P6P6 — Principal Professional
Principal
Sets long-term technical vision and strategy for software development organization-wide.
What this level means
Top individual contributor; recognized authority with strategic impact, equivalent to a low executive level
- Scope
- Organization-wide architecture and the hardest problems
- Autonomy
- Defines direction; minimal oversight
- Complexity
- Strategic, open-ended problems shaping the technical future
- Impact
- Organization-wide
- Decision rights
- Sets technical strategy for a major area
- Leadership
- Recognized authority; multiplies many teams
- Typical experience
- 12–18 yrs
What you'd do
- Evaluates emerging technologies
- Shapes engineering culture
- Sets long-term technical vision and strategy
- Leads organization-wide technical initiatives
- Mentors principal technical leaders
- Represents the organization at global industry events
- Drives organizational change and innovation
- Ensures alignment with global technical trends
- Set long-term technical vision
- Evaluate emerging technologies
- Shape engineering culture
- Lead organization-wide initiatives
- Mentor principal leaders
Skills, knowledge & tools
- Thought leadership
- Change management
- Strategic visioning
- Global industry representation
- Organizational influence
- Innovation and creativity
- Mentoring and leadership
- Technical trend alignment
- Thought leadership
- Change management
- Strategic visioning
- Global industry representation
- Organizational influence
- Innovation and creativity
- Mentoring and leadership
- Technical trend alignment
- Thought Leadership
- Change management
- Strategic visioning
- Global industry representation
- Organizational influence
- Innovation and creativity
- Mentoring and leadership
- Technical trend alignment
What good looks like
- 15+ years of experience
- Proven thought leadership
- Experience in change management
- Strong strategic visioning skills
- Ability to represent organization globally
Common titles
Software Product Development VISoftware Product Development 6Principal Software Product DevelopmentSoftware Product Developer VISoftware Product Developer 6Principal Software Product Developer
What it pays
Market-pay benchmarks for this family × level are being recalibrated across all survey sources and will return shortly.
O*NET / SOC: 15-1252.00 — Software Developers