Plenty of people build the track record and then never have the direct conversation, hoping it gets noticed and offered on its own. Sometimes it does. Often it doesn't, simply because nobody said the sentence out loud.
Time in the role is a clock, not evidence. "I've been doing this for two years" feels like a case. It isn't one.
What actually counts is whether you're already doing pieces of the next role, without the title, often without being asked.
List three things the next level does that you don't. Be honest about the gap, not "I could do that if given the chance," but "am I already doing a version of that now."
If that list comes back mostly empty, the conversation to have first isn't this one. Prepare for the conversation about readiness before you ask your manager for the time.
The conversation works best when it's planned, not dropped casually into an unrelated meeting. Requesting dedicated time signals that you take it seriously, and it gives your manager the chance to actually prepare instead of reacting on the spot to something they weren't expecting.
"I'd like to set aside time in our next 1:1, or a separate slot if that's easier, to talk specifically about my path to [next title]. Wanted to give you a heads-up so you have time to think about it too."
When the conversation happens, lead with your case, not with a question about whether you're ready, the second framing puts your manager in the position of evaluating you cold, while the first gives them something concrete to respond to. State plainly what you're asking for, then walk through the specific evidence: what you've already been doing at the next level, the outcomes attached to it, and how long you've been operating that way.
"I'd like to talk about being considered for [title]. Over the last two quarters I've been running the vendor relationship end to end, leading the onboarding redesign, and covering for Sam's team during their transition, all without being asked to formally. I think that reflects the next level, and I wanted to have a direct conversation about what it would take to make that official."
"Do you think I'm ready?" invites a maybe. "Here's my case, what do you think?" invites an actual answer.
Be ready for one of three responses, and know your next move for each. A yes, with a real process and timeline attached, ask for specifics, in writing if possible. A "not yet," with a clear, specific gap named, treat that gap as the actual roadmap, and revisit it in a set number of months, not indefinitely. A vague non-answer with no real reasoning, that's worth pressing on directly: "can you help me understand specifically what's missing, so I know what to work on?"
One thing worth deciding beforehand: what you'll do if the honest answer, after a fair process, is "not here, not soon." That's not a failure on your part, sometimes the timing, budget, or org structure genuinely isn't there, independent of your performance. Knowing in advance whether you're willing to wait, or whether that answer would send you looking elsewhere, keeps you from being blindsided by your own reaction in the moment.