Role Library

The role library.

Real roles, each written as an ARA spec in the MAY / MUST / CAN format. Same structure throughout — which is what makes handoffs legible: one role's MUST … to → is another role's input.

Sales DirectorReports to · CEO
Authority
MAY
Sign contractsup to $150,000 · else → CEO
MAY
Discount a saleup to 7% of value · else → CEO
MAY
Commit the quarterly sales budgetup to $50,000 / qtr · else → CEO
MAY
Spend the discretionary fundup to $10,000 / yr · else → CEO
Responsibility
MUST
Keep the approved product list currentto → Sales Executives · when it changes
MUST
Deliver the pipeline reportto → CEO · weekly, Fri 17:00
Ability
CAN
Administer Salesforce (CRM)
CAN
Build reports & dashboards in Salesforce and Excel
CAN
Manage lead & contract data in Salesforce
Sales ExecutiveReports to · Sales Director
Authority
MAY
Sign contractsup to $70,000 · else → Sales Director
MAY
Discount a saleup to 5% of value · else → Sales Director
MAY NOT
Sell outside the approved product list→ Sales Director
Responsibility
MUST
Close new businessto → Sales Director · against quarterly target
MUST
Inform the PMO of new sales & detailsto → PMO · within 24h of signing
MUST
Keep deal status current in Salesforceto → the shared pipeline · on every change
Ability
CAN
Salesforce CRM administration & lead management
CAN
Sales reporting & dashboards in Salesforce and Excel
CAN
Proposal & pitch decks in PowerPoint
Customer Success ManagerReports to · Head of Customer Success
Authority
MAY
Issue account creditsup to $2,000 · else → Head of CS
MAY
Approve renewals at list priceup to $50k ARR · else → Head of CS
Responsibility
MUST
Deliver a health-score report per accountto → Head of CS · monthly
MUST
Escalate at-risk accountsto → Head of CS · within 48h of a red signal
Ability
CAN
Salesforce & Intercom administration
CAN
Churn-risk analysis in Excel
CAN
QBR decks in PowerPoint / Google Slides
CAN
Certified Customer Success Manager (CCSM)
Operations AnalystReports to · Operations Director
Authority
MAY
Approve a process changeup to £50,000 capex · else → senior review
MAY
Reallocate a shift within a depotelse → Ops Director
MAY NOT
Change depot headcount→ Ops Director
Responsibility
MUST
Deliver a depot performance briefingto → Ops Director · monthly
MUST
Flag any depot breaching the 4-hour SLAto → Ops Director · same day
Ability
CAN
Lean Six Sigma (DMAIC) process analysis
CAN
Root-cause analysis (5 Whys, Ishikawa)
CAN
Data analysis in Excel; briefings in Microsoft Word
Chief of StaffReports to · CEO
Authority
MAY
Set the board-meeting agendaCEO may override
MAY
Reprioritise the exec team's OKRsCEO may override
MAY NOT
Issue financial guidance→ CFO
Responsibility
MUST
Deliver the board briefingto → the Board · 48h before each meeting
MUST
Maintain the company OKR trackerto → Exec team · weekly
Ability
CAN
Executive briefing writing (BLUF)
CAN
Prioritisation with an impact/urgency matrix
CAN
Data synthesis in Excel; decks in PowerPoint
CAN
PMP (Project Management Professional)
Product OwnerReports to · Product Manager
Authority
MAY
Prioritise the team backlogwithin the sprint goal · else → Product Manager
MAY
Accept or reject a completed storyagainst acceptance criteria · else → Product Manager
MAY NOT
Change committed release scope→ Product Manager
Responsibility
MUST
Keep the backlog refined & orderedto → the delivery team · before each sprint
MUST
Write acceptance criteria per storyto → the delivery team · before sprint planning
MUST
Report sprint outcomesto → Product Manager · each sprint review
Ability
CAN
Write user stories & acceptance criteria (INVEST)
CAN
Backlog management in Jira
CAN
Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO)
Product ManagerReports to · Product Director
Authority
MAY
Decide what ships nextwithin the agreed roadmap · else → Product Director
MAY
Reprioritise the area roadmapwithin quarterly goals · else → Product Director
MAY NOT
Commit delivery dates externally→ Product Director
MAY NOT
Change pricing→ Product Director
Responsibility
MUST
Deliver a prioritised area roadmapto → delivery teams & stakeholders · quarterly
MUST
Deliver a validated PRD per initiativeto → the delivery team · before build
MUST
Report outcome metrics (adoption, retention)to → Product Director · monthly
Ability
CAN
Product discovery & user research (JTBD, interviews)
CAN
Roadmap & PRD authoring (Productboard, Confluence)
CAN
Product analytics (SQL, Amplitude)
Product DirectorReports to · Chief Product Officer
Authority
MAY
Set the portfolio strategy & roadmapwithin the company OKRs · else → CPO
MAY
Approve product investmentup to £250,000 · else → CPO
MAY
Shape the PM teamwithin the headcount plan · else → CPO
MAY NOT
Set the company OKRs→ CPO
Responsibility
MUST
Deliver the portfolio roadmap & strategyto → the exec team · quarterly
MUST
Deliver a product performance reviewto → the exec team · monthly
MUST
Maintain the product operating modelto → the PM team · ongoing
Ability
CAN
Product strategy & portfolio prioritisation
CAN
PM team leadership & coaching
CAN
Financial modelling for product investment (Excel)
Programme DirectorReports to · COO
Authority
MAY
Commit delivery dateswithin the resourced plan · else → COO
MAY
Reallocate people across projectswithin the programme · else → COO
MAY NOT
Change a project's scope or budget→ the sponsor
Responsibility
MUST
Initiate delivery on each new signed dealto → the delivery teams · on handover from Sales
MUST
Distribute project status & availabilityto → the organisation · weekly
MUST
Maintain the delivery roadmapto → stakeholders · ongoing
Ability
CAN
Programme & delivery management (Agile / SAFe)
CAN
Resource & capacity planning
CAN
Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) certified
Engineering ManagerReports to · Head of Engineering
Authority
MAY
Approve merges to mainwithin the CI gates · else → Head of Engineering
MAY
Set the team's technical standardswithin architecture guardrails · else → Head of Engineering
MAY
Shape the engineering teamwithin the headcount plan · else → Head of Engineering
MAY NOT
Commit delivery dates externally→ Product Manager
Responsibility
MUST
Deliver working, tested incrementsto → Product Owner · each sprint
MUST
Report delivery health & riskto → Head of Engineering · weekly
MUST
Keep on-call & incident cover staffedto → the team · ongoing
Ability
CAN
Technical leadership & code review
CAN
Team management & 1:1 coaching
CAN
CI/CD pipeline design
Software EngineerReports to · Engineering Manager
Authority
MAY
Open a PR targeting ciwithin the ticket scope · else → Engineering Manager
MAY NOT
Merge to main→ the completion gate
Responsibility
MUST
Commit after every change, pushed immediatelyto → origin · continuously
MUST
Write unit & component teststo → the codebase · alongside the code
MUST
Comment the build & test summaryto → the Jira Deliverable · on completion
Ability
CAN
Service development (Python / TypeScript)
CAN
Write unit & component tests
CAN
Git conventions & ruff (lint / format)
Test DeveloperReports to · Engineering Manager
Authority
MAY
Reject a build that fails acceptance criteriaelse → Engineering Manager
MAY NOT
Write the engineer's unit tests→ Software Engineer
MAY NOT
Sign off untested state-mutating flows→ Engineering Manager
Responsibility
MUST
Write behaviour, edge & integration teststo → the codebase · alongside implementation
MUST
Add data-level assertions for state-mutating flowsto → the test suite · on every such flow
MUST
Report test coverage & gapsto → Engineering Manager · each build
Ability
CAN
Behaviour, edge & integration test design
CAN
Contract & data-level assertion testing
CAN
Test automation (pytest, Playwright)
Finance Business PartnerReports to · Finance Director
Authority
MAY
Approve spend against an owned budgetup to £25,000 · else → Finance Director
MAY
Release a purchase orderup to £10,000 · else → Finance Director
MAY NOT
Approve spend outside the agreed budget→ Finance Director
MAY NOT
Change accounting treatment→ the Controller
Responsibility
MUST
Deliver the unit's monthly management accountsto → the unit head · by working day 5
MUST
Deliver a rolling forecastto → Finance Director · monthly
MUST
Flag budget variances over 10%to → the unit head · same week
Ability
CAN
Financial modelling & forecasting (Excel)
CAN
Management reporting (Power BI)
CAN
Qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA)

Where the specs connect

Because every role uses the same shape, the org's wiring shows up between the specs — not in a separate process document. Follow one artifact: the output of a role's MUST … to → is the input to the next role.

CEO
SETSthe quarterly targets & sales budget
output ↓Targets & budget↓ input to
Sales Director
MUSTKeep the approved product list current → Sales Executives
MUSTDeliver the pipeline report → CEO
output ↓The approved product list↓ input to
Sales Executives
RECEIVEthe list — every deal they sign is bound by it
Sales Director
MUSTKeep the approved product list current → Sales Executives
output ↓The approved product list↓ bounds
Sales Executive
MAY NOTsell outside it
MUSTInform the PMO of each new sale → PMO · within 24h
output ↓A signed deal + client details↓ input to
Programme Director · PMO
RECEIVESthe deal, and initiates delivery of the new project
Programme Director · PMO
HANDS OVERa delivered, onboarded account
output ↓A live, onboarded account↓ input to
Customer Success Manager
MUSTDeliver a health-score report per account → Head of CS · monthly
MUSTEscalate at-risk accounts → Head of CS
output ↓Health-score report + at-risk flags↓ input to
Head of Customer Success
RECEIVESaccount health, and decides where to intervene
The depots
EMITdaily throughput & SLA data
output ↓Depot performance data↓ input to
Operations Analyst
MUSTDeliver a depot performance briefing → Ops Director · monthly
MUSTFlag any depot breaching the 4-hour SLA → Ops Director · same day
output ↓Performance briefing + SLA flags↓ input to
Operations Director
RECEIVESthe briefing, and decides which fixes to fund
The exec team
SUPPLYupdates & the quarterly data pack
output ↓Updates + the data pack↓ input to
Chief of Staff
MUSTDeliver the board briefing → the Board · 48h before
MUSTMaintain the company OKR tracker → Exec team · weekly
output ↓The board briefing↓ input to
The Board
RECEIVESthe briefing, and makes the decisions it calls for
Product Manager
MUSTDeliver a validated PRD per initiative → the delivery team
output ↓A validated PRD + prioritised roadmap↓ input to
Product Owner
MAY NOTchange committed scope
MUSTKeep the backlog refined & ordered → the delivery team · before each sprint
output ↓A refined backlog + acceptance criteria↓ input to
The delivery team
RECEIVESready stories, and builds them sprint by sprint
Product Director
MUSTDeliver the portfolio roadmap & strategy → the exec team
output ↓The portfolio roadmap↓ input to
Product Manager
MAYreprioritise within the roadmap
MUSTDeliver a validated PRD per initiative → the delivery team · before build
output ↓A validated PRD + prioritised roadmap↓ input to
Product Owner
RECEIVESthe PRD, and turns it into a backlog
Chief Product Officer
SETSthe company product OKRs
output ↓The company OKRs↓ input to
Product Director
MAY NOTset the company OKRs
MUSTDeliver the portfolio roadmap & strategy → the exec team · quarterly
output ↓The portfolio roadmap & strategy↓ input to
Product Managers
RECEIVEtheir area's remit, and plan against it
Sales Executive
MUSTInform the PMO of each new sale → PMO
output ↓A signed deal + client details↓ input to
Programme Director
MUSTInitiate delivery on each new signed deal → the delivery teams
output ↓An initiated project + plan↓ input to
The delivery teams
RECEIVEthe project, and start building
Product Owner
MUSTKeep the backlog refined & ordered → the delivery team
output ↓A refined, ready backlog↓ input to
Engineering Manager
MAYapprove merges within CI gates
MUSTDeliver working, tested increments → Product Owner · each sprint
output ↓Working, tested increments↓ back to
Product Owner
ACCEPTSeach increment against the acceptance criteria
Engineering Manager
ASSIGNSa scoped ticket
output ↓A scoped ticket↓ input to
Software Engineer
MAY NOTmerge to main
MUSTCommit & write tests → the codebase · continuously
output ↓An implemented change + PR↓ input to
Test Developer
VERIFIESit from the outside, against the acceptance criteria
Software Engineer
MUSTCommit each change → origin
output ↓An implemented change↓ input to
Test Developer
MAYreject a failing build
MUSTWrite behaviour & integration tests → the codebase
output ↓A verified, tested increment↓ input to
Engineering Manager
RECEIVESa green build, and approves the merge
The GL & systems
EMITthe month's actuals
output ↓The month's actuals↓ input to
Finance Business Partner
MAYapprove spend up to £25,000
MUSTDeliver the monthly management accounts → the unit head · by WD5
output ↓Management accounts + variance flags↓ input to
The unit head
RECEIVESthe numbers, and decides what to cut or fund
→

Escalation paths line up

The Sales Executive's else → Sales Director meets the Sales Director's own authority. Every escalation names a real recipient with the authority to catch it.

→

Deliverables become inputs

The Sales Director MUST keep the approved product list current — which is exactly what the Sales Executive MUST sell from. One role's output is another's constraint.

→

Gaps become obvious

If a deliverable has no recipient, or an escalation points to a role that can't decide it, the mismatch is visible on the page — before it becomes a meeting.