Most briefs are wish lists that produce mismatched candidates. Here's how to write one that gets you the right engineer — in five sections, with a template you can copy.
When you work with a staff augmentation partner, the brief you send them is the single biggest factor in match quality. Too vague and they send you generalists. Too long and contradictory and nobody fits. Too focused on credentials and you miss the engineers who would actually ship.
A good brief does three things: describes the real problem you need solved, makes it clear what the engineer will own day-to-day, and gives enough context about how your team works that the match is genuine — not just technically qualified on paper.
Below is what useful and useless look like side by side — and then the five-section framework we use to brief every FlyDevs placement.
Reality Check
The same role, written two different ways. One results in mismatched candidates. The other gets you an engineer who fits from day one.
Full-stack developer with 7+ years experience in React, Angular, Vue, Node, Python, Go, AWS, GCP, Azure, Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD
Must be able to work independently AND collaborate closely with the team
Passionate about technology and eager to learn
We're a fast-paced startup looking for a rockstar ninja developer
Strong communication skills and ability to work in a fast-paced environment
Senior React + Node.js engineer with 4+ years building B2B SaaS products
You'll own the API layer — we have a frontend team, backend is yours
First 30 days: migrate our legacy REST endpoints to GraphQL (we have a spec ready)
Async-first team. EST overlap required. Standups 3x/week at 10am EST — engineer joins directly
3-month engagement, with the expectation to extend. We treat embedded engineers as part of the team
The Framework
A complete, actionable brief for a staff augmentation engagement needs exactly five sections. Each one does a specific job. Here's what to write in each — with real examples.
Not the role — the problem. Why does this engineer need to exist right now? What breaks or stalls without them? This one paragraph helps your partner match you to the right profile faster than a 20-item requirement list.
List only what the engineer will actually work with. Not your dream stack, not everything your previous engineer knew. If they'll write TypeScript + PostgreSQL deployed on AWS — say exactly that.
This is the single highest-signal section. It shows you know what you're building and have a real plan — not just a vague need for 'help'. It also lets your partner validate that the profile they're sourcing can realistically hit these milestones.
Async vs. sync. Timezone requirements. Meeting cadence. Code review culture. Ownership expectations. The more specific you are here, the better the match — embedded engineers integrate into your workflow, so the fit has to be real.
Describe how you expect the engagement to work: duration, team integration level, timezone requirements, and any specific collaboration norms. The clearer this is, the faster your partner can source someone who's genuinely aligned — not just technically capable.
Copy-Paste Template
Fill in the brackets. Keep it under 400 words. Don't add sections — every vague requirement makes the match harder, not better.
We're [building X / scaling Y / adding Z]. Our current team is [situation]. We need a [role] who can [own this specific thing] without [dependency on the team].
Stack: [only what they'll touch]. Codebase: [new / existing, rough size]. Infrastructure: [cloud provider, deploy process]. No strong opinions on [X] — bring your own.
30 days: [specific milestone]. 60 days: [specific milestone]. 90 days: [specific outcome]. You'll know you're winning when [concrete signal].
[Async / sync mix]. [Timezone requirements]. Meetings: [frequency and purpose]. Communication: [tools]. Code review: [process]. Expectation: [ownership level].
[Initial duration, e.g. 3 months, expected to extend]. [Integration level: embedded / project-based]. [Timezone requirements]. [Direct access to team: yes/no]. [Key collaboration norms or hard constraints].
When you work with FlyDevs, we help you define the role before we start sourcing. Better specs mean better matches — in less time.
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