job title structure

Operator

Sr. Operator

Jr. Technician

Technician / Jr. Specialist

Sr. Technician / Specialist

Sr. Specialist

Jr. Analyst

Analyst

Sr. Analyst

Expert

Sr. Expert

Principial Expert

Supervisor

Team Manager

Manager

Sr. Manager

Director

16
15
14
13
12
11
10
09
08
07
06
05
04
03
02
01

Un-/Semi-Skill-Labor

Middle-Skill-Labor

High-Skill-Labor / Professionals

Manager

For a job title structure, market and organizational-specific requirements are taken into account. Ideally, a job title should be structured as below:

  • Rank + Title + Expertise
  • Senior + Specialist + Finance

Alternatively, it should be provided with a professional designation:

  • Senior + Controller

Based on the results of an organizational analysis and a job evaluation, a company job title structure that is consistent across all organizational units can be developed.

In this example, jobs for unskilled or semi-skilled workers are referred to as ‘Operator’ or ‘Senior Operator’ depending on the grade. Leadership positions for which a gradar grade 12 or 13 was determined are called ‘Managers’. Titles are supplemented with the relevant field of work, such as ‘Operator Logistics’ or ‘Operator Production’ and ‘Manager Accounting’ or ‘Manager HR Administration’.

Management Career Path

Management Career
CEO
CxO
Executive Vice President
Vice President
Director
Team Leader
Managing Director
Extended Board Member
Team Manager
President

Management job titles are the embodiment of company culture. They may serve as a status symbol or as a purely functional designation. Ideally, a manager should focus on the disciplinary and organizational leadership of employees and organizational units. The professional should contribute mainly through the application and development of specific, technical expertise.

However, in the operational reality of many organizations, managers are often regarded as experts and take on technical tasks as a result. This may hinder the actual management process. For example, the title of ‘Director’ in the UK was once reserved for board members only but is used extensively in US-American companies.

Engineering Career Path

Engineering Career
Fellow
Distinguished Engineer
Senior Technical Expert
Technical Expert
Senior Engineer
Engineer
Junior Engineer
Senior Architect
Architect
Trainee

For engineering jobs there is often a natural progression through entry, intermediate and senior level positions. Job at the highest level are usually reserved for incumbents based on expertise, business need or functional responsibility.

Technical / Production Career Path

Technical / Production Career
Supervisor
Technician
Craftsman
Worker
Apprentice
Foreman
Master Craftsman
Tradesman
Operator
Operative

In this path, you often find designations for skilled trades such as a carpenter, electrician, fitter, mason, mechanic, mechatronic, metal worker, plumber and welder, amongst others.

Specialist Career Path

Specialist Career
Principal
Senior Expert
Expert
Senior Specialist
Specialist
Junior Specialist
Head of
Trainee

The notion of a specialist career path often results in a two-tier construction. The lower half may be part of a consecutive career where there is a natural progression through entry, intermediate and senior level jobs. The upper half, however, is only accessible based on outstanding expertise, business need or functional responsibilities.

Consulting Career Path

Consulting Career
Partner
Associate Partner
Managing Consultant
Senior Consultant
Consultant
Associate Consultant
Business Analyst
Senior Manager
Manager

Consulting firms usually work with very clear career paths where the levels are linked to competencies shown, roles in a project and hourly rates.

Support Career Path

Support Career
Lead Clerk
Senior Clerk
Clerk
Junior Clerk
Apprentice
Lead Administrator
Senior Administrator
Administrator
Junior Administrator
Lead Advisor
Senior Advisor
Advisor
Junior Advisor

Jobs from the support career path are mostly associated with semi-skilled or skilled labor positions. While general office jobs may require a high-school diploma and some on-the-job training, specialized jobs such as accountants or case workers will typically be required to complete an apprenticeship or associate’s degree.

Project Management Career Path

Project Management Career
Project Director
Senior Project Director
Project Manager
Project Coordinator
Project Assistant
Senior Project Leader
Project Leader

Project managers plan, develop, monitor, control and execute projects. They do everything from leading groups of skilled workers to designing the structure and schedule of the project. Different titles of project management jobs may correlate with the overall responsibility for a project or the size of a project.

Sales Career Path

Sales Career
VP of Sales
Sales Director
Sales Manager
Sales Representative
Sales Trainee
Senior Project Leader
Project Leader
Key Account Manager
Sales Person
Sales Coordinator
Account Executive
Sales Consultant

Sales titles may be linked to responsibilities, turnover and complexity of clients or products. District, Regional, National and International are typical attributes to describe a geographic responsibility.

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