Staff Engineer Promotion Template & Packet Guide

# Staff Engineer Promotion Packet Template

## Executive Summary (2-3 paragraphs)
[Write this last - summarize your main achievements and why you're ready now]

## Current Role Information
- **Current Level:** [Senior Software Engineer / equivalent]
- **Time in Role:** [X years, X months]
- **Team:** [Team Name]
- **Manager:** [Manager Name]
- **Request Date:** [Date]

## Staff Engineer Criteria Met

### 1. Technical Leadership & Architecture
**Requirement:** Drive technical decisions with org-wide impact

**Evidence:**
- **Project:** [Project Name]
- **Scope:** [# of teams, services, engineers affected]
- **Problem:** [What technical problem you solved]
- **Solution:** [Your architectural approach]
- **Impact:** [Quantified business/technical outcomes]
- **Leadership:** [How you drove consensus, influenced decisions]

[Repeat for 2-3 major projects]

### 2. Organizational Influence
**Requirement:** Improve engineering effectiveness beyond your team

**Evidence:**
- **Initiative:** [What you started/led]
- **Adoption:** [How many teams/engineers use it]
- **Impact:** [Time saved, quality improved, etc.]
- **Documentation:** [Links to RFCs, guides, standards]

[Repeat for 2-3 initiatives]

### 3. Complexity & Ambiguity
**Requirement:** Navigate ambiguous problems with no clear solution

**Examples:**
- **Situation:** [Describe ambiguous problem]
- **Approach:** [How you created structure, evaluated options]
- **Outcome:** [How it turned out]
- **Learnings:** [What you learned about handling ambiguity]

[2-3 examples]

### 4. Mentorship & Multiplier Effect
**Requirement:** Make other engineers more effective

**Evidence:**
- **Direct Mentoring:** [Names, levels, outcomes]
  - [Name]: [Promoted from X to Y, specific contributions]
- **Indirect Impact:**
  - Tech talks given: [# and topics]
  - Documentation created: [adoption metrics]
  - Code review influence: [# of reviews, quality improvements]
  - Onboarding improvements: [time to productivity]

### 5. Communication & Writing
**Requirement:** Influence through clear technical communication

**Evidence:**
- **Design Docs:** [# written, views, implementations]
- **RFCs:** [# authored, adoption rate]
- **Tech Talks:** [Internal/external, audience size]
- **Blog Posts:** [If applicable]
- **Technical Guides:** [Created and maintained]

## Leveling Rubric Alignment

| Staff Expectation | My Evidence |
|---|---|
| **Scope:** Org-level (20+ engineers) | [Your example] |
| **Technical Complexity:** Novel solutions | [Your example] |
| **Autonomy:** Self-directed work | [Your example] |
| **Impact:** Business-critical outcomes | [Your example] |
| **Influence:** Drive technical direction | [Your example] |

## Testimonials

**From Manager:**
> "[Quote]"

**From Director/VP:**
> "[Quote]"

**From Cross-Functional Partner:**
> "[Quote]"

**From Mentee:**
> "[Quote]"

## What I'll Do at Staff Level

**Immediate Projects (Q1):**
1. [Project 1]
2. [Project 2]

**Organizational Impact:**
- [How you'll elevate the org]

**Mentorship:**
- [Who you'll coach]

## Appendix
- [Link: Key Design Docs]
- [Link: Impact Dashboards]
- [Link: Code Samples]
- [Link: Testimonials]