I am L6 at Amazon in Product Marketing/MGMT in Seattle office with 8 yoe and TC of 225K. Didn't get promo for 2 years so started exploring outside and have a verbal offer from Autodesk at Director level (San Rafael HQ) For folks at Autodesk, what grade/level is that? And what can I expect for compensation? How expensive is San Rafael to live? Is Director the right level? For other folks, any view on how this move may impact my career? Perception of Autodesk vs Amazon. Will it be a downgrade? Would you take this move? I think the role scope is as big as L7 at Amazon based on my understanding during interviews but from outside it always isn't 100% clear. I am in process of interviewing elsewhere but those will take time. Thanks.
Which org / dept is it it in, without giving yourself away? Generally, I feel the revenue centers fare a bit better than the cost centers, but that’s solely based on my experience in DPE. Autodesk has a bloated middle. There’s a lot of middle management that is improperly structured or just bad, and not enough folks on the ground who are executing. Don’t know if it’s because of the reorgs (don’t think it is), but there’s a general lack of good decision making, poor collaboration and incentive alignment across different teams. The good news is that they do seem to be aware of this. The bad news is that they have been aware of this for months/ years now, and nothing seems to have changed yet although there is now a focus on it from CEO staff. At the end of the day, it is a 35 year old middle-aged company that is trying to transform into a cloud-first world (and struggling very badly) Now as a Director, you might have a better role and more power over defining that culture within your team. But so far, I have seen good people be dragged into the “Autodesk way of doing things” more than the opposite. I echo everything the above answer said. Especially that part about “Its a good company, but it’s painful to work for”. I feel like I have to fight the organization everyday for me to do good work. And I’m trying to get out myself. Good luck!
This is a biased opinion, but here goes. While the title change is probably going to be helpful to your career in the long run, be prepared for the shit show you are entering. Autodesk is a big, old tech company so lots of secrecy and everyone is more concerned with covering their ass than anything else. I know that exists everywhere, but the silos of information and general lack of communication makes things difficult. That and there are constant reorgs. One every year or so. They often don’t affect day to day stuff, but it can make it difficult to pin down organization goals or focus if the leadership constantly changes. Overall best of luck. I hope the move came with a significant raise not just in TC but in base pay. San Rafael is not a cheap place to live. The surrounding area is not mich cheaper either. Don’t get me wrong there are some good people around at autodesk, but the organization makes it hard for them to flourish. It’s all about who is the most visible not who gets the best work done. Stay safe. It’s dangerous out there.
Solid reply
What office?