Sets technical direction for a team and owns code quality and standards.
Entry
Senior
Coding
High
Key skills
Common progression
- Senior Software Engineer
- Technical Lead
- Engineering Manager
- IT Operations Manager
- Head of IT Operations
Career overview
The Technical Lead sets the technical direction of a team: architecture decisions, code reviews, standards, technical roadmap and mentoring. They are hands-on and unblock the team on hard problems. The role leads to Engineering Manager, IT Activity Manager or IT Domain Manager.
Main responsibilities
- Lead a development team and set standards
- Coordinate the technical work of the team
- Design end-to-end technical solutions
- Write, test and review production code
- Mentor junior team members and review their work
- Own the technical roadmap of the perimeter
- Keep technical documentation up to date
- Prioritise work and manage competing demands
- Align stakeholders and report progress
- Prepare and execute change requests in production
Technical skills
Technologies
Education level
Education requirements vary depending on the company, country and experience. Professional experience, certifications and technical skills can sometimes compensate for formal education.
High School / Bac
Less common
Bac+2 (2-year degree)
Less common
Bac+3 (Bachelor)
Less common
Bac+5 (Master / Engineering)
Common entry point
Experience & coding level
Experience level
Coding level
Useful certifications
Certifications are never mandatory. They are one way among others to prove a skill.
- AWS Solutions Architect Associate
- PSM I
- CKA
Where can this career take you?
Multiple paths are possible. Click a role to open its profile.
Direct progression
Possible branches
Where can you go next?
Realistic next career moves, with compatibility and a transition roadmap for each.
Overlap: 26% · Difficulty: Hard
Skills to learn: Project planning, Budget tracking, Agile & Scrum
View roadmapOverlap: 61% · Difficulty: Hard
Skills to learn: Infrastructure & cloud literacy, Agile & waterfall, Reporting
View roadmapOverlap: 26% · Difficulty: Medium
Skills to learn: Data modelling, Interface & API contracts, Non-functional requirements
View roadmapOverlap: 11% · Difficulty: Medium
Skills to learn: Scrum framework, Facilitation, Impediment removal
View roadmapOverlap: 36% · Difficulty: Medium
Skills to learn: Design patterns, Microservices, API design
View roadmapOverlap: 25% · Difficulty: Medium
Skills to learn: Integration patterns, Layered / modular design, API design
View roadmapWhere can you go from here?
A typical progression built from real career relationships. Click any role to open its profile.
- Senior Software Engineer
- Technical Lead
- Engineering Manager
- IT Operations Manager
- Head of IT Operations
- IT Director
Soft skills
- Leadership
- Analytical thinking
- Mentoring
- Clear communication
- Big-picture thinking
- Rigour and attention to detail
- Decisiveness
Common previous careers
Roles that frequently lead into this career.
Overlap: 24% · Difficulty: Medium
Skills to learn: Code review, Mentoring, Roadmap ownership
View roadmapOverlap: 10% · Difficulty: Medium
Skills to learn: Architecture decisions, Code review, Mentoring
View roadmapContinue your career exploration
Keep moving: compare roles, follow a roadmap, read a guide or prepare for an interview.
Ready to explore your next step?
A documented transition from this role to the next.
Technical LeadJunior IT Project Manager
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