UI Engineering Manager

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UI Engineering Manager

Company: Tessell Inc

Location: Bangalore, Karnātaka, India

Job Type: Full-time

Category: UI Engineering / Front-End Leadership

Date Posted: 2025-06-11

Experience Level: 5+ years (with 2+ years in leadership)

Remote Status: On-site

🎨 Role Summary

• Lead a growing team of talented UI engineers, providing hands-on guidance and technical mentorship to foster growth and excellence in front-end development practices.
• Oversee the development of visually stunning, highly functional, and scalable user interfaces that define the interaction experience for Tessell's cutting-edge data management products.
• Collaborate closely with product managers and UX/UI designers to translate user needs and business goals into intuitive and performant front-end solutions.
• Drive the technical direction of the front-end stack, making key architectural decisions and incorporating the latest technologies to improve product quality and development efficiency.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

• Manage, mentor, and grow a team of UI engineers, setting clear expectations, providing constructive feedback, and supporting their technical and career development within the UI engineering discipline.
• Lead by example with hands-on coding, contributing to the codebase when necessary, and balancing technical contributions with managerial oversight and strategic planning for the front-end team.
• Work in lockstep with product management and design teams to meticulously define user experiences, ensuring that implemented features align with design specifications, user flows, and overall product strategy.
• Champion and implement best practices for front-end architecture, code quality, testing methodologies (including unit, integration, and end-to-end testing), and CI/CD pipelines to ensure robust and maintainable UI codebases.
• Stay abreast of the latest trends, technologies, and frameworks in front-end development (including React, Angular, Vue.js, HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript), evaluating and integrating relevant advancements to enhance the product and development process.
• Balance aesthetic considerations provided by design with the performance requirements of a data-intensive application, optimizing rendering, load times, and responsiveness to ensure a seamless and efficient user experience.
• Contribute to the creation and evolution of a comprehensive design system and UI component library, ensuring consistency, reusability, and scalability across the application interface.
• Operate effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic startup environment, prioritizing tasks, managing multiple deadlines, and making informed technical and team decisions with limited information when necessary.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field is typically preferred, though equivalent practical experience and a strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in UI engineering and leadership will be highly valued.

Experience: A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in front-end development is required, with at least 2 years specifically in a leadership or management capacity, demonstrating the ability to guide, mentor, and manage a team of engineers focused on user interface development.

Required Skills:

• Expert-level proficiency in modern front-end JavaScript frameworks such as React, Angular, or Vue.js, with a deep understanding of their core principles, component architectures, and state management patterns.
• Strong command of fundamental web technologies: HTML5, CSS3 (including preprocessors like Sass or Less), and vanilla JavaScript (ES6+), with a focus on building semantic, accessible, and performant web interfaces.
• Proven experience designing, implementing, and working with design systems and UI component libraries to ensure consistency and scalability across large-scale applications.
• Experience with responsive design principles and techniques, ensuring optimal user experiences across a variety of devices and screen sizes.
• Solid understanding of front-end build tools (e.g., Webpack, Parcel), package managers (npm, yarn), and version control systems (Git).
• Familiarity with Agile development methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) and experience implementing and optimizing CI/CD pipelines for front-end projects.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, including team management, technical mentorship, performance management, and fostering a collaborative and growth-oriented team environment.
• Strong problem-solving abilities, particularly in debugging complex front-end issues and making sound technical decisions in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively interact with engineers, designers, product managers, and other stakeholders.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with TypeScript for building more robust and maintainable JavaScript applications.
• Familiarity with back-end technologies or full-stack development concepts to facilitate better collaboration with back-end teams.
• Experience with performance optimization techniques for large-scale web applications.
• Knowledge of accessibility standards (WCAG) and best practices for building inclusive user interfaces.
• Experience with testing frameworks such as Jest, React Testing Library, Enzyme, Cypress, or Selenium.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials: While this is primarily an engineering leadership role, demonstrating a strong understanding of design implementation is crucial. Your portfolio should showcase your experience in building complex user interfaces and collaborating effectively with design teams. Focus on projects where you translated design concepts into functional, visually appealing, and performant code.

• Include examples of complex UI components or modules you have built or led the development of, highlighting your technical skills and understanding of UI architecture.
• Showcase projects where you implemented responsive design effectively across different breakpoints and devices.
• Present case studies (or project summaries) demonstrating your collaboration with UX/UI designers and product managers, emphasizing how you contributed to defining and implementing the user experience.
• Highlight your experience with design systems or component libraries, illustrating how you contributed to their creation, maintenance, or utilization.

Process Documentation: While a traditional design portfolio focused on the entire design process (research, ideation, etc.) is not the primary requirement, be prepared to discuss your engineering process and how you collaborate within a cross-functional team.

• Be able to articulate your approach to translating design specifications into code, including challenges encountered and solutions implemented.
• Discuss your process for ensuring code quality, maintainability, and adherence to design standards.
• Explain your experience with technical documentation related to UI components and front-end architecture.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the location in Bangalore, India, and the role's seniority (UI Engineering Manager with 5+ years experience), a competitive salary range in line with the local tech industry standards for leadership roles is expected. Based on research for similar roles at fast-growing tech companies in Bangalore with a headcount of 50-200, a likely annual salary range could be estimated between ₹25,00,000 and ₹45,00,000 INR. This range is an estimate and can vary based on individual experience, specific skills, and negotiation outcomes. Cost of living in Bangalore is moderate compared to global tech hubs but high within India.

Benefits: Specific benefits are not detailed in the original posting, but typical offerings at a company like Tessell in Bangalore may include:

• Competitive salary and potential for performance-based bonuses or equity options, common in startup environments.
• Health insurance coverage for the employee and potentially dependents.
• Paid time off (vacation, sick leave, public holidays).
• Opportunities for professional development and learning, such as training budgets or access to online courses.
• A dynamic and collaborative work environment with opportunities for significant impact.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours apply, likely aligning with typical business hours in Bangalore (e.g., 9 AM to 6 PM IST), with potential for flexibility or extended hours as needed in a fast-paced startup environment.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Tessell operates within the Data Management and Cloud Database industry. This context is significant for the design team as it implies a focus on complex enterprise software interfaces, data visualization, and robust system management UIs. The design challenges will likely involve making sophisticated technical concepts accessible and manageable through intuitive user interfaces.

Company Size: Tessell is a fast-growing company with between 51-200 employees. This size suggests a dynamic, less bureaucratic environment where individual contributions are highly visible. For a UI Engineering Manager, this means a hands-on role with significant influence on the front-end development process and the opportunity to shape the team and technical direction.

Founded: Founded in 2021, Tessell is a relatively young company that has quickly gained traction, recently securing a $60M Series B funding round. This indicates a rapid growth trajectory and a focus on innovation and market disruption.

Team Structure:

• The UI Engineering Manager will lead a growing front-end team, suggesting a need for strong team-building and mentorship skills.
• The role involves working closely with product and design teams, indicating a cross-functional collaboration model where design, product, and engineering work together to define and build features.
• The reporting structure is likely within the engineering organization, potentially reporting to a Director or VP of Engineering.

Methodology:

• Given the startup environment and the mention of Agile development processes, the team likely utilizes iterative development methodologies.
• Collaboration with design and product suggests a user-centered approach where design thinking and user feedback inform development sprints.
• A focus on high-quality, efficient, and maintainable code points towards a commitment to robust engineering practices, including code reviews and automated testing.

Company Website: https://www.tessell.com

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: This role is positioned as a leadership position within the engineering organization, specifically focusing on the UI/front-end domain. It represents a step for an experienced front-end engineer into a management role or an opportunity for an existing UI engineering lead to manage a larger, growing team.

Reporting Structure: The UI Engineering Manager will manage a team of UI engineers and will likely report to a senior engineering leader (e.g., Director or VP of Engineering). This structure places the role at a key intersection between individual contributors and senior leadership, requiring both technical oversight and strategic input.

Design Impact: As the leader of the UI engineering team, this role has a direct and significant impact on the user experience and the overall perception of Tessell's product. The quality, performance, and usability of the user interface are critical to the success of a data management platform, making this a high-impact position.

Growth Opportunities:

• Opportunity to grow and scale the UI engineering team as the company expands, taking on more responsibility in hiring, team structure, and resource allocation.
• Potential to influence the overall front-end architecture and technology stack, contributing to strategic technical decisions that will impact the product long-term.
• Opportunities to develop leadership skills further, potentially moving into more senior engineering management roles or broader engineering leadership positions within the company.
• Chance to work on cutting-edge data management technology, expanding knowledge and expertise in a rapidly evolving industry.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: The role is listed as "On-site" in Bangalore. This suggests a traditional office environment where the UI engineering team and potentially other departments are co-located. The work environment is likely collaborative and fast-paced, typical of a startup.

Office Location(s): The primary location is Bangalore, India. While specific office addresses are not provided in the initial data, Tessell's LinkedIn profile lists an office in Bangalore, indicating a physical presence for the team.

Design Workspace Context:

• An on-site environment facilitates direct collaboration between UI engineers, designers, and product managers, allowing for spontaneous discussions and faster feedback loops.
• The workspace likely includes dedicated areas for team collaboration, meetings, and individual work, equipped with necessary hardware and software for front-end development and testing.
• Being co-located allows for a stronger sense of team camaraderie and shared culture, which can be beneficial in a fast-moving startup.

Work Schedule: The work schedule is expected to be full-time and primarily based at the Bangalore office. While some flexibility may be possible, the on-site nature implies a regular presence during standard business hours to facilitate team interaction and collaboration.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process: While the specific steps are not detailed, a typical interview process for a UI Engineering Manager role at a tech company like Tessell in Bangalore could involve several stages:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and potentially a recruiter phone screen to assess basic qualifications and fit. Ensure your resume highlights your UI engineering leadership experience, technical skills (frameworks, design systems), and collaboration experience with design teams.
• Technical Interview(s): These rounds will assess your technical depth in front-end development, including coding skills, understanding of data structures and algorithms (relevant to performance optimization), architectural knowledge, and problem-solving abilities. Be prepared to discuss your experience with specific frameworks (React, Angular, or Vue.js) and building scalable UIs.
• System Design Interview: You may be asked to design the architecture for a complex front-end application or feature, demonstrating your ability to think about scalability, maintainability, and performance.
• Behavioral/Leadership Interview: This round will focus on your leadership experience, team management style, communication skills, conflict resolution abilities, and how you mentor and grow engineers. Be prepared to share specific examples from your past roles.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration Interview: You will likely meet with members of the Product and Design teams to assess your ability to collaborate effectively, understand user needs, and translate design concepts into technical specifications. Prepare to discuss your experience working with designers and product managers.
• Final Interview(s) with Senior Leadership: Discussions with senior engineering leaders or executives to evaluate your overall fit for the role and the company culture.

Portfolio Review Tips: While not a traditional design portfolio review, you should be prepared to showcase your technical contributions to user interfaces and your experience in collaborating with design.

• Prepare a concise presentation or be ready to walk through specific projects from your experience where you played a key role in building the UI.
• Focus on the technical challenges you faced and how you overcame them, highlighting your problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrate your understanding of design principles by explaining how you ensured the implemented UI matched the design specifications and contributed to a positive user experience.
• If you have contributed to a design system or component library, be ready to discuss your role and the impact of your contributions.

Challenge Preparation: A technical challenge or take-home assignment related to front-end development or UI architecture may be part of the process. This could involve building a small application, implementing a specific UI component, or solving a performance optimization problem. Practice coding challenges and be prepared to explain your thought process and code structure.

• Review fundamental front-end concepts, data structures, and algorithms.
• Practice implementing UI components using the required framework (React, Angular, or Vue.js).
• Be prepared to discuss your approach to testing and writing clean, maintainable code.

ATS Keywords: UI Engineering, Front-End Development, Engineering Manager, Team Leadership, React, Angular, Vue.js, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Design Systems, UI Component Libraries, Responsive Design, Agile, CI/CD, Software Development, Technical Leadership, Mentoring, Performance Optimization, User Experience, Problem Solving, Cross-functional Collaboration, Architecture, Scalability.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools: While this is an engineering role, the UI Engineering Manager will need to be proficient in collaborating with teams using design tools and understanding their outputs. Common tools in this space include Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD for UI design and prototyping.

• Experience working with design handoff tools (e.g., Zeplin, Avocode) to receive design specifications and assets from designers.
• Familiarity with design system documentation platforms is beneficial for understanding and utilizing the company's design system.

Collaboration & Handoff:

• Proficiency with collaboration platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or similar for team communication and cross-functional interaction.
• Experience with project management tools such as Jira, Asana, or Trello for tracking tasks, sprints, and project progress.
• Familiarity with Git for version control and platforms like GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket for code hosting and collaboration.

Research & Testing:

• While formal UX research may be led by designers, the UI Engineering Manager should understand the importance of user feedback and potentially work with tools that integrate user testing results.
• Experience with front-end testing frameworks (Jest, React Testing Library, Cypress) is crucial for ensuring the quality and reliability of the user interface.
• Understanding of browser developer tools for debugging and performance analysis.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values: While not explicitly stated as "Design Values," the job description emphasizes creating user interfaces that are visually stunning, highly functional, and designed to scale. This suggests a culture that values:

• User-Centeredness: A focus on building products that meet user needs and provide a seamless experience.
• Quality and Craftsmanship: A commitment to building high-quality, efficient, and maintainable UI code.
• Collaboration: Close partnership between engineering, product, and design teams to achieve shared goals.
• Innovation: Keeping up with and implementing the latest technologies and practices to improve the product.

Collaboration Style:

• The emphasis on working closely with product and design teams indicates a highly collaborative environment.
• Expect a culture of code reviews, knowledge sharing, and active participation in team discussions and decision-making.
• A fast-paced startup environment suggests a need for clear and efficient communication to move quickly and adapt to changing requirements.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

• Scaling the UI: As a fast-growing company, a key challenge will be scaling the user interface and front-end architecture to support increasing complexity and user load while maintaining performance and maintainability. This requires strong architectural skills and foresight.
• Balancing Speed and Quality: In a fast-paced startup, there will be pressure to deliver features quickly. The UI Engineering Manager must balance this need with the imperative to maintain high code quality, implement robust testing, and avoid technical debt.
• Evolving Design System: As the product grows and evolves, the design system and component library will need continuous maintenance and expansion. Contributing to and leading this effort will be a key challenge and opportunity.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring seamless collaboration and alignment between a growing UI engineering team, product management, and an expanding design team requires strong communication and organizational skills.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Opportunity to deepen expertise in building scalable and performant user interfaces for complex enterprise-grade applications.
• Chance to develop leadership and team management skills in a dynamic, high-growth environment.
• Exposure to the cutting-edge field of data management and cloud databases, expanding technical knowledge beyond front-end development.
• Potential to influence the technology stack and engineering practices of a growing company.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions: While you won't be asked to lead a full design process, be prepared to discuss how you collaborate with designers and integrate design into the engineering workflow.

• "Describe your process for taking a design mockup or prototype and translating it into functional code. What challenges do you typically encounter, and how do you address them?" - Prepare specific examples from your past projects.
• "How do you ensure that the implemented UI accurately reflects the design specifications and maintains visual consistency?" - Discuss your experience with design systems, component libraries, and collaboration with designers.
• "Tell me about a time you had to push back on a design or suggest an alternative technical approach. How did you communicate your reasoning?" - Focus on your communication and collaboration skills with non-technical stakeholders.

Company Culture Questions: Demonstrate your understanding of the company and its values, particularly as they relate to product development and engineering.

• "What interests you about working at Tessell and specifically on our data management platform's user interface?" - Show that you've researched the company and understand its domain.
• "How do you foster a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing within your engineering team and with other departments like design and product?" - Discuss your leadership style and how you build effective teams.
• "How do you approach balancing the need for rapid development in a startup with the importance of building a high-quality, maintainable codebase?" - This addresses a key challenge of the role.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy: Focus your presentation on the technical aspects of building user interfaces and your leadership in those projects.

• Select 2-3 key projects that showcase your technical skills, experience with modern front-end frameworks, and ability to build complex UIs.
• For each project, briefly explain the goal, your role (emphasizing leadership and technical contributions), the technologies used, and the key technical challenges you solved.
• Highlight how you collaborated with design and product teams on these projects.
• If applicable, discuss your contributions to a design system or component library.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UI Engineering Manager position:

• Submit your application through this link.
• Prepare a resume that clearly highlights your front-end development experience, particularly your leadership roles and experience managing engineering teams. Use keywords from the "ATS Keywords" section to optimize your resume.
• Tailor your cover letter to specifically address your interest in Tessell, the UI Engineering Manager role, and how your skills and experience align with the requirements, emphasizing your leadership and technical expertise in building user interfaces.
• Prepare to discuss your technical skills in modern front-end frameworks (React, Angular, or Vue.js), your experience with design systems, and your approach to building scalable and performant UIs.
• Gather examples from your past work that demonstrate your ability to lead a team, collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams (especially design and product), and solve complex technical challenges in front-end development.
• Research Tessell's products and the data management industry to demonstrate your understanding of the company's domain and the potential technical and UI challenges.