations / data modelling</div>
</div>
<div class="spec-card">
<div class="spec-code spec-code-fs">FS</div>
<strong>Full Stack</strong>
<div class="spec-desc">Microservices, API or end-to-end Web Applications</div>
</div>
<div class="spec-card">
<div class="spec-code spec-code-sre">SRE</div>
<strong>Site Reliability</strong>
<div class="spec-desc">Monitor, Automate and Manage infrastructures and applications</div>
</div>
</div>

<div class="callout callout-offset">
Cross-functionality is a valued principle — e.g. an Eng 3 may be evaluated across both DE and DA profiles with appropriate weighting.

On the **Product** side, expectations align with technical roles at lower levels; higher-level Product roles are reserved for consulting profiles only (to be reviewed).
</div>

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## Tech Skills Assessment & Values

<div class="two-col two-col-offset">
<div>
<div class="section-heading section-heading-tech">🔬 Tech Skills Assessment</div>
<ul class="spaced-list">
<li>All capabilities must be <strong>contextualized and weighted</strong> per tech profile — e.g. "effective debugging" applies to fixing a software bug, resolving overfitting in an ML model, or scaling a data pipeline</li>
<li>Not all competencies must be demonstrated in the brag file — some are evaluated during the committee review (e.g. "industry trend awareness")</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<div class="section-heading section-heading-values">🌱 Values & Culture</div>
<div class="values-intro">Alignment with company values and culture is a <strong>prerequisite for promotion at every level</strong>. This includes:</div>
<ul class="spaced-list">
<li>Practicing self-management — show up prepared and proactive</li>
<li>Prioritizing participation in tactical and governance meetings</li>
<li>Being timely in 360° reviews</li>
<li>Conducting regular 1-on-1 meetings</li>
<li>Engaging in internal surveys</li>
</ul>
<div class="section-note">At higher levels these behaviors are even more critical — lead by example.</div>
</div>
</div>

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## Post Recruiting

<div class="callout callout-large">
<ul>
<li>Ladder placement from hiring <strong>cannot be re-evaluated before 6 months</strong></li>
<li>After 6 months: a <strong>formal ladder confirmation</strong> process occurs — the candidate is not involved</li>
<li>Coach + interviewer reassess the original ladder positioning. Three outcomes:</li>
</ul>
</div>

<div class="outcome-grid">
<div class="outcome-card outcome-card-confirmed">
<div class="outcome-title outcome-title-confirmed">✅ Confirmed</div>
Nothing changes — candidate needs to climb the ladder normally.
</div>
<div class="outcome-card outcome-card-downgrade">
<div class="outcome-title outcome-title-downgrade">⬇️ Downgrade → *</div>
Ladder level stays the same but with a <strong>*</strong>. Candidate waits for coach confirmation (no formal climbing). Coach and interviewer must explain clearly which points were not met and provide guidance.<br><strong>Cannot downgrade without prior negative feedback over the 6-month coaching journey.</strong>
</div>
<div class="outcome-card outcome-card-upgrade">
<div class="outcome-title outcome-title-upgrade">⬆️ Upgrade</div>
New ladder level assigned and RAL adjusted if needed.
</div>
</div>

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<div data-level-id="vp-eng"></div>