Speaker
Abstract
Achieving a Staff+ role is a huge achievement and something many engineers seek as the next step in their career growth. All Staff+ roles are not the same and exactly what your role entails can sometimes be a bit murky, to say the least.
Depending on the size of your organization, you could be the only Staff+ engineer or there may be dozens or hundreds of other engineers in similar roles to you. This, along with the type of software you’re developing and management structure, all play a part of how your role is shaped.
In this presentation, I’ll talk about my path to Staff+ and how I view the role as more art, than science. Specifically, we’ll look at the parallels between creating art, creating software, and dealing with organizational dynamics. We’ll focus on such topics as:
- Leading without authority
- Dealing with psychological discomfort and impostor syndrome
- Finding and establishing relationships with your peers
- Bringing ideas from inception to completion
- Embracing discomfort, even failure, in order to grow
Interview
I work in the Delivery Engineering team at the New York Times, and our task is to create an Internal Developer Platform for our engineering community. In my role, I concentrate on enhancing developer productivity and enabling engineering teams to build, test, and deploy software more effectively and efficiently.
As a Staff+ engineer, I have spoken with peers at other organizations over the last year and discovered that we all have distinct perspectives on our roles within the company. Due to the varying expectations of Staff+ engineers across different companies, it can be challenging to navigate the role. Recently, I read a fascinating book on creativity and artistry, which prompted me to consider how our jobs resemble those of artists. Reading that book inspired the topics for this talk. I will discuss how we can use lessons learned from more creative industries to address some of the unique challenges faced by those in Staff+ positions.
My primary audience would be senior individual contributors in a Staff+ role or those who are looking to change into such a role. The talk would also be relevant to engineering managers or senior leaders looking for more insight into the struggles and challenges faced by Staff+ engineers.
Give folks a few tools that make them more effective. For those struggling with the challenges of a Staff+ role, this talk will hopefully give them guidance and reassurance that their challenges aren’t unique.
Topics
QCon New York 2023 is a three day conference for senior software engineers, architects and team leads. An international program committee of working engineers selects every session. Patterns and practices, not products and pitches.
Part of the track
Staff+ Engineering: New Skills, New Challenges Hosted by Leslie Chapman Engineering Fellow @ComcastFrom the same track
Tuesday 13 June
10:35 Salon D Session The Decision Buy-In Algorithm John Riviello Engineering Fellow @Comcast and @Google Developer Expert Making large, important technical decisions is a critical aspect of a senior individual contributor's role. With the wide impact these decisions can have, it is essential to make the correct decision. 11:50 Salon D Session Staff Plus Engineering Growing Others to Grow Yourself Audrey Troutt CTO @Tomo The best way to grow in your career is to help others grow as well. This is true when you are going from engineer to senior engineer, or if you are a senior engineer growing into a principal or tech lead. 13:40 Carroll Gardens Unconference Unconference: Staff+ Engineering Ben Linders Independent Consultant in Agile, Lean, Quality and Continuous Improvement What is an unconference? An unconference is a participant-driven meeting. Attendees come together, bringing their challenges and relying on the experience and know-how of their peers for solutions. 14:55 Salon D Session Staff Plus Engineering The Creative Act: How Staff+ Is More Art Than Science David Grizzanti Principal Engineer @nytimes Achieving a Staff+ role is a huge achievement and something many engineers seek as the next step in their career growth. All Staff+ roles are not the same and exactly what your role entails can sometimes be a bit murky, to say the least. 16:10 Salon D Session Engineering Making the Decision To Be an Individual Contributor or a People Leader Michael Winslow Engineering Director @Amazon Music As software engineers advance in their careers, we are often faced with the choice between remaining an individual contributor or transitioning to a people leadership role. This decision can be challenging and complex, as both paths offer unique benefits and challenges. 17:25 Salon D Panel Panel: Staff+ Engineering - New Skills, New Challenges Michael Winslow, David Grizzanti, Audrey Troutt, Stacy Kirk As you progress in your career, your technical skills will still be important, but you will also need to develop new skills in leadership, communication, and strategic thinking. This panel will provide practical advice on how to succeed in this role.