Front page / By role / Engineering

1. Software engineer

   Designs, writes, tests and maintains software, from a single feature to whole systems.

   Also called developer, programmer, SWE, coder, tech lead

   The work

   1. 1Understand the problem
   2. 2Build and change code
   3. 3Check quality
   4. 4Ship and run
   5. 5Work with the team

   See the work and its tools

   • Frontend engineer

     Builds the part of an app people use directly: web pages, interfaces and how fast they feel.

   • Backend engineer

     Builds the server side: APIs, databases and the logic behind an app.

   • Full stack engineer

     Works across both the interface and the server side of a web app.

   • Mobile engineer

     Builds apps for iPhone and Android.

   • Machine learning engineer

     Builds and runs machine learning and AI features, from model training to LLM apps.

   • Data engineer

     Builds the pipelines that move and clean data so analysts and models can trust it.

   • Solutions architect

     Designs how systems fit together and what they run on, across teams or for clients; usually a senior role.

   • Game developer

     Builds games in engines such as Unity and Unreal, from gameplay code to the tools designers use.

2. DevOps or site reliability engineer

   Keeps software running: the pipelines that ship it, the cloud it runs on and the alerts when it breaks.

   Also called SRE, infrastructure, cloud engineer, ops

   The work

   1. 1Build and deliver changes
   2. 2Run infrastructure
   3. 3Keep services reliable
   4. 4Handle incidents
   5. 5Automate chores and harden systems

   See the work and its tools

   • Platform engineer

     Builds the internal tools and paved paths other engineers use to ship, run as a product for developers.

3. QA or test engineer

   Checks that software works before people use it: plans tests, automates them and tracks defects.

   Also called tester, quality assurance, SDET

   The work

   1. 1Plan the testing
   2. 2Design the tests
   3. 3Run tests and report bugs
   4. 4Automate tests
   5. 5Judge release readiness

   See the work and its tools

4. Security engineer

   Protects systems and data: finds weaknesses, fixes them and responds when something goes wrong.

   Also called appsec, infosec, cybersecurity

   The work

   1. 1Design security in
   2. 2Secure the code
   3. 3Test and find weaknesses
   4. 4Detect and respond
   5. 5Policy, access and awareness

   See the work and its tools

5. Engineering manager

   Leads a team of engineers: hiring, growth, planning and keeping delivery healthy.

   Also called EM, team lead, head of engineering

   The work

   1. 1Build and grow the team
   2. 2Deliver the work
   3. 3Own quality and reliability
   4. 4Align with the business

   See the work and its tools

6. Embedded or hardware engineer

   Builds the software and electronics inside devices: firmware, circuits and connected hardware.

   Also called firmware, electrical, IoT

   The work

   1. 1Specify and design
   2. 2Write firmware
   3. 3Build and test prototypes
   4. 4Certify, produce and support

   See the work and its tools