Learn English – meaning of “staff” in the title “senior staff software engineer”

word-meaning

What's meaning of the word staff when it is used in a person's title called senior staff software engineer?

The dictionary definition for this word is the group of people who work for an organization, but it is just one person here. So apparently, it doesn't make sense here.

Best Answer

When staff appears in a title, it indicates a higher level in the hierarchy than for the same title without the word staff. Here is an example (from high rank to low):

  • Senior Staff Software Engineer
  • Senior Software Engineer
  • Software Engineer
  • Junior Software Engineer

Elements of job titles do not have globally defined meanings. What staff means may differ from company to company, but in many companies, staff will be experienced personnel who can be called in to help straighten out projects in need of guidance, acting as a knowledge or resource pool rather than as line programmers.

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