Manager II, Engineering

Blackhawk Network•Pleasanton, CA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Software Engineering Manager II will have full ownership over a front-end focused engineering team. This leadership role is cross-functional and will work closely with Product, UX/Design, Technical Program Managers, and other Engineering Leaders to deliver exceptional, consumer-facing web experiences. The manager will guide the tactical delivery of front-end features while contributing to the strategic vision for UI architecture and user experience quality. This role requires both hands-on front-end expertise and the leadership skills to develop a high-performing team.

Requirements

Demonstrated track record of building and leading high-performing front-end engineering teams.
Deep passion for user experience and delivering polished, accessible consumer interfaces.
Strong partnership instincts — able to work fluidly with designers, product managers, and back-end engineers.
Skilled at managing priorities, directing work, and supporting professional development for multiple team members.
Comfort with A/B testing frameworks, feature flagging, and data-driven UI experimentation.
Experience with localization/internationalization for multi-market products.
Agility to adapt with shifting priorities, evolving browser APIs, and emerging front-end tooling.
Skilled in verbal and written communication, including leading design reviews and presenting technical trade-offs.
Ability to collaborate cross-functionally in a high-growth, distributed team environment.
Expertise in modern JavaScript/TypeScript and front-end frameworks, with deep proficiency in React (or equivalent).
Strong command of web performance optimization — Core Web Vitals, code splitting, lazy loading, caching strategies.
Solid understanding of accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1+) and experience shipping accessible products.
Proficiency in responsive design, CSS architecture, and design system implementation.
Experience with front-end testing at multiple layers: unit (Jest), integration, and end-to-end (Cypress, Playwright).
Strong understanding of browser security fundamentals: CSRF, XSS, Content Security Policy, CORS.
Experience with API consumption patterns (REST/GraphQL) and managing client-side data fetching and caching.
Familiarity with analytics and instrumentation — user behavior tracking, funnel metrics, session tooling.
CI/CD pipeline experience including front-end build tooling and deployment practices.
Experience building and maintaining component libraries or design systems.
Familiarity with server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation, or edge rendering approaches (Next.js, etc.) a plus.
Back-end awareness (RESTful services, APIs, BFF patterns) sufficient to collaborate effectively with server-side teams.
BA/BS degree in Computer Science or related fields and 7+ years of experience OR 9+ years equivalent experience in software development
2+ years of management experience leading and mentoring engineers on distributed teams
5+ years of experience working in an Agile environment
Extensive experience and knowledge in OO design and implementation
Experience with leading enterprise-scale, production-worthy distributed systems development in the cloud (AWS preferred), including tools and processes
Ability to handle multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced environment

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation, or edge rendering approaches (Next.js, etc.) a plus.
Back-end awareness (RESTful services, APIs, BFF patterns) sufficient to collaborate effectively with server-side teams.

Responsibilities

Hire, lead, and develop a team of front-end engineers building best-in-class, consumer-facing web applications. Play an essential role in attracting, developing, leading, and retaining front-end talent.
Champion UI quality standards across performance, accessibility (WCAG), responsive design, and cross-browser compatibility.
Partner closely with UX/Design teams to translate product vision into polished, accessible, and performant user interfaces.
Build consistent tools, processes, and documentation to support onboarding and to align the team around front-end best practices, component libraries, and design systems.
Mentor engineers in front-end architecture, modern JavaScript/TypeScript patterns, and craft — celebrating wins and coaching through challenges.
Drive front-end design and architecture decisions, including component strategy, state management, rendering approaches, and API integration patterns.
Cultivate a learning culture through brown bags, front-end guild events, hackathons, and conference participation.
Own front-end quality metrics including Core Web Vitals, accessibility scores, error rates, and funnel performance.
Align stakeholders around front-end technical direction and surface opportunities for UX and performance improvements.