EngineeringProgressionFramework
title: Engineering Progression Framework type: technique created: 2026-05-21 last_updated: 2026-05-21 related: ["radar/techniques/SeniorEngineerHandbook"] sources: ["https://monzo.com/documents/engineering-progression-framework-v3-0.pdf"] radar_quadrant: Techniques radar_ring: Assess radar_position: inner
A structured career ladder defining explicit competency descriptors for each engineering level, used to calibrate expectations, guide progression conversations, and reduce ambiguity in promotion decisions. The Monzo Engineering Progression Framework v3.0 is a publicly available reference model.
Without a defined framework, progression criteria live in managers' heads and vary between teams. Engineers receive inconsistent feedback ("you need to show more impact" without defining what that means at their level). Promotion decisions become subjective. A written framework converts implicit expectations into explicit, discussable criteria.
The Monzo framework covers levels from junior engineer to staff engineer, with each level defined across multiple competency axes:
| Axis | Description |
|---|---|
| Mastery | Technical depth and breadth; code quality, system design, debugging |
| Impact | Scope of influence; task, project, team, organisation |
| Communication | Clarity of written and verbal communication; documentation quality |
| Leadership | Mentoring, driving decisions, unblocking others |
| Conduct | Reliability, ownership, how setbacks are handled |
Each level has concrete behavioural descriptors — not vague adjectives. The distinction between levels is expressed in terms of scope (who is affected), initiative (who initiates the work), and complexity (how ambiguous the problem is).
Monzo's framework is useful even for teams that do not adopt it wholesale. Common uses:
- Calibration — compare your team's implicit expectations against an explicit external framework to identify gaps or inconsistencies.
- Scaffolding — use Monzo's descriptors as a starting point, then adapt to your organisation's context and values.
- Individual development — engineers can self-assess against published criteria without waiting for a manager to articulate expectations.
Other publicly available frameworks: Dropbox (Levels), Charity Majors/Will Larson (Staff Engineer archetypes), CircleCI, Medium, and Rent the Runway.
radar/techniques/SeniorEngineerHandbook provides a resource map for developing senior engineering competencies. This blip provides the structured framework for defining what those competencies look like at each level — the two are complementary: the handbook tells you what to learn; the progression framework tells you what level of mastery is expected at each stage.
Engineering Progression Framework sits in the Assess ring of the Techniques quadrant, at inner position. First studied via the Monzo public PDF (2023-12-23). Using an explicit, written progression framework is a well-established practice in mature engineering organisations. Inner position reflects immediate applicability to any team that lacks written criteria — adopting or adapting an existing public framework is significantly faster than building one from scratch. Remaining gate is deliberate application to at least one promotion conversation or quarterly development review.
