What does a staff engineer do?
Staff engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and inspecting various products, equipment, or structures. These professionals may perform varied duties depending on their specialization that includes overseeing the design and construction of buildings, bridges, sewer systems, and other infrastructure, estimating the financial costs of construction projects, and ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and regulations. Other duties include designing and developing machinery, tools, and engines, solving design problems, and building the manufacturing equipment needed to create their products.
Staff engineer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real staff engineer resumes:
- Manage complete design flow: schematic creation, layout design, PCB fabrication, parts procurement and assembly.
- Develop and manage technical procedures for quality control to comply with ISO laboratory accreditation.
- Implement a process for reusing SilverStream Java custom reports and UI code on a ColdFusion server saving 1.5 man-years of development.
- Develop and document communication stack API, enabling parallel development of third-party stack and UI interface.
- Participate in relocating network infrastructure, server farm, network monitoring and IP telephony to another data center.
- Web pages contain HTML and JavaScript.
- Develop cure cycles, process windows and specific formulations for rocket programs.
- Implement microservices, to interact with the backend in a distribute manner.
- Create, test, and market a windows program for estimating concrete construction materials.
- Design hardware and software for high speed math functions for a control guidance system.
- Develop a set of test scripts in PERL and modify a few existing one.
- Utilize HP-BSA and VMWare to design and stand up multiple production and development data centers.
- Supervise development of MATLAB gui-base GPR data quality assurance tool allowing data validation in the field.
- Conduct walk test to measure existing macro site coverage and expect coverage from propose DAS antennas.
- Implement the preventative maintenance program, and upgrade PLC programs as processes change and requirements demand.
Staff engineer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Staff Engineers are proficient in Java, Python, and Architecture. They’re also known for soft skills such as Creativity, Listening skills, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Staff Engineers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Java, 15%
Completed Java and Linux Administration training.
- Python, 10%
Developed automated data processing platform using Python to correlate in-line performance metrics to final system level acoustic performance.
- Architecture, 7%
Generated and defined systems requirements and architecture for GPRS-based mobile cellular handset products using inputs from customers and marketing.
- Software Development, 4%
Assessed the Space Station software development efforts at NASA centers - Developed an activity based software development estimating system
- Project Management, 4%
Project Management - Budget development, project initiation, planning and management of Regeneration and Amplification construction projects.
- API, 3%
Developed and documented communication stack API, enabling parallel development of third-party stack and UI interface.
Common skills that a staff engineer uses to do their job include "java," "python," and "architecture." You can find details on the most important staff engineer responsibilities below.
Creativity. One of the key soft skills for a staff engineer to have is creativity. You can see how this relates to what staff engineers do because "mechanical engineers design and build complex pieces of equipment and machinery." Additionally, a staff engineer resume shows how staff engineers use creativity: "utilized inventer cad software and ansys non-linear fea. "
Listening skills. Another essential skill to perform staff engineer duties is listening skills. Staff engineers responsibilities require that "mechanical engineers often work on projects with others, such as architects and computer scientists." Staff engineers also use listening skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "organize new product concept and design reviews and communicated with customers for customized hdd specifications and features. "
Math skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of staff engineers is math skills. This skill is critical to many everyday staff engineer duties, as "mechanical engineers use the principles of calculus, statistics, and other advanced subjects in math for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "modified ddr model and iss cpu model to get more realistic estimates of performance statistics by adding timing annotations. "
Mechanical skills. For certain staff engineer responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "mechanical skills." The day-to-day duties of a staff engineer rely on this skill, as "mechanical skills allow engineers to apply basic engineering concepts and mechanical processes to the design of new devices and systems." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what staff engineers do: "provided design and troubleshooting expertise on various electronic, mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic control systems throughout two factories. "
Problem-solving skills. A commonly-found skill in staff engineer job descriptions, "problem-solving skills" is essential to what staff engineers do. Staff engineer responsibilities rely on this skill because "mechanical engineers need good problem-solving skills to take scientific principles and discoveries and use them to design and build useful products." You can also see how staff engineer duties rely on problem-solving skills in this resume example: "debugged and resolved products defects extensively and efficiently on user interface components of dvr set top box in java. "
The three companies that hire the most staff engineers are:
- VMware249 staff engineers jobs
- RGA Environmental, A Terracon Company58 staff engineers jobs
- Peloton Interactive, Inc.47 staff engineers jobs
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Compare different staff engineers
Staff engineer vs. Research and development engineer
Research and development engineers generally execute research and tests on product ideas, develop new products, and perform redesigns. They are employed in many industries, including manufacturing, electrical, and science-based companies. Their duties vary and depend on the industries they work in. Responsibilities of these engineers include developing new technologies, designing products, and managing the projects until they are completed. Additionally, they lead the project team members to manage their schedules, design the project plans, and collaborate with key departments in developing new products.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, staff engineer responsibilities require skills like "architecture," "software development," "ongoing development," and "system design." Meanwhile a typical research and development engineer has skills in areas such as "c #," "solidworks," "patients," and "prototype." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Research and development engineers earn the highest salaries when working in the technology industry, with an average yearly salary of $107,654. On the other hand, staff engineers are paid more in the telecommunication industry with an average salary of $119,079.The education levels that research and development engineers earn slightly differ from staff engineers. In particular, research and development engineers are 2.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a staff engineer. Additionally, they're 0.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Staff engineer vs. Product development engineer
A Product Development Engineer is responsible for creating and testing new product designs. They collaborate with market researchers to evaluate market needs, existing competition, and potential costs.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real staff engineer resumes. While staff engineer responsibilities can utilize skills like "python," "architecture," "software development," and "api," product development engineers use skills like "solidworks," "product design," "prototype," and "fea."
Product development engineers may earn a lower salary than staff engineers, but product development engineers earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $86,062. On the other hand, staff engineers receive higher pay in the telecommunication industry, where they earn an average salary of $119,079.product development engineers earn similar levels of education than staff engineers in general. They're 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for staff engineers in the next 3-5 years?
Andrea Welker Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Engineering Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Villanova University
Staff engineer vs. Senior mechanical engineer
A senior mechanical engineer is responsible for designing and improving mechanical equipment, as well as industrial devices and machinery. Senior mechanical engineers verify the materials and resources, ensuring that the processes meet the budget goals from clients' specifications and requirements. They also monitor the manufacturing process, developing strategic procedures for operations improvement, and maximizing staff productivity. A senior mechanical engineer runs multiple diagnostic tests to guarantee the stability and efficiency of the item and coordinating with the client for any plan adjustments as needed.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from staff engineer resumes include skills like "java," "python," "architecture," and "software development," whereas a senior mechanical engineer is more likely to list skills in "mechanical engineering," "solidworks," "mechanical design," and "mechanical systems. "
Senior mechanical engineers earn the best pay in the energy industry, where they command an average salary of $105,778. Staff engineers earn the highest pay from the telecommunication industry, with an average salary of $119,079.When it comes to education, senior mechanical engineers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to staff engineers. In fact, they're 1.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Staff engineer vs. Senior principal engineer
A senior principal engineer is responsible for leading engineering tasks within an organization and reports project updates to senior management. Senior principal engineers develop strategic methods and principles to improve the technical stability and efficiency of the company's systems, creating business proposals according to clients' specifications, and negotiating contracts with suppliers and other service providers. They also train new staff and identify innovations and business opportunities that would generate more revenue resources for the company.
Types of staff engineer
Updated January 8, 2025
