It is not easy to know when you have reached the specific milestone. Here is a checklist to guide your process and helping you through. Whether you keep it merely informational or strive for the Senior Data Engineer position, the following material might help you to stay on track:
Note: starting from the beginning, you can check the scopes of a Data Engineer in the What is a Data Engineer article.
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You can conduct end-to-end projects with no or at least very limited guidance (e.g. to keep track of the legacy in place before you start). You are proactive and enabled.
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You have a complete overview on the business (you know what matters most for the company) and own the technical stack (you have the full picture of the toolings in place and can intervene at any steps of the process). You are a source of truth for your peers without being adamant about your viewpoints. You accept other valid solutions. You challenge but also respect code that came before you. There are probably reasons for everything that exists on production (it might even be an unclear business-related thingy people gradually became unaware of).
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You are actively involved in the road map, bringing up initiatives, and keeping track of progresses. You are a mini Tech Lead and can support him on demand.
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You can effectively communicate with non-technical employees, interpret and deliver on requests with minimal technical information. You are a relatable touch point for stakeholders, project managers and project owners.
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You get involve with hiring for your team, leading (technical) interviews and presented technical assessments. You can support the Team Lead on demand to maintain a high bar for hiring quality candidates.
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You are accountable for issues and errors to occur and can provide significant support for the team. You are a problem-solver. You do not pass the blame but rather stop the buck.
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You have a track record of delivered products, projects and meaningful contributions across the board. You provide scalable solutions for high risk projects without over-engineering. You can stay pragmatic.
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You constantly stay in tune with the current and emerging technologies. You share your findings with your peers and build small prototypes.
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You can accurately estimate the scopes of your projects, timelines and deliver on the commitments you made. You can make your work measurable.
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You are disambiguating ambiguous problem statements, constantly asking “why” until you get to the root of the problems and situations.
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You maintain a high quality, genuine and trustworthy network even outside your organization or core department. You have strong endorsements to help you navigate and grow in the company. You can pinpoint referrals and recommend precise people for mentorship. You know who works on what, with whom, when and how. You can explain what other people on the team are busy with.
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You keep your manager on track in the loop but without drawing him in unnecessary details (e.g. sticking to data points). You can keep people up-to-date in an efficient manner while writing professional emails.
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You are good at mentoring. You are the one others refer and come to for guidance and advice. You are reachable and trustworthy. You are involved in multiples projects as consultant, reviewer and mentor. You can provide constructive feedbacks while staying away from politic or office gossiping. Praise or say nothing but never diminish another co-worker.
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When working on a project, focus on action and delivery but without over-compromising on quality. You manage to push back if required. You strive for high-quality work (even from others e.g. during PR reviews) but without stretching yourself too thin to be effective. You relentlessly simply code, systems and architectures without overdoing it. You know where the good balance stands. When the incremental cost to develop is too high, you proactively prioritizing fixing the technical debt.
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You documentation extensively (e.g. via readme, docstrings or Confluence) the “why” more than the “how” and demand it from others. You are involved in grooming incoming requests and actively manage onboardings or off-boardings or your peers.
Note: This aforementioned list is highly suggestive. It is the result of my personal observations, looking at the Seniors performing at best in the different workplaces I have worked by and scrutinizing what is expected from managers, mentors and C-people. I am every now and then skimming through it to know where I am at. May this help you defining your own agenda and leading effective 1-1s with your manager. All the best 💪🏻