Sure, some amount of project management type work is expected when you're an engineer at a higher level (senior, staff, principal, etc). However, that's not the entire role. Before you reach those levels you should have a deep technical knowledge of how to write code and design systems.
If you don't have those fundamental skills, then you're not going to make a good engineer at higher levels.
If you do have those fundamental skills, but have never demonstrated them because you're too busy doing project management work, then why would anyone believe that you have those skills? Demonstrate them somehow.
If you want a role where project management type tasks are the whole role, then become a PM.
> If you do have those fundamental skills, but have never demonstrated them because you're too busy doing project management work, then why would anyone believe that you have those skills? Demonstrate them somehow
This is the whole problem. You can have the technical chops to back up your project management work but if you have not "demonstrated" them then it's as though they don't exist.
It's relatively difficult to "demonstrate" your skills the way people want them to be demonstrated in a corporate environment unless you have a very supportive manager who helps you write your promo packet and goes in to bat for you.
If you don't have those fundamental skills, then you're not going to make a good engineer at higher levels.
If you do have those fundamental skills, but have never demonstrated them because you're too busy doing project management work, then why would anyone believe that you have those skills? Demonstrate them somehow.
If you want a role where project management type tasks are the whole role, then become a PM.