• Minimum 8 years of backend engineering, including leading a small team, and still writes and reviews enough code that the team trusts technical judgment • Has led the delivery of a backend project through a small team — broke the work down, sequenced it • Can own the delivery of a team’s commitments end-to-end: holds the plan, sees the risks early • Keeps quality from slipping when the deadline tightens • Designs and reviews at the system level — can set the architectural direction for the team’s services • Makes the consistency, latency, and cost tradeoffs • Grows the engineers around: gives specific, honest feedback, creates room for people to stretch • Degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent depth from real-world engineering • Handles the first layer of people responsibility: regular 1:1s, goal-setting • Communicates clearly with product and adjacent teams, and can represent the team’s priorities and push back on scope with evidence