An important skill for a senior level engineer in a very large organization is to know who are the broad architectural authorities. These authorities typically out last reorgs, layoffs, and loss of interest in foundational work.

The reason why this "rolodex" is an important skill is cuz the senior will toil on a hard project only to have that work defunded resulting in toil with no impact. The architectural authority can be a bridge to organization leaders who may not understand the full impact of a reprioritization. The bridge to the architect enables the senior to stay focused on their work and deliver results without getting mired in political debates that occur above their pay grade.