Tech Lead Manager - Core UX (USA)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Tech Lead Manager - Core UX Company: Kalepa Location: New York, NY. Remote Job Type: Full-Time Category: Engineering Management / Software Development Date Posted: 2026-01-08 Experience Level: 10+ Years Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead a team of world-class engineers to build core Kalepa functionalities and refine existing product features, ensuring an exceptional user experience.
• Drive the strategy and execution for the Core UX team, focusing on iterative improvement, product consistency, and performance enhancements that directly impact end-users.
• Act as a "player-coach," dedicating approximately 50% of your time to hands-on coding and engineering tasks, while also managing, growing, and developing talented engineers.
• Foster a results-driven, high-performance culture aligned with Kalepa's core values of Hustle & Grit, Customer Focus, Meritocracy, Transparency, and Experimentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Tech Lead Manager, indicating a dual focus on technical leadership and people management. The emphasis on "player-coach" and 50% coding suggests a hands-on leadership style, common in fast-growing tech companies where senior engineers are expected to contribute directly while mentoring others. The "Core UX" designation highlights a strategic focus on user experience refinement, performance, and product polish.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and execute the technical strategy for the Core UX team, aligning with broader company objectives and product roadmaps.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of talented software engineers, fostering their growth and ensuring high performance.
• Drive the full software development lifecycle for core UX features, from ideation and design to implementation, testing, deployment, and ongoing maintenance.
• Champion best practices in system design, debugging, problem-solving, and code quality, ensuring robust and scalable solutions.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including Product Management, Design, and other engineering teams, to deliver cohesive and impactful user experiences.
• Proactively identify and address technical debt, performance bottlenecks, and areas for improvement within the core product experience.
• Contribute to hiring efforts, including interviewing and onboarding new engineering talent to scale the team effectively.
• Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends, particularly in front-end frameworks, serverless architectures, and AI, to inform technical decisions and drive innovation.
• Own the delivery of critical UX improvements, focusing on layout, interactions, responsiveness, and visual polish to achieve a premium, well-crafted product feel.
• Actively participate in code reviews, architectural discussions, and technical design sessions, providing constructive feedback and guidance to the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities listed are inferred based on the "Tech Lead Manager - Core UX" title and the company's focus on AI and rapid growth. The emphasis on "player-coach" and "hands-on" coding suggests a need for strong technical depth alongside leadership. The "Core UX" aspect implies a focus on user-facing features, performance, and iterative refinement, which are critical for a product aiming to transform a large industry.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field is typically expected for roles of this seniority and technical depth.

Experience:

• 8+ years of relevant software engineering experience.
• Minimum of 2 years of full-time engineering people management experience.
• Proven track record of managing complex projects involving multiple teams and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success in hiring and retaining talented engineers at various levels.
• Experience in a fast-growing company environment, with the ability to make pragmatic trade-offs to ship high-quality code efficiently.

Required Skills:

• Full-Stack Engineering Expertise: Deep understanding and hands-on experience across the entire web application stack.
• Technical Leadership: Ability to set technical direction, mentor engineers, and drive projects to completion.
• Team Management: Experience in people management, including performance reviews, career development, and team building.
• System Design: Strong fundamentals in designing scalable, reliable, and maintainable software systems.
• Debugging & Problem-Solving: Proficient in diagnosing and resolving complex technical issues.
• Modern FE Frameworks: Proven experience with front-end frameworks, with a preference for React.
• Serverless Technologies: Familiarity with serverless architectures (e.g., AWS Lambda, EC2) and their application.
• Asynchronous Workflows: Experience designing and implementing asynchronous processing and event-driven systems.
• Cloud Environments: Practical experience working with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS).
• Relational Databases: Proficiency with relational database management, ideally PostgreSQL.
• Agile Methodologies: Experience working in agile development environments.
• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication, with the ability to articulate technical concepts to diverse audiences and proactively surface blockers.
• Hustle & Grit: A relentless drive and commitment to achieving craft excellence.
• Customer Focus: Prioritization of work based on client impact and strategic value.
• Experimentation Mindset: Comfort with testing ideas, measuring results, and iterating quickly on novel problems.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with LLMs (Large Language Models) and generative AI.
• Knowledge of distributed systems principles and best practices.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices.
• Familiarity with data analytics and performance monitoring tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "10+ Years" experience level derived from the input data aligns with the 8+ years of software engineering and 2+ years of management explicitly stated, indicating a senior leadership role. The emphasis on "Hustle & Grit," "Customer Focus," and "Experimentation" directly reflects Kalepa's stated company values, suggesting these traits are critical for success.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Examples demonstrating successful leadership of engineering teams through complex project lifecycles.
• Case studies showcasing the refinement of user experience, performance improvements, or implementation of new product features, with a focus on measurable outcomes.
• Documentation of system design decisions, architectural choices, and the rationale behind them for core product functionalities or UX improvements.
• Evidence of managing trade-offs between quality, speed, and resources in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrations of how you've identified and solved complex technical problems impacting user experience or system performance.

Process Documentation:

• Showcase of methodologies used for iterative development and rapid experimentation in front-end or full-stack projects.
• Examples of how you've implemented and improved development workflows, including testing, deployment, and monitoring processes.
• Documentation illustrating your approach to managing asynchronous workflows and integrating serverless technologies.
• Records of how you've collaborated with design and product teams to translate user needs into technical solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the "Tech Lead Manager" role and its "player-coach" nature, the portfolio should not only highlight leadership and strategic impact but also concrete technical contributions. The emphasis on "Core UX" implies a need for examples demonstrating a keen eye for detail in user interface, interaction design, and performance optimization.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $210,000 - $240,000 USD per year

Benefits:

• Competitive Salary: As per the stated range, reflecting experience and role responsibilities.
• Significant Equity Options Package: Offering substantial ownership and potential upside in a growing company.
• 401(k) Plan with Employer Match: Providing long-term financial security with employer contributions.
• Excellent Health Benefits: Comprehensive coverage for medical, vision, and dental, with 100% coverage for individuals and families.
• Paid Time Off (PTO): 20 days of PTO per year, allowing for work-life balance and rejuvenation.
• Global Team Offsites: Opportunities to connect with colleagues in person at annual international events (e.g., Cartagena, Lisbon, Buenos Aires).
• Health & Wellness Stipends: Including a gym stipend and mobile phone bill stipend to support employee well-being.
• Continuing Education Credits: Support for professional development and ongoing learning.
• Ambitious Team Environment: Opportunity to work with a smart, global, and fun team transforming a trillion-dollar industry.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours are assumed, likely around 40 hours per week. However, the company's values of "Hustle & Grit" suggest a demanding work environment where individuals may need to dedicate additional time to meet ambitious goals. Flexibility may be available, but a strong commitment is expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is directly provided and falls within the typical market rates for a Tech Lead Manager with 10+ years of experience in a high-cost-of-living area like New York, especially in a well-funded tech startup. The benefits package is robust, with a strong emphasis on health coverage and equity, common for attracting senior talent. The "Hustle & Grit" value implies that while standard hours are expected, performance and results may necessitate more dedication.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Commercial Insurance Technology (Insurtech) / AI Solutions Company Size: The provided LinkedIn data indicates a company size of 51-200 employees. This suggests a stage where processes are solidifying, but there's still significant agility and opportunity for impact.

Founded: The company was founded in 2020 (inferred from the mention of offsite locations starting in 2021 and the rapid growth context). This signifies a relatively young, dynamic, and fast-scaling organization.

Team Structure:

• Core UX Team: This team is focused on refining existing product functionality, ensuring consistency, and enhancing the overall user experience. It likely consists of engineers, designers, and product managers dedicated to the polish and performance of the Kalepa platform.
• Reporting Structure: As a Tech Lead Manager, you will report to a senior engineering leader (e.g., Director of Engineering, VP of Engineering). You will manage a team of engineers, likely ranging from mid-level to senior, and may collaborate closely with Product Managers and Designers.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Expect close collaboration with other engineering teams (e.g., AI/ML, backend infrastructure, platform), Product Management, Sales, and Customer Success to ensure a cohesive and high-impact product offering.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decisions: Kalepa emphasizes using data to drive decisions, particularly in the context of AI underwriting and product development. The "Experimentation" value is key here, suggesting a culture of A/B testing, hypothesis validation, and iterative improvement based on metrics.
• Agile & Iterative Development: The "Experimentation" and "Hustle & Grit" values point towards an agile development approach with rapid iteration cycles, focusing on delivering value quickly and adapting based on feedback and results.
• Customer-Centric Product Development: The "Customer Focus" value underscores that all development efforts are tied to solving strategic problems for their clients, driving their growth, profitability, and efficiency.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Kalepa is positioned as a disruptive force in the commercial insurance industry, leveraging AI and modern technology to modernize a traditionally slow-moving sector. The company culture is explicitly defined by its five core values, which are integral to how work is done and how success is measured. The employee count suggests a growth-stage startup where individual contributions have a significant impact.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at the senior management level within Engineering, specifically leading a critical functional area (Core UX). It sits between individual contributor senior engineering roles and Director-level management. The "player-coach" aspect means retaining significant technical credibility while developing leadership skills.

Reporting Structure: You will report to a higher-level engineering leader (e.g., Director or VP of Engineering) and will be responsible for managing and growing a team of software engineers. This structure offers clear lines of management and provides opportunities for mentorship from senior leadership.

Operations Impact: The Core UX team's work directly influences the usability, efficiency, and perceived quality of Kalepa's AI Underwriting Platform. By ensuring a seamless and premium user experience, this role has a direct impact on customer adoption, retention, and overall satisfaction, which in turn drives revenue and market competitiveness.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in areas like modern FE frameworks (React), serverless architectures, AI/ML integration, and distributed systems.
• Leadership Development: Progress into more senior management roles (e.g., Director of Engineering), managing larger teams or multiple functional areas.
• Strategic Influence: Contribute to broader technical strategy and product direction as the company scales.
• Industry Expertise: Develop specialized knowledge in Insurtech and AI applications within the insurance sector.
• Mentorship: Continue to mentor and develop engineers, shaping the future talent pool within Kalepa.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a unique blend of hands-on technical work and people leadership, providing a strong foundation for diverse career paths in tech management. The "Meritocracy" value suggests that exceptional performance can lead to rapid advancement and compensation growth, aligning with the company's fast-paced, results-oriented culture.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: While the role is remote, Kalepa offers a hybrid approach with a physical office in New York, NY. The company also emphasizes global remote employees and invests in bringing the team together for regional meetups and global offsites, indicating a preference for strong team cohesion regardless of location.

Office Location(s):

• New York, NY: This serves as a primary hub.
• Global Remote Employees: The company actively employs individuals worldwide.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative & Dynamic: The work environment is described as fast-paced, demanding, and results-driven, fueled by values like "Hustle & Grit." Expect a highly collaborative setting where proactive communication and problem-solving are paramount.
• Technology-Rich: As a tech company, expect access to modern development tools, cloud infrastructure, and potentially AI-powered internal tools to enhance productivity.
• Global Team Interaction: Opportunities for interaction with a diverse, global team through virtual meetings, Slack channels, and company-sponsored offsites.

Work Schedule: While a standard 40-hour work week is typical, the company's emphasis on "Hustle & Grit" and "relentless in pursuing their craft" suggests that a strong commitment and potentially longer hours may be required to meet ambitious goals. Flexibility might exist, but the expectation is high performance and dedication.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote-first culture, combined with intentional in-person gatherings, aims to balance flexibility with strong team bonding and cultural reinforcement. The "Experimentation" value suggests an environment that encourages trying new approaches and learning from both successes and failures.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your application and conduct an initial call to assess fit and basic qualifications.
• Technical/Managerial Interview: Expect a deep dive into your technical background, system design capabilities, and people management philosophy. This may include behavioral questions related to Kalepa's core values.
• Coding/System Design Challenge: A hands-on exercise, potentially a take-home assignment or a live coding session, focusing on core UX principles, front-end development, or system architecture.
• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers, Designers, or other Engineering Leads to assess collaboration skills and strategic alignment.
• Final Round: Potentially a discussion with senior leadership (e.g., VP of Engineering, CEO) to evaluate overall fit, strategic thinking, and leadership potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Demonstrate Impact: Focus on case studies that clearly show your leadership, technical contributions, and the measurable impact of your work on user experience, performance, or team productivity. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
• Highlight UX Focus: Showcase projects where you've significantly improved user interfaces, workflows, or product polish. Detail the UX challenges, your approach, and the quantifiable benefits (e.g., reduced task completion time, improved user satisfaction scores, increased conversion rates).
• Showcase Technical Depth: For the 50% hands-on coding expectation, present examples of complex code you've written, architectural designs you've influenced, or challenging bugs you've resolved.
• Align with Values: Weave Kalepa's core values (Hustle & Grit, Customer Focus, Meritocracy, Transparency, Experimentation) into your narratives. Provide specific examples of how you've embodied these principles.
• Conciseness and Clarity: Ensure your portfolio is well-organized, easy to navigate, and clearly articulates your contributions and achievements.

Challenge Preparation:

• Practice React & Serverless: Be prepared for coding challenges involving React, state management, and potentially serverless functions.
• System Design: Review common system design patterns, especially those relevant to user-facing applications, performance optimization, and scalable architectures. Consider how to design for A/B testing and iterative improvements.
• Behavioral Questions: Prepare specific examples that demonstrate your leadership style, conflict resolution skills, ability to manage trade-offs, hiring experience, and how you foster a high-performance culture.
• Understand Kalepa's Business: Research Kalepa's mission, product, and the Insurtech industry. Be ready to discuss how your role contributes to their success.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess both deep technical expertise and strong leadership capabilities, with a particular emphasis on cultural fit given Kalepa's defined values. A strong portfolio that showcases direct impact and alignment with these values will be crucial.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Front-end Framework: React (highly preferred)
• Serverless Technologies: AWS Lambda, EC2
• Cloud Environment: AWS (implied)
• Databases: PostgreSQL (ideally), other relational databases.
• Version Control: Git (standard)
• Collaboration Tools: Slack, Greenhouse (for ATS), potentially Jira/Confluence for project management.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Tools for tracking user behavior, application performance, and feature adoption. Specific tools are not mentioned, but expect a need for proficiency in analytics platforms (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics) and dashboarding tools (e.g., Tableau, Looker, Metabase).

CRM & Automation:

• While this role is engineering-focused, understanding how the front-end and core UX integrate with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and potentially marketing automation tools is beneficial for context.
• Integration Tools: Experience with APIs and integrating various services.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack is explicitly mentioned for front-end, serverless, and databases. Proficiency in React, AWS Lambda/EC2, and PostgreSQL are key technical requirements. The company's AI focus suggests potential integration with AI/ML platforms and tools, making experience with LLMs a valuable bonus.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Hustle & Grit: Expect a demanding environment where dedication, persistence, and a relentless pursuit of excellence are highly valued. Success is achieved through hard work and determination.
• Customer Focus: All work is prioritized based on its direct impact on clients' growth, profitability, and efficiency. The team is driven by solving strategic customer problems.
• Meritocracy: Exceptional results are rewarded with rapid promotions and compensation growth. Individuals who excel are given opportunities to lead and grow without bureaucratic impediments.
• Transparency: Open and honest communication is paramount. Issues are addressed directly, and information is shared openly to foster a collaborative problem-solving environment.
• Experimentation: The company encourages a culture of testing, measuring, and iterating quickly to find solutions to novel problems, embracing calculated risks and learning from outcomes.

Collaboration Style:

• Proactive & Direct: Collaboration involves surfacing blockers, asking incisive questions, and keeping stakeholders informed proactively. The style is direct and focused on efficiency.
• Cross-functional Integration: Engineers work closely with Product and Design to translate user needs into technical solutions, ensuring alignment and shared ownership.
• Feedback-Driven: The emphasis on experimentation and transparency suggests an environment where constructive feedback is given and received to drive continuous improvement in both product and processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: Kalepa's explicitly defined values are central to its culture. Candidates are expected to not only understand these values but also demonstrate how they have applied them in previous roles. This is a critical aspect for cultural fit assessment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Hands-on Coding with Management: Effectively dedicating ~50% of time to coding while also fulfilling managerial duties (mentoring, strategy, team development) requires excellent time management and delegation skills.
• Scaling Core UX in a Fast-Growing Startup: Ensuring consistency, performance, and a premium feel across an evolving product suite as the company scales rapidly presents ongoing technical and organizational challenges.
• Driving Innovation in a Traditional Industry: Modernizing commercial insurance with AI and sophisticated UX requires overcoming industry inertia and demonstrating tangible value to a traditionally conservative sector.
• Navigating Ambiguity: In a fast-growing startup, processes may still be evolving. Adapting to change, driving clarity, and building robust systems within this dynamic environment is key.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepening AI/ML Integration: Gain hands-on experience integrating AI capabilities into user-facing product features.
• Scaling Complex Architectures: Contribute to the design and evolution of scalable, high-performance systems in a cloud-native environment.
• Leadership Advancement: Develop advanced people management and strategic leadership skills, with potential pathways to higher engineering management roles.
• Industry Expertise: Become a recognized expert in AI applications within the Insurtech space.
• Professional Development: Utilize continuing education credits for courses, certifications, or conferences relevant to technology leadership and the Insurtech industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for a leadership role in a high-growth tech startup, requiring adaptability, strong technical acumen, and excellent people skills. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering both technical and leadership development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Leadership & Management: "Describe your approach to managing engineers, fostering their growth, and building a high-performance team. How do you balance individual development with team delivery?" (Prepare examples demonstrating your "player-coach" style and alignment with Meritocracy/Transparency).
• Technical Strategy & Execution: "How would you approach refining the core user experience of a complex SaaS product? What metrics would you track, and how would you prioritize improvements?" (Focus on iterative processes, experimentation, and customer focus).
• Problem-Solving & Trade-offs: "Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult technical trade-off between speed and quality. How did you decide, and what was the outcome?" (Demonstrate your understanding of shipping high-quality code within constraints).

Company & Culture Questions:

• Value Alignment: "Which of Kalepa's core values resonates most with you, and why? Provide an example of how you've demonstrated this value in your career." (Be ready to speak specifically to Hustle & Grit, Customer Focus, Meritocracy, Transparency, or Experimentation).
• Team Dynamics: "How do you foster transparency and open communication within your team, especially in a remote or hybrid environment?" (Highlight proactive communication and feedback mechanisms).
• Impact & Motivation: "What excites you about transforming the commercial insurance industry, and how do you see your role contributing to Kalepa's mission?" (Show genuine interest in the company's vision).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Quantify Impact: For each project, clearly state the problem, your role, the solution, and the measurable results (e.g., % improvement in load times, % reduction in errors, increase in user engagement).
• Tell a Story: Frame your projects as narratives. Explain the context, the challenges, your strategic thinking, the execution, and the lessons learned.
• Showcase Technical Depth: Be prepared to walk through code snippets or architectural diagrams for key projects, explaining your technical decisions and trade-offs.
• Demonstrate UX Sensibility: For Core UX examples, highlight your attention to detail regarding UI polish, interaction design, accessibility, and responsiveness.
• Address the "Player-Coach" Role: Clearly articulate how you've successfully managed teams while remaining hands-on, providing examples of both leadership and technical contributions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on articulating concrete examples that map directly to Kalepa's values and the specific requirements of a hands-on "player-coach" Tech Lead Manager role focused on Core UX. Demonstrating an understanding of the Insurtech market and AI's role in it will be a significant advantage.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Tech Lead Manager position:

• Submit your application through the provided Greenhouse link.
• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 8+ years of software engineering experience and your 2+ years of people management. Emphasize full-stack development, React, serverless technologies, and any experience with AI/LLMs. Quantify achievements wherever possible.
• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate examples that showcase your leadership, technical contributions to UX/performance, system design skills, and how you embody Kalepa's values. Be ready to present 2-3 key projects in detail.
• Research Kalepa: Understand their mission, product, target market (commercial insurance), and core values. Familiarize yourself with their AI Underwriting Platform.
• Practice Behavioral & Technical Questions: Prepare specific examples using the STAR method for questions related to leadership, team management, technical challenges, problem-solving, and culture fit. Be ready to discuss system design and coding principles.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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