What does it mean to be a principal engineer ?

What is a Principal Engineer?

Early in your career, as you progress through levels from junior engineer to mid-level and then to senior engineer, the core metric you typically consider is the depth of your technical knowledge and your familiarity with the technology and stack you are working with. This includes knowing which algorithms or patterns to use in a given context. The ascent to the role of a Principal Engineer signifies a shift in focus.

While technical knowledge remains important, it doesn’t scale in ways to provide enough leverage. When you think about staff and principal engineers, these are definitely individuals who can accomplish more because of their expertise, but also because they can facilitate work and better understand requirements as well as work across different domains and silos. It’s the capability of understanding the broader scope and being aware of multiple problems which enables you to foresee something which others may not. It’s the ability to make decisions on the spot that require a broader view, the ability to understand the problem, and delegate tasks, which you know will take a lot of time to capable individuals. It’s vital that you choose the right tool for the right job, not only for yourself but also for the people you are working with. You will be faced with new challenges such as system design and a leadership role, requiring you to hone your people skills and get an understanding of the people you work with in order to stay ahead of the curve.

Is this a journey for me?

The first question you really want to ask yourself is whether you even want to be a Principal engineer. I think it’s quite important to understand if, after being a senior engineer or perhaps a tech lead, a job as an engineering manager wouldn’t suit you better.

In this article, I hope to make it a little easier to understand whether pursuing an EM role or a principal role would be right path for you. Take it with a grain of salt, and in any case, my best advice would be to try it yourself. Deciding that following a career as a Principal Engineer is not for you and you prefer to be an EM, is a completely valid choice, and vice versa.

The aim of this article is to help you better understand what to expect as Principal Engineer. As mentioned before, I feel the major difference between a good Senior Engineer and a Principal Engineer lies in the scope of work. So, as soon as you are a senior engineer and you start aiming to be a Principal Engineer, start with understanding the different domains and the product you’re working on. This might sound a little counterintuitive as so far your primary goal was to specialise in a narrow subset of the work involved. But it will be easy for you connecting the dots between different problems.

The Role and Responsibilities of a Principal Engineer

As a Principal Engineer you typically work on key projects. Therefore, as previously mentioned, understanding the field in which you are working and the technologies you are using is a crucial aspect of being a principal engineer. You will likely be working on some of the most challenging yet rewarding projects. All of that cannot be accomplished alone. Thus, being a principal engineer involves a good mix of technical and soft skills as well as occasionally playing the role of a mentor. Being a mentor essentially means explaining to others what you plan to do. Gaining buy-in from everyone, not only from other engineers with whom you will be working but also from leadership, requires a certain openness and the ability to explain topics clearly. Sometimes, things just feel right, and you know it’s the correct decision, but not everyone may see it the same way. Without understanding how to convey your ideas to others, you will rely solely on your authority and title to gain buy-in, and this will not take you far. Having the ability to combine excellent technical knowledge, soft skills for effective communication, and the skill to break down problems into smaller parts, and guide others through your thought process will make you an outstanding principal engineer. When working on a project, you often start with a blank page, and building this mental map will then allow you to share it with others. However, learning something is one thing, and explaining it to others is another. Therefore, starting early with acquiring as many skills as possible is essential.

How to get a wider perspective?

One thing to consider — is there is an option to work with an architect in your company, try to gain insight into their work. This will give you a good understanding of how all the puzzle pieces fit together. Make it part of your habit to learn how systems are designed and what technology you are working with. If there is an engineering manager, try to understand how they conduct one-on-ones. Although you probably won’t have direct reports, you will still have a lot of meetings. Since a large part of your day will involve syncing with other departments when working on bigger projects, building up soft skills is definitely one of the key skills you should work on as part of widening your perspective.

Transitioning to Principal Engineer: Key steps

Becoming a Principal Engineer is a journey less focused on technical specialisation and more on holistic development. Here are the key steps in this journey:

1. Self-Reflection: Start by reflecting on whether the role aligns with your career aspirations. Assess whether your passion lies more in direct people management as an Engineering Manager or in guiding technical projects as a Principal Engineer.
2. Exploration and Experience: Embrace a variety of experiences and don’t be afraid of making mistakes. The best way to find your true calling is by engaging in different roles and learning from those experiences.
3. Building Universal Skills: Regardless of whether your future role involves the current product you are working on, developing skills such as connecting unrelated problems and comprehending system architecture is invaluable.
4. Learning from Others: Look for opportunities to observe and learn from experienced architects and engineering managers. Understanding their methods of problem-solving and team management will broaden your perspective and enhance your skill set.

Key Skills of a Successful Principal Engineer

So, what are the key skills of a successful principal engineer? Let’s break down skills into four categories.

• Technical and Soft Skills Synergy: Beyond technical expertise, a Principal Engineer excels in communication, mentoring, and persuasion, which is crucial for garnering support from both technical teams and leadership.
• Decision-Making Acumen: Principal Engineers adeptly balance intuition and analysis, understanding when to trust their instincts and when to delve deeper. Sometimes it will be writing well-structured ADR (architecture decision record) and sometimes taking quick decisions during meetings.
• Project Leadership: Starting projects from scratch, Principal Engineers possess the ability to create and share comprehensive mental maps of projects, ensuring clarity and direction for their teams.
• Leveraging Collective Knowledge: The hallmark of an exceptional Principal Engineer is their ability to harness and amplify the collective knowledge of their organization, driving innovation and progress.

The key part of being a principal software engineer is understanding where your skills will bring the most benefits.

Impact of a Principal Engineer on a Company’s Success

The most gratifying thing as a principal engineer is seeing your impact. As you will be deployed to the highest value projects most of the time, you will see the most value arise them. But on the other side, the highest risks will be associated with them too. Now, your decisions can make the difference between a project being successful or not. It comes down to the questions you ask. Will the product scale, and what type of shortcomings will you accept to reach that goal? This puts pressure on you as each of your decisions will have a profound long-term impact. That’s why balancing quality with speed is something you will have to defend constantly. It will be depending on your judgment when sacrifices for the sake of reaching the goal are advisable and when they are not. In the end, it’s the customer who is the most important player. And that’s something you should constantly bear in mind. That someone will be using the product that you’re creating. Every single shortcoming will be noticed. In essence, it’s critical always perform risk/gain assessment as well as making it a habit of documenting this assessment.

Conclusion

In summary, the role of a Principal Engineer is marked by a shift from individual technical contributions to a broader, more strategic involvement in projects. It’s a role that combines deep technical knowledge with the ability to lead, inspire, and make decisions that shape the future of technology in the organization. Whether you aspire to this role or choose a different path, understanding the essence of a Principal Engineer can provide valuable insights into the multifaceted nature of career progression in the world of software engineering.