COMPETENCY	ASSOCIATE SOFTWARE ENGINEER	SOFTWARE ENGINEER	SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER	PRINCIPAL ENGINEER
Accountability - Takes responsibility for the final outcome/results of a project, an assignment or a promised action. Does so with a can do attitude and a commitment to deliver as promised. This includes the process followed to achieve the result. It is expected that over time the assignments one takes on have increasing impact on the AD organization and/or company.	Failure to achieve results can be recovered from quickly and easily with minor impact	Failure to achieve results can normally be overcome without serious ramifications	Failure to achieve results might cause schedule delays and will likely result in the allocation of more resources	Failure to achieve results will cause schedule delays and a re-allocation of resources is a certainty.
Communication - Conveys information and ideas with a premium on clarity, simplicity and conciseness. Such communication should be fact-based.	Communication is dominated by asking questions. Demonstrates active listening skills	Engages in give-and-take technical conversations demonstrating a rapidly-expanding knowledge base. Contributes to the dialogue with input and questions	Able to communicate information (not always fact-based) to a primarily technical audience.	Able to communicate fact-based information of moderate technical complexity to a technical and non-technical audience. A business perspective is part of the dialogue. Will seek facts when not available.
Customer Focus - Seeks to understand and proactively meet customer needs. Builds productive customer relationships by taking responsibility for customer satisfaction and loyalty.	Mostly indirect interaction with customers. Should listen and ask lots of questions.	Seeks information about customers by proactively seeking out those that understand customer needs.	When the opportunity presents itself, will sit in with customers to listen and ask questions.	Begins to anticipate what can help customers. With customers, able to carry on a dialogue.
Innovation - Generates unique ideas (e.g. product) or approaches (e.g. process) to problems across a range of complexity and impact. Greater efficiency or a new opportunity will typically result.	Asks questions and demonstrates a level of curiosity.	Demonstrates innovation by doing whatever is necessary to accelerate one’s learning curve.	Capable of modifying established approaches by introducing appropriate technology that results in a better solution, increased quality and/or greater efficiency.	Routinely applies new approaches as a direct result of one’s own initiative that results in a better solution, increased quality and/or greater efficiency.
Learning & Development - Actively identifies new areas for learning.Regularly creates/takes advantage of learning opportunities. Uses newly gained knowledge and skill on job. As one applies such learning & progresses in their career, they are expected to act independently and require less direction and oversight. There is also an expectation of coaching others and producing re-usable training artifacts.	Works to establish oneself as a team player upon whom others can rely. Focused on developing one’s own knowledge and skills. Is highly dependent on others for individual success.	Contributes in team settings primarily by building on the thoughts and ideas of others. Begins to extend one’s knowledge base due to curiosity or assignment	Fosters teamwork and cooperation across a project. Helps develop others by voluntarily sharing information that is not readily available. Introduces new thoughts and ideas that advance the conversation.	Helps develop others by making oneself available to discuss ideas. Understands the value of producing re-usable artifacts that others can leverage. Demonstrates a proactive point of view by envisioning issues that threaten success and confronting such issues.
Planning & Organizing - Effectively manages one’s time and resources with increasing efficiency. Does so with a progressively greater level of demonstrated technical proficiency.	Thinks and acts "locally" - will plan one’s own work. Will frequently fall behind on assignments requiring close supervision and involvement to rectify. Unlikely to get oneself out of the problem. Will guess – work breakdown does not come naturally.	Understands dependencies and how one’s own deliverables fit the larger picture. Will often fall behind, recognize it and need a sounding board to assist. Will produce high level estimates – detailed work breakdown is conceptually understood but not practiced	Understands the ramifications of dependencies and will re-arrange work on one’s own accordingly for the overall schedule. Will fall behind schedule as frequently as will be ahead. Will typically be able to overcome the challenge. Doing detailed work breakdown – often overlooks important aspects.	Is in control of a schedule/plan – not vice versa. Commands the critical path and understands dependencies. Plans and schedules are supported by detailed understanding.
Problem Solving - Demonstrates initiative and a sense of urgency in confronting issues of increasing technical complexity. Effectively chooses a course of action that leads to a positive result.	Able to grasp and apply basic problem solving techniques that lead to fact-based conclusions. Writes code from detailed design specifications. Will require assistance when developing unit tests. Will require oversight and help on a regular basis in order to deliver on schedule and at the required level of quality.	Develops solutions to problems in which the approach is known within a software organization. Designs software subsystems for complex applications building in a high degree of system reliability efficiency and schedule predictability. Codes and debugs software for complex applications with a high degree of efficiency and extensibility. Plans and carries out the testing of software at the application level where advanced techniques might be required. Isolates and corrects complex problems typically found at the application level.	Develops solutions to problems in which the approach is known within the industry. Specifies, designs and takes responsibility for several modules – the equivalent of a s/w subsystem. Codes and debugs from general design specifications. Develops and executes unit tests. Capable of locating and fixing problems found in moderately complex software. More efficient at doing so in one’s own code.	·Completes assignments requiring original solutions. Independently designs software subsystems of moderate complexity. Considers and delivers on scalability, performance and extensibility. Routinely works with complex software – not necessarily one’s own. Isolates and corrects complex problems at a subsystem level.
Professionalism - Creates a good first impression. Commands attention and respect for self and company.Displays maturity, integrity and demeanor of self-control. Over time, sustained professionalism is a cornerstone of leadership.	Is open to opportunities to better oneself.	Seeks out opportunities to better oneself and begin to establish a reputation.	Builds upon reputation by making an impact on a departmental level.	Demonstrated an ability to win and hold the trust of others across the AD organization. Fosters collaboration.
Relationship Building - Develops and uses collaborative relationships to facilitate team-building in order to accomplish work.	Builds trust and understanding among a small number of colleagues.	Works to establish oneself as someone others can rely on.	Demonstrates concern for others and the overall success of the team.	Adds a unique perspective that knits together the ideas and contributions of others, thereby advancing the agenda.
Work Ethics - Supports the software organization’s culture and guiding principles. Protects the company legally by following all appropriate internal policies and procedures.	Shows evidence of understanding what is expected.	Demonstrates strong alignment with the organization’s guiding principles.	Performs all work per guiding principles. Recognition of corporate level policies and procedures.	Contributes to the advancement of the organization’s principles.