What is my job title?

[nkfd]

We're a small (20 people, ~11 engineers) company that makes fairly niche high-tech sensing products/test equipment. Revenue is in the double-digit million neighborhood, and we sell mostly to OEMs

I've been with this company for about 3 years and have roughly 6 years experience in the industry. When I started there were about 10 employees (~4 engineers) and my job title was simply 'engineer'. Starting then, the organization of the company has been a little... free-form (I didn't really have a job description)... but we are rapidly starting to mature and add definition to everything (including job titles and roles). I quickly learned everything I could about our products and systems, and became quite expert

Right now I do anything ranging from product specification and strategy, configuration and BOM management, pricing, project/people management, test engineering, process definition, troubleshooting/customer support, sales strategy and support, applications engineering, market definition/voice of customer. I generally stay out of design, production, logistics/admin, quality, but even then I'm very much a generalist and get consulted on pretty much everything day-to-day. I'm very motivated and have tried to fill in anywhere I've seen need (and have been told I'm effective). We're still figuring our self out as a company. Other key roles already held by my colleagues: director of operations, chief engineer, production engineer

About a year ago I was promoted to the title 'Product Engineering Manager' -- in lieu of 'product manager' as the president wanted to highlight that I am still an engineer. Recently I've been offered another promotion and the company leadership is letting me help craft the role. I will likely slim down to a more focused approached on product specification/strategy, config/overall product management, project/people management. The promotion comes with a significant pay bump (putting me in the 150k range) and a leadership position on the org chart.

I don't know what to call myself. An older colleague suggested 'staff engineer', which apparently meant more back in his day, but now i think that sounds like an entry-level position. Other ideas have been thrown around but seem similarly out-of-touch: all the seniors at this company have been in this industry working for themselves for decades, so I have a feeling that job titles don't mean the same that they used to... I've always said that I don't care about job titles, but I am recognizing that titles can have direct monetary value and carry credibility when dealing with business partners.

 

[JohnRBaker]

Whatever you come-up with, make sure you include the word 'Senior' in there as that should help with the alleged pecking order and ranking. Or you could go one step future and use the word 'Principle' as that's even more high-toned.

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
EX-Product 'Evangelist'
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without

 

[SWComposites]

Director, Product Engineering

 

[GeoEnvGuy]

The term staff engineer is similar to a university professor getting tenior. Your title of product engineering manager highlights you as a manager of people. You could go with chief/lead product engineer. If you want a more distinguished title you could go with director of innovation and chief product engineer.

 

[Compositepro]

Job Titles are generally completely arbitrary and not very meaningful. Fancy titles are often a no cost way to compensate employees. What I've found is that the longer and more detailed the title, the more junior the position. I had the title Lead Engineer for decades and it served well. You want to define your job as you like, rather than be defined by your job title. People who show concern about their job descriptions usually want to use it as an excuse to not do something.

 

[MintJulep]

Director of Engineering.
Engineering Director.

 

[mfgenggear]

what's wrong with product engineering manager?
don't get to stirred up about the title, worry more about the pay

 

[JohnRBaker]

Where I worked, at least the last couple of employers (I never really changed jobs, just who owned the company) we had TWO job titles. The 'legal' one that was in our HR records which actually did mean something because it inferred your position in the food chain, your pay bracket, certain legal responsibilities inside the company and in some cases, your seniority in the position through the use of terms like 'Senior', 'Principle' and even 'Senior Principle'. Of course, these terms were used for technical and not for managerial positions. My last 'official' title was 'Senior Principle Marketing Consultant'. However, you were allowed to put just about anything you wanted on your business card, with your manager's approval, of course. In my case, it was my manager who suggested what I should put on my card, after she had been at a conference and had been introduced to an individual at Microsoft who was basically doing for Microsoft what I was doing for our company, and when she saw what his title was on his card, she told me that's what she would recommend I put on mine.

So here's the last business card I used before I retired four years ago:

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
EX-Product 'Evangelist'
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without

 

[GregLocock]

We have the same. My official grade is Senior Engineer, but we can self describe more or less what we want. I went for the best: Mechanical Engineer. Some of the kids are Principal Project Engineers or Attribute Lead Dynamics or other such fantasies. Doesn't bother me.

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[CWB1]

With only six years experience I would be cautious as you have a long career ahead and may need to explain the title to future employers. Personally, if you don't have engineers reporting directly to you then I would stick with engineer as you would be somewhere in the entry-level junior engineer - engineer title range at most other companies. If you have direct reports then I would suggest either engineering lead or supervisor. Anything beyond that looks really silly IMHO, both for you and your employer.

IME staff engineer is much like engineering fellow or technical steward - the guy with 40+ years in a very specific niche that has BTDT and is known throughout the industry.

 

[Lomarandil]

My current company brings new (graduate) hires on as "staff engineer"... your mileage may vary.

----
just call me Lo.

 

[miningman]

Gotta make the comment that both principal and principle are being bandied around here as being synonomous. Of course they are not, but I will refrain from publishing my thoughts on this issue

 

[mfgenggear]

Gotta make the comment that both principal and principle are being bandied around here as being synonomous. Of course they are not, but I will refrain from publishing my thoughts on this issue
I would like to hear it

 

[MacGyverS2000]

I'll send you to the principal's office merely on the principle of the thing!

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[TED7]

I've had all kinds of job titles. Design Engineer, Tooling Engineer, Instrumentation Engineer (Mechanical), Manufacturing Engineer.

I just call myself "Engineer" now. I'll replace that with "Senior Engineer" once I'm Chartered. Until then, who am I to determine if I'm senior or not, I don't have enough grey hair yet for it to be apparent.

For the most part, job titles are for willy waving.