Tech Lead
A Tech Lead is responsible for technologies, architecture, and tech upskilling of the staff.
Descriptions
Tech Leads are exceptionally experienced engineers who take responsibility for hard engineering problems and system architecture. In contrast to other leadership tracks, Tech Leads stay close to the technical domain and do not manage staff. Instead, they solve difficult problems, align technical vision, coordinate system architecture, and train engineers. Operational tasks like programming take a backseat for a Tech Lead. Strong communication and strategic skills are particular important to be a successful Tech Lead.
The success of Tech Leads us measured by individual outcome.
Skills
Tech Lead roles
- ARCHITECT
- DEVELOPER ADVOCATE
- STAFF (ENGINEER)
- PRINCIPAL (ENGINEER)
Tech Lead salary
75.000 – 126.000€
Tasks of a Tech Lead
The tasks vary widely depending on the company and environment. Some Tech Leads have additional responsibilities in the areas of people or product, while others focus exclusively on technology. Key activities in the role of Tech Leads include
- Conception of complex IT projects (project management, techn. debt, legacy)
- Architecture of Software, Cloud and Data (design, planning, documentation)
- Review of work (code reviews, code inspection, design docs, QA)
- Development of techn. staff (onboarding, training, mentoring, pairing)
- Development of techn. vision (tech stacks, trends, DevOps, DataOps, integrations)
- Developer Experience (productivity, tools, processes, integrations, training, collaboration)
How to become Tech Lead?
You become a Tech Lead with extensive professional experience in the technology field. For this, a minimum of 3-5 years of work experience is necessary. However, some individuals also choose to take on leadership in tech later on.
There are no standards for the designation of Tech Lead positions. On the career ladder, positions such as Architect, Staff, or Principal are used – optionally with an additional Senior level. However, the positions in your company could also have completely different names.
Become A Tech Lead
Are you an experienced engineer who wants to take more technological responsibility in your organisation? Join our comprehensive 6 week Masterclass for Tech Leads. Learn from experienced Tech Leads, exchange with like-minded peers and develop the skills needed to excel as a Tech Lead.