What Is An Engineering Manager?

In this lesson, we explore what an Engineering Manager (EM) is, what they do, and how understanding their incentives helps us collaborate more effectively.

• We learn that an EM is a leadership role supporting engineers, typically managing 8–12 reports, though team sizes can vary widely.
• We understand that the EM’s primary goal is ensuring the team consistently delivers meaningful impact.
• We recognize that knowing an EM’s core incentives helps us work with them more effectively and collaborate better overall.
• We review the two major career tracks in tech: the IC (individual contributor) track and the M (management) track, which begins with the EM role.
• We note that the EM is the first layer of management, with roles like Director, VP, and CTO above them, and that most of us will report to an EM unless we reach very senior IC levels (e.g., L8/L9).