Engineering department org chart
This engineering org chart shows a 12-person department in three levels. The **VP Engineering** sits at the top, four team leads sit below, and seven engineers report to those leads. It is for managers and team leads who need a clear view of who owns what, who approves what, and where escalations go.
Example: Org chart for an engineering department: click to open it in the editor and change it.
Roles and reporting lines
| Role | Area | Reports to | Direct reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| VP Engineering | Engineering | Top of chart | 4 leads |
| Frontend Lead | Web & mobile | VP Engineering | React Developer, Android Developer, iOS Developer |
| Backend Lead | Platform | VP Engineering | API Developer, Data Engineer |
| QA Lead | Quality | VP Engineering | QA Engineer |
| DevOps Lead | Infrastructure | VP Engineering | SRE |
Each color marks one team. Every engineer has exactly one owner, so there is one clear person to approve their work and handle their escalations.
Hand-offs and decision points
- Decisions within a team stop at its lead. For example, the Backend Lead owns calls about the API Developer and Data Engineer.
- Decisions that involve two teams, such as frontend and backend, have only one shared owner on the chart: the VP Engineering.
- Hand-offs between teams cross from one lead to another. The chart shows no direct line between those leads.
Where this process usually slows down
- VP Engineering is the single approval point for all four teams. Any exception that crosses teams can queue there.
- QA Lead and DevOps Lead each have only one report. The QA Engineer and SRE have no backup, which is a coverage risk for SLAs.
- Frontend Lead manages three platforms (web, Android, iOS). Reviews can pile up there.
How to adapt it for your project
- Replace the role names with your own titles and add real people's names.
- Write approval limits next to each lead, such as budget, release sign-off, or on-call changes.
- Add a backup or deputy for single-person teams.
- If several roles share one manager, say so with a dotted note rather than a second reporting line.
Tip: Keep one owner per box. If a role truly reports to two people, write that down as an exception instead of drawing two solid lines.
Frequently asked questions
How many levels are in this engineering org chart?
There are three levels. The VP Engineering is at the top, four team leads are in the middle, and seven individual engineers are at the bottom.
Who reports to the VP Engineering?
Four people report to the VP Engineering: the Frontend Lead, the Backend Lead, the QA Lead and the DevOps Lead.
Where does the SRE sit in an engineering org chart?
In this chart, the SRE reports to the DevOps Lead and works in the Infrastructure team, with a focus on reliability.
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