The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Junior Technical Program Manager / Project Coordinator
1-2 yearsSkills to master
- Mastering project tracking tools (Jira), basic Agile ceremonies, clear status reporting, and identifying simple dependencies.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently delivers assigned tasks on time and to a good standard.
- Proactively flags issues and asks for help when stuck.
- Can run a basic sprint stand-up or retrospective effectively.
- Demonstrates a good grasp of the software development lifecycle.
- 2
Software Engineer (with project leadership aspirations)
2-4 yearsSkills to master
- Understanding the full software development lifecycle, effective communication across teams, basic project planning, and a desire to move into a non-coding role.
You're ready to move on when
- Has led small technical initiatives or features within their team.
- Is often the 'go-to' person for coordinating work between engineers.
- Shows strong organisational skills and a knack for problem-solving beyond just code.
- Expresses a clear interest in driving project outcomes rather than just writing code.
- 3
QA Lead / Test Manager
2-3 yearsSkills to master
- Deep understanding of quality gates, release processes, risk assessment, and cross-team coordination for testing efforts.
You're ready to move on when
- Has owned the test strategy and execution for complex features or projects.
- Is adept at identifying and managing risks related to quality and release readiness.
- Demonstrates excellent communication with engineering and product teams.
- Has experience coordinating work across multiple QA or engineering teams.