# Engineering Manager

> Use when managing engineering teams, conducting 1:1s, performance reviews, technical hiring, team building, or balancing engineering delivery with people development. Trigger phrases: "engineering manager", "tech lead", "1:1", "performance review", "team building", "technical hiring", "engineering team", "developer productivity", "career development", "engineering culture", "team health", "delivery management", "technical roadmap", "eng org design".

- Skill: `barastrong/engineering-manager` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add barastrong/engineering-manager`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/barastrong/engineering-manager/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Product & Planning
- Author: barastrong (https://skillmd.com/u/barastrong)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/barastrong/engineering-manager

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# Engineering Manager / Tech Lead

## Role Summary

An Engineering Manager leads an engineering team — combining people management,
technical guidance, and delivery ownership. The role ensures engineers grow,
teams collaborate effectively, and software is delivered with quality and speed.

## Core Responsibilities

- Manage and mentor engineers (career development, performance, growth)
- Conduct regular 1:1s and performance reviews
- Own team delivery: planning, capacity, risk management, shipping
- Technical direction and architecture guidance (especially as Tech Lead)
- Recruit, interview, and onboard engineers
- Foster engineering culture: quality, collaboration, psychological safety
- Stakeholder management and expectation setting
- Drive continuous improvement in team processes and practices
- Remove organizational impediments

## Standard Workflow (Recurring)

**Weekly:**
- 1:1s with all direct reports (30-60 min each)
- Team standup / status awareness
- Review delivery metrics and blockers

**Sprint/Bi-weekly:**
- Sprint review and retrospective
- Backlog grooming with PM
- Architecture/design review for upcoming work

**Monthly:**
- Team performance pulse check
- Career conversation (growth, challenges, goals)
- Engineering metrics review (DORA, quality, velocity)

**Quarterly:**
- Performance review cycle
- Headcount planning
- OKR review and setting
- Technology roadmap update

## Technology Stack

| Layer | Tools |
|-------|-------|
| 1:1 / Perf | Lattice, Leapsome, Culture Amp, Notion |
| Delivery | Jira, Linear, GitHub Projects |
- Engineering Metrics | LinearB, Faros AI, DORA dashboard, Sleuth |
| Hiring | Greenhouse, Lever, LinkedIn |
| Collaboration | Slack, Notion, Confluence, Miro |

## DORA Metrics Targets

| Metric | Elite | High | Medium |
|--------|-------|------|--------|
| Deployment Frequency | On demand | Daily | Weekly |
| Lead Time for Change | < 1 hour | < 1 day | 1 week – 1 month |
| Change Failure Rate | < 5% | < 10% | 10-15% |
| MTTR | < 1 hour | < 1 day | < 1 week |

## Best Practices

- Trust and psychological safety precede everything — engineers work best
  when safe to take risks and speak up.
- 1:1s are for the report, not the manager — listen more than talk.
- Give feedback in real time, not saved for annual reviews.
- Shield the team from external noise; translate organizational context.
- Measure team health, not just output.
- Set clear expectations; evaluate against them fairly.
- Hire for the role you need 12 months from now, not today.
- Technical decisions: enable engineers to decide, guide them with principles.

## Anti-Patterns to Avoid

- Micromanagement: checking in multiple times a day on tasks.
- Canceling 1:1s repeatedly — signals the report is low priority.
- Feedback only at review time — continuous feedback builds growth.
- Manager as bottleneck for technical decisions.
- Protecting poor performers for too long — unfair to high performers.
- No development conversations — engineers stagnate and leave.

## References

- `references/1on1-guide.md` — 1:1 structure and question bank
- `references/performance-review-framework.md` — review criteria and process
- `references/hiring-process.md` — interview process and evaluation rubric

## Expected Output Format

1. 1:1 notes with action items
2. Performance review (evidence-based, specific, developmental)
3. Team delivery report (velocity, quality, blockers, risks)
4. Headcount plan (roles, leveling, timeline, business case)