Training course · Model Context Protocol (MCP) · Tech Leads & Engineering Managers

Model Context Protocol (MCP) for Tech Leads and Engineering Managers

Build and connect MCP servers securely: tools, resources and prompts for Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot and your own AI agents.

Duration
2 days (14 hrs)
Format
Online or on-site
Language
German or English
Participants
open dates or exclusive for your team
Certificate
Certificate of attendance

Overview

This course connects Model Context Protocol (MCP) with the everyday processes of Tech Leads & Engineering Managers. Participants work on realistic scenarios and leave with prompts, workflows and checklists they can use straight away.

The Model Context Protocol is an open standard that gives AI applications a uniform way to access external tools, data sources and workflows. Instead of building separate integrations for every assistant, you implement an MCP server once and use it in Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, VS Code and your own agents. In this two-day course you learn the host, client and server architecture, the three core primitives of tools, resources and prompts, and the stdio and Streamable HTTP transports, applying each of them directly in your own code.

On day one you use the official TypeScript or Python SDK to build an MCP server that exposes internal APIs, databases or files to AI assistants in a controlled way, and you test it with the MCP Inspector. Day two covers remote servers, OAuth-based authorisation, security risks such as prompt injection and tool poisoning, and operations, logging and governance in an enterprise setting. You learn to write tool descriptions that models use reliably, and you leave knowing how to integrate MCP servers safely into your development and agent landscape.

AI coding assistants and autonomous agents are changing how engineering teams work: tasks are sliced differently, effort shifts from writing code to reviewing it, and deciding which work can be delegated to agents becomes a leadership responsibility. Tech leads and engineering managers have to select tools, set policies, enable their teams and measure impact without losing sight of code quality, security and the growth of junior engineers. In this course you learn to plan the rollout of AI coding tools in a structured way, establish shared working practices and rule files for your team, choose meaningful metrics beyond raw speed and apply AI to leadership tasks such as planning, onboarding and technical communication. Deep programming skills are not required.

The course is delivered live – either online in a virtual classroom or on-site in our training rooms in Munich, Salzburg, Berlin, Augsburg, Hanover, Bremen, Stuttgart and Kaiserslautern. We can also run it exclusively for your team.

Who is this course for?

  • Tech leads and lead developers
  • Engineering managers and software team leads
  • Heads of engineering and CTOs in mid-sized companies
  • Delivery and project leads in IT organisations
  • Developer experience and enablement leads

Typical challenges we address

  • Unclear policies lead to a patchwork of tools and shadow AI within the team
  • More generated code increases review load and the risk of technical debt
  • Difficulty measuring the real benefit of AI tools in a credible way
  • Concerns about junior engineers’ skill development and team buy-in

What you will be able to do

  • You explain the MCP architecture and choose between tools, resources and prompts for each use case.
  • You develop your own MCP server in TypeScript or Python and test it systematically.
  • You connect MCP servers to Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot and custom agents.
  • You run remote servers using Streamable HTTP and OAuth-based authorisation.
  • Plan the rollout of AI coding tools in a structured way with clear policies, roles and guardrails.
  • Measure the impact on delivery, quality and satisfaction with credible metrics.
  • Use AI agents yourself for leadership tasks such as planning, onboarding and technical communication.

Course outline

Day 1

Module 1 Architecture and core concepts
  • Roles of host, client and server and the lifecycle of a connection
  • JSON-RPC messages, capability negotiation and notifications
  • Tools, resources and prompts: choosing the right primitive
  • Client features such as sampling, roots and elicitation at a glance
Module 2 Building your own MCP server
  • Setting up a server with the official TypeScript or Python SDK
  • Defining tools cleanly with JSON Schema for inputs and outputs
  • Exposing resources and resource templates for documents, records and configuration
  • Testing and debugging with the MCP Inspector and meaningful error messages
Module 3 Connecting to Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot and agents
  • Configuring local stdio servers and remote servers in clients
  • Project-level and user-level configuration, approvals and permissions
  • Writing tool descriptions that models reliably select correctly
  • Integrating MCP servers into custom agents built with the Claude Agent SDK or OpenAI Agents SDK
Module 4 Transport, authorisation and operations
  • Streamable HTTP, session management and stateless servers
  • OAuth-based authorisation, token validation and integration with existing identity providers
  • Deploying as containers, on serverless platforms or behind a gateway
  • Logging, monitoring, rate limiting and versioning tool interfaces

Day 2

Module 5 Security and governance
  • Threats: prompt injection via tool results, tool poisoning, confused deputy
  • Least privilege, confirmation requirements and sandboxing
  • Reviewing and approving third-party servers within the organisation
  • Data protection, logging of personal data and requirements under GDPR and the EU AI Act
Module 6 Practice lab: Tech Leads & Engineering Managers
  • Writing a team AI policy
  • Rule files and team conventions
  • Measuring impact
  • Slicing work for agents
  • Faster onboarding
  • Technical communication
Module 7 Data protection, quality & transfer to daily work
  • As a leader you own the legal framework: you learn to address licensing and copyright questions around generated code, protection of source code and secrets, works council co-determination rights when measuring performance and obligations under the GDPR and the EU AI Act in your team policies.
  • Ground rules for safe AI use in your team
  • Checking results: facts, sources, tests and the four-eyes principle
  • Personal action plan for the next 30 days
  • Open questions, outlook and resources for further learning

Practical scenarios from your field

Writing a team AI policy

Draft a practical guideline that clearly defines approved tools, permitted data classes, review obligations for generated code, handling of secrets and accountabilities, illustrated with concrete examples.

Rule files and team conventions

Build shared context files for coding agents covering architectural principles, testing strategy, style rules and banned patterns, keep them under version control and ensure consistent output across the team.

Measuring impact

Collect metrics such as DORA measures, pull request cycle time, change failure rate and developer satisfaction before and after rollout, and prepare the analysis with AI support.

Slicing work for agents

Write and break down backlog items so they can be delegated to agents with clear acceptance criteria, and decide which tasks deliberately stay with people.

Faster onboarding

Prepare codebases, architecture decisions and operational knowledge for new team members, create guided exploration tasks and have questions about the codebase answered with source references.

Technical communication

Draft incident post-mortems, roadmap updates, decision papers for senior management and release notes from tickets and commits, structured and tailored to each audience. This frees up time for actual leadership.

Possible hands-on projects

Team metrics dashboard

A small web app that pulls data from your Git platform and shows cycle times, review duration and deployment frequency over time.

PR summariser

A bot that collects all merged pull requests each week and turns them into a readable status report for stakeholders.

Onboarding guide generator

A script that analyses repository structure, README files and ADRs and produces a structured onboarding plan with learning tasks. It adapts to role and seniority.

Prerequisites

Solid programming skills in TypeScript/JavaScript or Python and a basic understanding of HTTP APIs and JSON. Some experience using AI assistants in day-to-day development is helpful. You lead a software team, either technically or as a line manager, and understand the development process; current hands-on coding is helpful but not required.

Technical requirements

A laptop with Node.js or Python, Git and a code editor, plus access to at least one MCP-capable client such as Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor or VS Code with Copilot.

Data protection & compliance

As a leader you own the legal framework: you learn to address licensing and copyright questions around generated code, protection of source code and secrets, works council co-determination rights when measuring performance and obligations under the GDPR and the EU AI Act in your team policies.

Suggested dates

All dates are suggestions – your preferred date is always possible.

  • Wed, 25 November 2026 – Thu, 26 November 2026 Online Request
  • Tue, 8 December 2026 – Wed, 9 December 2026 Salzburg Request
  • Mon, 14 December 2026 – Tue, 15 December 2026 Online Request
  • Thu, 7 January 2027 – Fri, 8 January 2027 Bremen Request
  • Tue, 12 January 2027 – Wed, 13 January 2027 Online Request
  • Tue, 26 January 2027 – Wed, 27 January 2027 Augsburg Request

Frequently asked questions

Why would I need my own MCP server?

Whenever AI assistants need access to internal systems such as ticketing tools, databases, documentation or line-of-business applications. Your own server defines precisely which actions and data are available and can then be reused across several clients. That avoids isolated one-off integrations and keeps access firmly under your control.

Which programming language does the course use?

You can choose between TypeScript and Python, both of which have official SDKs. The concepts are identical and all exercises are available in both versions. Developers working in other languages still benefit, because the protocol is language-agnostic and SDKs for other languages follow a similar structure.

How secure is MCP for enterprise use?

The protocol provides mechanisms for authorisation and permissions, but real-world security depends on implementation and operations. Risks such as prompt injection through tool results or over-privileged servers are genuine. We cover concrete countermeasures, approval processes for third-party servers and how to handle personal data.

How do we tell whether AI coding tools are worth it?

Don’t count generated lines of code; look at outcomes: lead time from idea to production, change failure rate, review effort, defect rates and team satisfaction. A baseline before rollout and accompanying qualitative surveys are essential. In the course you design a lean measurement approach that fits your organisation and involves employee representatives.

Do junior engineers still learn enough when AI writes the code?

The concern is valid and can be managed. Proven practices include having engineers explain every generated section in review, deliberate practice phases without an assistant and pairing with experienced colleagues where AI acts as a learning partner. You learn to adapt learning paths and review culture so that skill building and productivity go hand in hand.

How much does “Model Context Protocol (MCP) for Tech Leads and Engineering Managers” cost?

The course costs a flat €949 plus VAT per participant – whether online or on-site. This includes 2 training day(s) with a live trainer, course materials, a lab environment and a certificate of attendance.

Can I suggest my own date?

Yes. Our suggested dates are just a guide. In the request form you can always describe your preferred date or period in free text – we check availability and confirm within one working day.

Is the course online or on-site?

Both are possible: live online in a virtual classroom or on-site in Munich, Salzburg, Berlin, Augsburg, Hanover, Bremen, Stuttgart or Kaiserslautern. We can also run the course exclusively for your team.

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