Free engineering manager job description templates for software, manufacturing, mechanical, and civil teams, with a first-manager version. Download DOCX.
6 free templates across software, manufacturing, mechanical, and civil engineering, plus a first-manager version for a growing team, with the field, seniority, and PE-license guidance the generic templates skip. Download as DOCX.
An engineering manager job description has two decisions the generic template farms skip, and both shape the hire. First, do you actually need a manager, or a lead engineer? An engineering manager is the first people-management layer, the role that exists to lead a team, while a lead or principal engineer is a senior builder who sets direction without managing people. Second, the field changes the role enormously: a software engineering manager, a manufacturing engineering manager, and a civil engineering manager share a title and little else.
These six templates cover the role by field and stage: a general version, software, manufacturing, mechanical, civil and construction, and a first-manager version for a growing team, each scoped to its discipline. For the fundamentals of structuring any posting, the guide to writing a job description is a useful companion.
TL;DR
An engineering manager leads a team of engineers: delivery, technical direction, quality, and people development. It is the first true people-management layer, distinct from a lead or principal engineer (a senior individual contributor). The role is unambiguously exempt, varies sharply by field (software, manufacturing, mechanical, civil), and civil and structural roles often require a PE license for sign-and-seal authority. Most are hired at companies large enough to have a team to manage. Download six templates as DOCX.
What an Engineering Manager Does
An engineering manager leads a team of engineers: setting priorities and technical direction, owning project delivery and quality, coaching and developing engineers, and partnering with other functions. It blends technical judgment with people leadership and is the first true management layer above individual engineers.
The closest federal occupation for most engineering managers is 11-9041.00 Architectural and Engineering Managers, which covers managers in manufacturing, mechanical, civil, and related fields. Software engineering management has no dedicated occupation code, since in technology the title is defined more by the team and compensation than by a federal classification.
Lead Engineer, Manager, or Director?
Engineering leadership comes in rungs, and picking the right one is the most important decision before posting, because the seniority and whether the role manages people differ at each level.
Role
What it is
Typical company stage
Lead / Principal Engineer
Senior individual contributor, no direct reports
Common at small firms and startups
Engineering Manager
First true people-management layer; leads a team
Once a team of engineers exists
Senior Engineering Manager
Manages managers or a larger team
Mid-size and larger orgs
Engineering Director
Owns a department or function
Larger organizations
VP Engineering / CTO
Executive engineering leadership
Scale-ups and larger companies
Smaller Companies Often Need a Lead, Not a Manager
A lead or principal engineer sets technical direction and mentors without managing people, and is the typical senior technical hire at a small firm. An engineering manager is the first people-management layer and signals a team large enough to need one. If you are a small company, confirm whether you need a manager of people or a senior individual contributor before writing the posting.
Engineering Manager Duties and Responsibilities
An engineering manager's duties cluster into four areas: people leadership, delivery and direction, quality and process, and partnership and reporting. The technical specifics vary by field, but the leadership core holds across disciplines.
Pick the template by engineering field and stage. Use this guide to choose the closest fit, then adjust the duties, pay, and requirements to match.
Engineering Manager (General)
Any field
The universal version: lead a team of engineers, own delivery and quality, and develop people, adaptable to any discipline.
Software Engineering Manager
Tech and software teams
For a software team: own roadmap delivery, engineering standards, and the growth of software engineers.
Manufacturing Engineering Manager
Production plants
For a plant: process and equipment engineering, continuous improvement, quality, and safety.
Mechanical Engineering Manager
Product and design
For a mechanical team: design, product development, and engineering quality from concept to production.
Civil / Construction
PE-licensed, project firms
For civil and construction: project engineering, code compliance, and PE sign-and-seal authority.
First EM (Growing Team)
Startup adding a manager
For a growing company adding its first management layer: take over the team and build the function.
Match the Template to the Field
Any discipline: General. A software team: Software Engineering Manager. A production plant: Manufacturing. Product and mechanical design: Mechanical. Infrastructure or construction with PE sign-and-seal: Civil / Construction. A growing startup adding its first manager: First EM (Growing Team).
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: company and position summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, a compensation and classification note, and how to apply, with an EEO statement. Fill in the brackets and post.
Download All 6 Job Description Templates
General, software, manufacturing, mechanical, civil/construction, and first-manager. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: Engineering Manager (General)
The universal version: lead a team of engineers, own delivery and quality, and develop people, adaptable to any discipline.
Engineering Manager Job Description (General)
ENGINEERING MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Director of Engineering / VP Engineering / CTO]
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Exempt (executive and learned professional)
Compensation: $_____ per year
ABOUT [COMPANY NAME]
[Company Name] is a [industry] company in [City, State]. We are hiring an
Engineering Manager to lead a team of engineers, own delivery and technical
quality, and develop the people on the team.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Engineering Manager leads a team of engineers: setting priorities and
technical direction, owning project delivery and quality, coaching and developing
engineers, and partnering with other functions. This is a people-management role
that blends technical judgment with team leadership.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Lead, coach, and develop a team of engineers
•Own project planning, delivery, and technical quality
•Set technical direction and standards with the team
•Conduct one-on-ones, reviews, and career development
•Hire, onboard, and manage team performance
•Partner with product, operations, and other teams
•Remove blockers and manage priorities and resources
•Report progress, risks, and metrics to leadership
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field
•[5+] years of engineering experience, with team leadership
•Proven record delivering projects and developing engineers
•Strong technical, communication, and leadership skills
•[Relevant domain expertise for your field]
COMPENSATION NOTE (read before posting)
An engineering manager is an exempt role under the FLSA, qualifying under both the
executive exemption (managing a team) and the learned-professional exemption,
which expressly covers engineering. Pay is well above the federal salary
threshold, so classification is not in question. Compensation varies widely by
field (software, manufacturing, civil) and region. This is general information,
not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_____ per year
To apply, email __ with your resume.
Template 2: Software Engineering Manager
For a software team: own roadmap delivery, engineering standards, and the growth of software engineers.
Software Engineering Manager Job Description
SOFTWARE ENGINEERING MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Director of Engineering / VP Engineering / CTO]
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Exempt (executive and learned professional)
Compensation: $_____ per year
ABOUT THIS ROLE
A Software Engineering Manager leads a team of software engineers, owning delivery
of software products and features, engineering quality and practices, and the
growth of the engineers on the team.
POSITION SUMMARY
[Company Name] is hiring a Software Engineering Manager to lead a team of [number]
software engineers. You will own delivery of your team's roadmap, set engineering
standards and practices, coach and grow engineers, and partner with product to
ship high-quality software.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Lead, coach, and grow a team of software engineers
•Own delivery of the team's roadmap and commitments
•Set engineering standards, code quality, and best practices
•Partner with product and design on priorities and scope
•Run one-on-ones, reviews, and career development
•Hire, onboard, and manage performance
•Improve team health, velocity, and processes
•Report progress, risks, and metrics to leadership
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Bachelor's in computer science or equivalent experience
•[5+] years in software engineering, with team leadership
•Strong understanding of software development and delivery
•Experience hiring, coaching, and growing engineers
•[Relevant stack and domain experience]
COMPENSATION NOTE
A software engineering manager is an exempt role (executive plus learned
professional). Total compensation, especially equity, varies widely by company
stage and location, with the highest pay concentrated at venture-funded and large
technology firms. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_____ per year [plus equity]
To apply, email __ with your resume.
Still Using Spreadsheets for Onboarding?
Automate documents, training assignments, task management, and track onboarding progress in real time.
Template 6: First Engineering Manager (Growing Team)
For a growing company adding its first management layer: take over the team and build the function.
First Engineering Manager (Growing Team)
FIRST ENGINEERING MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION (GROWING TEAM)
Company: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Founder / CTO / Head of Engineering]
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Exempt (executive and learned professional)
Compensation: $_____ per year [plus equity]
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[Company Name] has grown its engineering team to the point where the founder or
lead can no longer manage everyone directly. We are hiring our first Engineering
Manager to take ownership of the team, bring structure, and let the technical
leadership focus on the product. This is a hands-on, build-the-function role.
POSITION SUMMARY
As our first Engineering Manager, you will take over day-to-day leadership of a
small engineering team: running one-on-ones and reviews, owning delivery,
establishing lightweight process, and helping hire as we grow. You will still be
close to the technical work while building the management layer the team needs.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Take over day-to-day leadership of the engineering team
•Run one-on-ones, reviews, and career development
•Own delivery, priorities, and team commitments
•Establish lightweight, right-sized engineering process
•Help hire and onboard new engineers as the team grows
•Stay close to technical work and unblock the team
•Free the founder or lead from daily team management
•Build team culture and healthy ways of working
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Engineering background with [5+] years of experience
•Some team leadership or mentoring experience
•Comfortable building structure from scratch at a small company
•Strong communication and people skills
•Hands-on and pragmatic; thrives without heavy process
COMPENSATION NOTE
A first engineering manager is an exempt role (executive plus learned
professional). At a growing company, compensation often pairs a base salary with
equity. Even a small team's first management hire is exempt, so the salary
threshold is not a concern. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_____ per year [plus equity]
To apply, email __ with your resume.
Field, Licensing, and FLSA
This is the part the generic templates skip: choosing manager versus lead, naming the field, handling PE licensing, and the (straightforward) classification. These shape who you attract and what the role requires.
Manager or lead engineer: which does a smaller company need?
The most useful thing to settle before posting is whether you actually need an engineering manager or a lead engineer, because they are different roles. An engineering manager is the first true people-management layer: the role exists to lead a team of engineers, with direct reports, one-on-ones, and performance management. A lead or principal engineer is a senior individual contributor who sets technical direction and mentors, but does not formally manage people. Smaller firms and early-stage startups usually need a lead or principal engineer, because they have senior technical people but not yet a team large enough to require a dedicated manager. The engineering manager title itself signals an organization that already employs enough engineers to need a management layer. Match the title to whether you are hiring a manager of people or a senior builder. This is general information, not legal advice.
The field changes the role more than the title does
Engineering manager is a catch-all that means very different things by field, so name the discipline in the posting. A software engineering manager leads a software team and is concentrated at technology companies, with the highest total compensation, often heavy on equity, at venture-funded and large tech firms. A manufacturing engineering manager leads process and equipment engineering at a plant and is the most common engineering manager title outside technology. A mechanical engineering manager owns product design and development. A civil or construction engineering manager leads project engineering and usually must hold a license. These are not interchangeable, and a generic template that ignores the field will not attract the right candidates. Write the discipline, the team, and the domain into the job description. This is general information, not legal advice.
Civil and structural roles are gated by a PE license
For civil, structural, and some other physical-engineering management roles, a Professional Engineer (PE) license is often required rather than just preferred, because every U.S. state grants sign-and-seal authority, the legal ability to stamp engineering documents, only to licensed PEs. If the role will be responsible for sealing drawings or calculations, the PE license is a hard requirement and should be stated as such. Software and many product roles have no equivalent licensure, so a PE requirement there would be a mistake. Decide whether your role needs sign-and-seal authority, and if so, make the PE license a clear requirement; if not, leave it out or list it as a plus. This is a credentialing question specific to certain fields, not a general HR requirement. This is general information, not legal advice.
FLSA: an engineering manager is clearly exempt
Unlike many hourly roles, an engineering manager is unambiguously exempt from overtime, so the classification is not a live question. The role qualifies under the executive exemption, because it manages a recognized team and directs the work of two or more employees, and engineers separately qualify under the learned-professional exemption, which the FLSA regulations expressly extend to engineering as a field of science requiring advanced knowledge. Engineering manager pay is far above the federal salary threshold, so exempt status does not turn on the salary level. There is no overtime obligation and no real classification risk for this role, which is the opposite of many frontline positions where exempt versus non-exempt is a careful judgment. Confirm by the actual duties, but expect a clean exempt classification. This is general information, not legal advice.
Exempt Under Two Exemptions
An engineering manager is exempt under both the executive exemption (managing a team, per DOL Fact Sheet 17B) and the learned-professional exemption, which the regulations expressly extend to engineering (DOL Fact Sheet 17D). Pay is far above the $684 per week threshold, so classification is not in question.
For more on classification across roles, the exempt versus non-exempt guide explains the executive and professional exemptions and how to confirm them by the duties.
Skills and Qualifications
Engineering manager roles start from a relevant engineering degree, years of experience, and team leadership, with a PE license required only in certain fields. Scale the requirements to the discipline and seniority.
Requirement
What to look for
Education
Bachelor's in the relevant engineering field
Experience
5+ years engineering, with team leadership (7+ for civil)
Leadership
Coaching, hiring, and performance-management experience
PE license where sign-and-seal is required (civil, structural)
Classification
Exempt (executive plus learned professional)
Keep the posting neutral and inclusive, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on a protected characteristic, and the SHRM guide covers the standard sections of a job description.
Engineering Manager Pay
An engineering manager is a well-paid senior role, and the right benchmark depends heavily on the field.
Proxy Median $167,740; Software Runs Higher
Architectural and engineering managers (the closest federal occupation, covering most non-software engineering managers) had a median wage of $167,740 a year as of May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent still over $111,450 (BLS). National compensation surveys put software engineering managers higher, with total compensation at large tech firms reaching several hundred thousand dollars.
Manufacturing, mechanical, and civil engineering managers typically fall below software but still well into six figures. The proxy occupation is projected to grow about 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, with roughly 14,500 openings a year. Pay reflects field, company stage, region, and team size. For a posting, benchmark to your specific field and market, and provide a good-faith range where pay transparency rules apply.
Hire and Onboard an Engineering Manager
Getting this hire right is mostly about choosing manager versus lead, naming the field, and then onboarding a senior technical leader well. Here is how that plays out.
An engineering manager signals a company large enough to need a management layer
It helps to be honest about who hires an engineering manager. The title is the first true people-management layer in an engineering organization, which means a company only creates it once it employs enough engineers to need someone to manage them, often a team of five to ten or more. That structural fact, plus a high salary (the federal occupation that covers engineering managers carries a median well into six figures, and software engineering managers at large tech firms run far higher), places the role mostly at established mid-market and enterprise companies that usually already have a dedicated HR team. A genuine five-to-fifty-employee business with no HR department rarely hires a titled engineering manager. If that describes you, it is worth checking whether you actually need a manager yet, or a lead engineer.
A smaller company usually needs a lead engineer, or its very first manager
There are two cases where a smaller company does touch this role. The first is when the right hire is really a lead or principal engineer, a senior individual contributor who sets technical direction without managing people, which is the typical senior technical hire at a small firm. The second is the genuine turning point when a growing startup's engineering team gets large enough that the founder or technical lead can no longer manage everyone directly, and the company hires its first engineering manager to take over the team and build some structure. That first-manager hire is a real moment for a scaling company, and the growing-team template here is written for exactly it. Outside those two cases, a sub-fifty-person company is usually better served by a lead engineer than a management layer.
Whatever the title, onboarding a senior technical hire is where an HR tool helps
Whether you hire an engineering manager, a first manager for a growing team, or a lead engineer, the compensation and seniority put the role outside the simplest HR scenarios, but the onboarding is still ordinary people operations: a signed offer letter (often with equity terms), the new hire paperwork, IP and confidentiality agreements, and a structured first few weeks. FirstHR fits this people side for a growing small company: e-signature for the offer letter and IP and confidentiality agreements, an AI onboarding wizard and task workflows for a smooth first month, document management for signed agreements, training modules and a simple HRIS for the team. To be clear about scope, FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not an engineering or project-management tool, and it does not run payroll or administer benefits, so pair it with those providers. Applicant tracking is coming soon.
Once someone accepts, onboarding centers on the offer letter (often with equity terms), the new hire paperwork, IP and confidentiality agreements, and a structured first month that sets the new leader up to lead the team.
FirstHR fits this people side for a growing small company: e-signature for the offer letter and IP and confidentiality agreements, an AI onboarding wizard and task workflows for a smooth first month, document management for signed agreements, training modules, and a simple HRIS for the team. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not an engineering or project-management tool, and it does not run payroll or administer benefits, so connect those separately. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
An engineering manager leads a team of engineers: delivery, technical direction, quality, and people development.
It is the first true people-management layer; smaller companies often need a lead or principal engineer instead.
The role varies sharply by field (software, manufacturing, mechanical, civil); name the discipline in the posting.
Civil and structural roles often require a PE license for sign-and-seal authority; software roles do not.
The role is unambiguously exempt under the executive and learned-professional exemptions; classification is not a live question.
A growing startup's first engineering manager is a real turning point; the growing-team template is written for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an engineering manager do?
An engineering manager leads a team of engineers, combining technical judgment with people leadership. The duties cluster into four areas: people leadership (coaching and developing engineers, running one-on-ones and reviews, and hiring and managing performance), delivery and direction (owning project planning and delivery, setting technical direction and standards, and managing priorities and resources), quality and process (owning engineering quality, improving process and team health, and removing blockers), and partnership and reporting (partnering with product and operations, coordinating across functions, and reporting metrics to leadership). It is the first true people-management layer in an engineering organization, distinct from a lead engineer below it and a director above. The specifics vary widely by field, from software to manufacturing to civil. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the difference between an engineering manager and a lead engineer?
They sit on different tracks. An engineering manager is a people manager: the role has direct reports, runs one-on-ones and performance reviews, owns hiring, and exists to lead a team. A lead or principal engineer is a senior individual contributor who sets technical direction, makes architecture decisions, and mentors other engineers, but does not formally manage people. The distinction matters for hiring because smaller firms and early-stage startups usually need a lead or principal engineer (a senior builder) rather than a manager, since they have senior technical talent but not yet a team large enough to require a dedicated management layer. The engineering manager title signals a company with enough engineers to need someone managing them. Decide whether you are hiring a manager of people or a senior technical contributor before you write the posting. This is general information, not legal advice.
Does a small company or startup need an engineering manager?
Often not yet. An engineering manager is the first true people-management layer, so a company only needs one once it has a team of engineers large enough that the founder or technical lead can no longer manage everyone directly, frequently around five to ten engineers. Below that, the right hire is usually a lead or principal engineer: a senior individual contributor who provides technical direction without managing people. The exception is the genuine turning point when a growing startup's team outgrows direct founder management and hires its first engineering manager to take over the team and build structure, which the growing-team template on this page is written for. A small business with no engineering team does not need this role at all. Match the hire to whether you actually have a team that needs managing. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is an engineering manager exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
An engineering manager is unambiguously exempt from overtime, so the classification is not a live question. The role qualifies under the executive exemption, because it manages a recognized team and directs the work of two or more employees, and engineers separately qualify under the learned-professional exemption, which the FLSA regulations expressly extend to engineering as a field of science requiring advanced specialized knowledge. Engineering manager pay is far above the federal salary threshold of $684 per week, so exempt status does not depend on the salary level. Unlike many frontline or hourly roles, where exempt versus non-exempt is a careful judgment and a real compliance risk, an engineering manager is a clean exempt classification with no overtime obligation. Confirm by the actual duties as a matter of good practice, but expect a straightforward exempt determination. This is general information, not legal advice.
Does an engineering manager need a PE license?
It depends entirely on the field. For civil, structural, and certain other physical-engineering management roles, a Professional Engineer (PE) license is often required, not just preferred, because every U.S. state grants sign-and-seal authority, the legal ability to stamp engineering drawings and calculations, only to licensed PEs. If the role will be responsible for sealing documents, the PE license is a hard requirement and should be stated as such. For software engineering managers and many product and mechanical roles, there is no equivalent licensure, so requiring a PE would be inappropriate and would screen out qualified candidates. The right approach is to decide whether the role carries sign-and-seal responsibility: if it does, require the PE license; if not, list relevant certifications as a plus instead. This is a field-specific credentialing question. This is general information, not legal advice.
What should an engineering manager job description include?
A strong engineering manager job description names the field up front (software, manufacturing, mechanical, civil) and includes a short company summary, a position summary that makes the people-management scope clear, and responsibilities grouped into people leadership, delivery and direction, quality and process, and partnership and reporting. It should list real qualifications (a relevant engineering degree, years of experience with team leadership, domain expertise, and a PE license where the field requires sign-and-seal authority), and state the FLSA exempt classification. Provide a good-faith pay range where required, plus an EEO statement and a clear way to apply. The most useful additions that generic templates skip are naming the specific field, since the role differs sharply across disciplines, and clarifying whether you need a manager or a lead engineer in the first place. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the difference between a software, manufacturing, and civil engineering manager?
They share the core of leading an engineering team but differ greatly in domain, requirements, and pay. A software engineering manager leads a software team, owns roadmap delivery and engineering practices, is concentrated at technology companies, and commands the highest total compensation, often with significant equity, especially at venture-funded and large tech firms. A manufacturing engineering manager leads process and equipment engineering at a production plant, works with Lean and Six Sigma, and is the most common engineering manager title outside technology. A civil or construction engineering manager leads project engineering on infrastructure or construction, must navigate codes and permits, and typically must hold a PE license for sign-and-seal authority. A mechanical engineering manager owns product design and development. Because the role varies so much, always specify the field in the job description. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does an engineering manager make?
An engineering manager is a well-paid senior role, with pay varying widely by field, company, and location. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports architectural and engineering managers (the closest federal occupation, which covers most non-software engineering managers) at a median wage of $167,740 a year as of May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent still earning more than $111,450. Software engineering managers generally earn more, and at large venture-funded and big-technology firms total compensation, heavily weighted toward equity, can reach several hundred thousand dollars. Manufacturing, mechanical, and civil engineering managers typically fall lower than software but still well into six figures. Pay reflects field, company stage, region, and team size. For a posting, benchmark to your specific field and market, and provide a good-faith range where pay transparency rules apply. This is general information, not legal advice.
