The end of the non-technical engineering manager

Two forces are reshaping the engineering manager role: organizational flattening (middle managers made up 32% of layoffs in 2023, management hiring down 43% since 2022) and AI automating coordination work. A Harvard study found Copilot adoption raised coding activity 12% while project management activity fell 25%. The managers most at risk are those whose value rested on coordination — relaying status updates and bridging information between layers. The argument is that people management skills remain necessary but are no longer sufficient. The emerging expectation is a 'compound skill': strong people leadership combined with genuine technical depth, including architectural literacy and the ability to stay close to the codebase. AI tooling now makes it feasible for busy managers to pick up tickets and prototype, raising the floor for what technical engagement looks like. Those who don't adapt risk being left behind as the role evolves.