Directors/VP of Engineering, how did you get to that level and what does your day to day look like?

Posted by lesoleildonne@reddit | ExperiencedDevs | View on Reddit | 3 comments

I’ve been an engineering manager for about 2 years and so far, I enjoy working with people and solving their problems to the best of my ability.

I am considering going further into the management path eventually but I wonder if it would be the right choice for me.

I’m curious to hear how and why folks have transitioned to engineering senior leadership (VP/Director) and what skills had to be improved to get there. A glimpse into the day to day would also be helpful, specifically the types of meetings and decision making at that level.

Thanks!

Edit: How big is your org? And if you’ve been in senior leadership at both large and small orgs, how do they compare? HUGE thanks for all the detailed responses so far!!

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hildjj@reddit

I describe the director role as "Trusted by the organization for independent movement." You'd doing stuff without someone telling you to do it, and that's ok, because all of the VPs know you're not going to surprise them, you'll ask for help when you need it, and everything you're working on is in the best interest of the company with its corporate politics more or less under control. They never have to worry about any of the issues in your world -- you'll either handle them yourself, get the right other team (e.g. HR) involved, or have asked for advice before it became a problem.

You're providing guidance, teaching, support, communications, and decision-making for your direct reports. I recommend having one of the most senior engineers on your team report directly to you, and sit in on your staff meetings to provide context as well as to act as your proxy into the technical world so that you aren't telling individual engineers what to do anymore -- that will take away from the gravitas that your managers and tech leads are trying to build.

It's a tough job because of the different levels of abstraction you have to switch between rapidly every day. However, it can be very rewarding!

So, how do you get to that level? Some of the things that go into the decision:

Prove that you're not going to cause problems. Don't react in anger, ever. Consider the impact of your words, always. Always be the adult in the room, even when stuff is going sideways.
Run a big project to completion that affects the business. Prove that you can deal with finance, marketing, sales, etc. without letting their alternate view of reality distort the good work your team is doing.
Show that you can handle a larger team. Maybe get a lower-level manager or two under you. Show you can handle the extra context shifts that brings, and that those managers got better under your leadership.
Have stories that get told about you regarding how what you did was for the good of the company, even though it didn't seem like it was in your short-term best interest.
Understand the structure of the organization, and what its needs are. New director roles aren't created often (usually in a restructuring), so strive to be trusted enough to be consulted when you can tell that the organization is about to change. Other than that, you're waiting for someone to leave, which isn't as good -- there's a higher chance the org will look to hire from outside when that happens.
Instead of waiting for the org to change around you, the Director-level move is to build something compelling that the business wants to invest in. Be the trusted person that made that happen, and when your org needs more structure, create the plan for your part of the organization should look.
The decision to make you a director is mostly about what the org needs, not what you want. If you make it about you ("I deserve this!"), you'll keep being disappointed. If you make it about the org ("We're making X gross margin on this product, I think it needs a larger team and I'd be willing to lead it" or "we now have X people in my org, and I think it could use a little more structure -here is my starting point, what do you think?"), you have a shot.
Politics. I'm not talking about kissing ass, but about knitting yourself into the larger team around you. Inter-personal relationships are a director's lingua franca. Know how decisions get made in your world, then figure out how to ensure the people making those decisions can trust you.

Concretely and short-term, get a mentor that you trust to be able to share confidential information with. If your company believes you are on the director track in the next year or two, they'll probably pay for it. Get your VP to ask HR, there's probably a budget for executive training, and a list of pre-approved external coaches. DO NOT use someone in your chain of command for this, but a director from another part of the org is potentially ok, as long as your VP knows about it -- they may or may not want fine-grain information flowing to that other part of the org depending on current events.

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KhudaGawaah@reddit

excellent response. being self-aware is also an important aspect. i have seen folks rise to senior levels on the strength of their tech prowess but are otherwise rough-cut.. and usually, they are not able to sustain their position. the idea is not to be political.. but weigh your actions and words to see whether they are likely to take you and everyone north or south. there are going to be "good" battle scars, but they are earned in a different way - trying to influence with data and reasoning rather than belittling or humiliating someone or making them feel dumb. trying to go for a win-win outcome is key. and also knowing when to stop pushing for something.. not because you are not convinced of it anymore, but because readiness is lacking, so first that layer needs to be peeled and laid bare. of course, if you see foundational disagreements, it is time to hop off the bus amicably.