At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead frontend architecture and manage high-performing UI teams across the UK and India.
- Company: Global tech organisation investing in digital platforms and engineering excellence.
- Benefits: Hybrid work model, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Opportunity to explore AI-driven development in a dynamic environment.
- Why this job: Shape the future of a critical eCommerce platform and make a real impact.
- Qualifications: Strong experience in React.js, Node.js, and leading engineering teams.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 £ per year.
Leeds (Hybrid – 3 days on-site)
Exclusive opportunity via WRK digital. WRK digital are proud to be acting as the exclusive recruitment partner for a global, technology-led organisation investing heavily in its digital platform and engineering capability.
We’re looking for a UI Engineering Manager to take ownership of frontend architecture while leading a high-performing, internationally distributed team. This is a pivotal role, combining hands-on technical leadership with people management and strategic influence over the evolution of a large-scale eCommerce platform.
The Opportunity
This role sits at the centre of a complex and high-traffic digital ecosystem, with responsibility for ensuring the frontend platform is secure, scalable and highly performant. You’ll be leading three established UI teams across the UK and India, working closely with Product, Architecture and Platform to align engineering with wider business goals.
There’s also a forward-looking element to this role, with early thinking around evolving towards a more AI-enabled software development lifecycle. While not essential, candidates with an interest in AI or LLM-driven development will find plenty of scope to explore this space.
The Role
You’ll act as the technical authority for frontend engineering, shaping architecture, tooling and standards across the platform. A key part of the role will involve reviewing existing systems, identifying opportunities to reduce technical debt, and driving improvements that enhance performance, maintainability and delivery efficiency.
Ensuring performance and security at scale will be a core focus. You’ll work across teams to optimise rendering, caching strategies and runtime behaviour, embedding best practice into development processes, CI/CD pipelines and engineering standards.
Alongside this, you’ll play a key role in evolving ways of working across the frontend function. You’ll champion code quality, testability and observability, while partnering with cross-functional teams to ensure solutions are pragmatic, scalable and aligned to long-term strategy.
From a leadership perspective, you’ll be responsible for developing and supporting a team of experienced UI engineers. This includes coaching, mentoring and creating an environment that encourages ownership, collaboration and continuous improvement across geographically distributed teams.
You’ll also engage regularly with senior technical stakeholders, contributing to architectural discussions and ensuring complex technical concepts are communicated clearly across the business.
What We’re Looking For
Core experience
- Strong, hands-on background building and evolving large-scale SPAs in production environments
- Deep expertise in React.js, Node.js and modern frontend ecosystems
- Strong understanding of browser internals, rendering pipelines and performance optimisation
- Experience improving frontend performance metrics such as TTFB, TTFP and TTI
- Strong knowledge of caching strategies across client, edge and server layers
- Proven ability to assess and improve existing architectures and engineering practices
- Experience leading and developing high-performing engineering teams
Desirable
- Experience working on high-traffic, customer-facing eCommerce platforms
- Exposure to micro-frontend or modular frontend architectures
- Experience working in globally distributed engineering teams
- Interest or exposure to AI / LLM-driven development approaches
The Person
You’ll be a pragmatic and thoughtful engineering leader who can balance technical ambition with delivery. Comfortable being hands-on when needed, you’ll also enjoy developing others and building high-performing teams.
You’ll be confident influencing at a senior level, able to challenge constructively and communicate clearly across both technical and non-technical audiences. A strong sense of ownership, curiosity and commitment to continuous learning will set you apart.
Why This Role?
This is an opportunity to take genuine ownership of frontend architecture at scale, leading internationally distributed teams and shaping the direction of a critical digital platform. You’ll be part of a business committed to investing in engineering excellence, with the autonomy to make a real impact.
Interested?
If you’re a frontend leader who enjoys solving complex challenges while developing high-performing teams, we’d love to speak. Please apply now or get in touch with James @ WRK digital for a confidential discussion.
Software Engineering Manager in Bradford employer: WRK digital
Join a global, technology-led organisation that prioritises innovation and engineering excellence in Leeds. As a Software Engineering Manager, you'll benefit from a hybrid work model, fostering a collaborative culture that encourages continuous learning and professional growth. With a focus on developing high-performing teams and the opportunity to influence the evolution of a large-scale eCommerce platform, this role offers a unique chance to make a significant impact in a forward-thinking environment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Software Engineering Manager in Bradford
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at WRK digital or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to WRK digital.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like WRK digital.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like WRK digital that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Software Engineering Manager in Bradford
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at WRK digital.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at WRK digital and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at WRK digital
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If WRK digital uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.