Levels & Grades

1. How the Framework Fits Together

Read the framework from the broadest company layer down to the individual seat: Organisation → Department → Team → Sub-team → Position → Employee / Incumbent Level / Grade is not a separate branch in this chain. It is attached to each Position and provides a common company-wide measure of seniority and capability. Reports To then connects one Position to another to form the reporting hierarchy.

Layer / Field	What it tells the user
Department	Which major business function owns the work?
Team / Sub-team	Which stable functional group does the position belong to?
Position	What structural seat exists in the organisation?
Level / Grade	How senior or experienced is the position relative to positions across the company?
Position Title	What designation is used for the role in that department or business context?
Reports To	Which Position is the primary manager / parent in the org chain?
Employee / Incumbent	Who currently occupies the Position?

A grid. Rows are grade bands: L50 Head, L30 Manager, L10 Officer. Columns are chart levels one to three, derived from reports-to. Four seats are placed on the grid: Head of Operations at grade L50 level 1; Ops Manager North at grade L30 level 2; Senior Officer at grade L30 but level 3, showing grade and level differ; Field Officer at grade L10 level 3. Each seat shows its title, designation, code and current holder.

How Organisation, Department, Team, Position, and Employee fit together — and where Grade and Level sit in that chain.

2. Levels: Understanding Why Level and Position Title Are Different

Levels create a common company-wide language for seniority and capability. They should be defined consistently across the organisation, while departments remain free to use the position titles that make sense for their work. A department only needs the levels required by its target structure; it is not necessary to create a position at every level.

Core rule

Title tells you what the person is called or what role they perform. Level tells you where the Position stands within the organisation.

This distinction is especially important across departments. Two people may both need the title “Manager” for their department, customer interactions or industry context, but that does not mean the organisation should treat both positions as the same level.

Department	Position Title	Level	Illustrative relevant experience
Marketing	Marketing Manager	L30	~4 years
Procurement	Procurement Manager	L50	~20 years

Both positions can legitimately use the title Manager. However, the L50 Procurement Manager represents a more senior organisational level than the L30 Marketing Manager. When people from different departments interact, the level gives them a common reference for the experience, scope and authority expected from the position. Experience ranges are useful indicators, but years of experience should not be the only factor. Level design should also consider the complexity of work, decision-making authority, accountability, leadership scope, independence and organisational impact.

Principle	Meaning
Same title != same level	The word “Manager” may be used at L30 in one function and L50 in another when the roles differ in seniority and scope.
Same level != same title	Different functions may use different titles while positions remain comparable in organisational standing.
Levels are standardised	The meaning of L30, L40, L50, etc. should be consistent across the company.
Titles are flexible	Departments may choose titles appropriate to their work, market and business needs.

3. Grade Master Reference

Grade master table listing organisation levels from L00 Intern through L91 CEO, with separate governance categories for Board Members and Investors

The common grade master runs from L00 (Intern) through L91 (CEO), with separate governance categories such as Board Members and Investors.

4. Level Design Questions and Rules

Question	Recommended rule	Example
Does every department need every level?	No. Use only the levels required by the target organisation design.	A Talent Acquisition sub-team may start at L20 and report into a team-level Manager at L50.
Can two positions have the same level?	Yes. Same level means peer seniority, not the same job.	CTO, CFO, COO and CRO may all be L90.
Can one level have many seats?	Yes. Each seat must have its own Position ID / serial number.	Four VP positions may exist at L80 for different portfolios.
Can an employee skip a level on promotion?	Yes, if the approved target position is at the higher level. The employee moves to the new position; the grade structure itself is not edited.	L31 Senior Executive → L40 Assistant Manager.
Should the level be changed to suit an employee’s salary/title?	No. First classify the position correctly; handle compensation separately within policy.	Do not create a new grade only because one person has a special title.
Can the same Position Title exist at different levels?	Yes. Titles are department/business designations; level is the company-wide indicator of seniority.	Marketing Manager at L30 and Procurement Manager at L50 can both use the title “Manager”.
Does the Position Title decide the level?	No. Classify the position using the approved level criteria, then choose a suitable title for the role.	Do not move an L30 position to L50 only because the employee is called “Manager”.

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Glossary

1. How the Framework Fits Together

2. Levels: Understanding Why Level and Position Title Are Different

3. Grade Master Reference

4. Level Design Questions and Rules

​1. How the Framework Fits Together

​2. Levels: Understanding Why Level and Position Title Are Different

​3. Grade Master Reference

​4. Level Design Questions and Rules

​Related Guides

1. How the Framework Fits Together

2. Levels: Understanding Why Level and Position Title Are Different

3. Grade Master Reference

4. Level Design Questions and Rules

Related Guides