Senior Software Developer (UX)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Software Developer (UX)

Company: Savvas Learning Company

Location: Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Software Development / User Experience Engineering

Date Posted: April 20, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Design, develop, and maintain robust, reusable UI libraries and web components that serve as the foundation for various product teams.

• Own the end-to-end quality of UI platform components, ensuring maintainable code, comprehensive test automation, and stable releases for downstream consumers.

• Collaborate closely with UX designers and product managers to translate requirements into high-quality, consistent, and accessible user experiences.

• Champion accessibility standards (WCAG) throughout the development lifecycle, providing guidance and remediation support to consuming teams.

• Contribute to strategic platform modernization efforts, including Angular version upgrades and phased migration strategies.

• Support the integration of product analytics tools (Pendo, Datadog RUM) to gather insights into user behavior and UI performance.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title specifies "Senior Software Developer (UX)", the responsibilities and tech stack overwhelmingly point towards a front-end engineering role with a strong focus on user experience principles and platform development. The role is less about core UX design and more about the engineering implementation of UX standards and reusable UI components. This is a crucial distinction for operations candidates to understand, as it leans heavily into front-end architecture and developer enablement.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Architect, build, and evolve a comprehensive suite of reusable UI libraries and web components, defining component standards, versioning strategies, and ensuring widespread adoption across multiple applications.

• Develop and maintain core UI frameworks and platform web applications, such as navigation systems, modal frameworks, assist panels, and remote loaders, which are critical for micro-frontend architectures.

• Implement and maintain robust unit, integration, and end-to-end automated tests using frameworks like Playwright or Selenium to ensure code quality, reliability, and stability for all platform components.

• Partner effectively with UX and product management teams to define requirements, gather feedback, and deliver user-facing features that adhere to established design principles and brand guidelines.

• Integrate accessibility best practices (WCAG 2.1 AA or higher) into all developed components and frameworks, proactively identifying and remediating accessibility issues and providing clear guidance to development teams.

• Drive platform modernization initiatives, including leading efforts for Angular upgrades, implementing progressive enhancement strategies, and developing "stop-gap" solutions for legacy components.

• Implement and support product analytics instrumentation, such as Pendo and Datadog Real User Monitoring (RUM), to enable data-driven decision-making regarding user engagement and application performance.

• Contribute to the establishment and maintenance of StorybookJS environments for component documentation, visualization, and interactive testing.

• Support the integration and maintenance of CI/CD pipelines to ensure smooth and automated deployment of UI platform updates and components.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a platform engineering approach, focusing on building foundational elements that enable other development teams. The "owning quality end-to-end" and "support product analytics instrumentation" points highlight a need for developers who are not only coders but also system thinkers concerned with performance, user behavior, and developer experience enablement.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience, is generally expected for a Senior Software Developer role.

Experience: Minimum of 5-10 years of professional experience in front-end software development, with a significant focus on UI architecture, component development, and platform enablement.

Required Skills:

• Extensive experience building modern web applications using TypeScript/JavaScript, HTML, and CSS/SCSS.

• Proven production experience with Angular (version 2+) and/or web component frameworks such as StencilJS.

• Demonstrated ability to design, build, and manage reusable UI systems, including component libraries, design systems, and shared component architectures.

• Strong understanding of core software engineering principles: code quality, test-driven development (TDD), debugging techniques, performance optimization, and working within multi-repository environments.

• Proficiency with CI/CD pipelines and experience writing automated tests using frameworks like Selenium, Playwright, or similar for front-end applications.

• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with a proven track record of working effectively with UX designers, product managers, and other engineering teams.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with micro-frontend architectures, including concepts like Module Federation and building "platform shell" patterns.

• Familiarity with cloud platforms, particularly AWS, and experience with serverless architecture patterns for UI-adjacent services.

• Hands-on experience integrating product analytics and telemetry solutions such as Pendo and Datadog RUM into UI frameworks.

• Experience using StorybookJS for component development, documentation, and interactive exploration.

• Knowledge of state management libraries and patterns within complex single-page applications.

• Familiarity with build tools and bundlers like Webpack or Vite.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "5-10 Years" experience level suggests a senior individual contributor role requiring not just coding proficiency but also architectural thinking, mentorship potential, and the ability to influence technical direction within the platform team. Deep understanding of Angular and web component frameworks is critical.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase of well-architected, reusable UI components and libraries, demonstrating clear separation of concerns, maintainability, and scalability.

• Examples of design systems or component frameworks built for adoption by multiple development teams, highlighting versioning strategies and documentation.

• Case studies detailing the implementation of accessibility standards (WCAG) in UI development, including testing methodologies and remediation approaches.

• Demonstrations of automated testing strategies for UI components, including unit, integration, and end-to-end tests, with examples of test coverage and framework usage (e.g., Playwright, Jest).

Process Documentation:

• Documentation of component development workflows, including design, coding, testing, and deployment phases.

• Clear guidelines and standards for adopting and contributing to UI libraries and component systems.

• Records of accessibility audits and remediation plans for UI elements and frameworks.

• Examples of CI/CD integration for UI component releases and version management.

• Documentation on integrating analytics and telemetry into front-end applications.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Software Developer focused on a UX platform layer, a portfolio is crucial. It should not only demonstrate coding skill but also architectural vision, an understanding of developer enablement, and a commitment to quality, accessibility, and performance. The focus should be on the impact of the built components and systems on other development teams and end-users.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $112,000 - $140,000 CAD per year. This range is based on the provided data and reflects a senior-level software development role in Oakville, Ontario, considering the specified experience level and the company's industry.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans.

• Pharmacy benefits coverage.

• Life insurance policy.

• Disability insurance coverage.

• Matching RRSP (Registered Retirement Savings Plan) contributions to support long-term financial planning.

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) to promote work-life balance and employee well-being.

• Potential eligibility for bonus or incentive compensation.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are typically 40 hours per week, aligning with a full-time employment status. While the role is on-site, there may be flexibility offered by the company regarding specific daily start/end times, subject to team coordination needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is competitive for a Senior Software Developer in the Greater Toronto Area. The benefits package is robust, reflecting the company's commitment to employee well-being and financial security, which is attractive to experienced professionals. The mention of "total rewards package" suggests that compensation extends beyond base salary to include bonuses and career development.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: K-12 Education Technology. Savvas Learning Company is a global leader in providing award-winning, innovative learning solutions for students from Kindergarten to 12th grade. They focus on empowering educators and engaging students through high-quality content delivered across multiple platforms, embracing personalized learning and immersive experiences.

Company Size: While not explicitly stated in the provided text, Savvas Learning Company is a significant global entity in the education sector, suggesting a large employee base, likely in the thousands, operating across various regions. This scale implies structured processes and a wide reach.

Founded: Savvas Learning Company carries on a "longstanding tradition of delivering the most engaging, innovative curriculum," indicating a history of evolution and adaptation within the education market, likely with roots tracing back through previous iterations or acquisitions.

Team Structure: The role is within the "Application Shell & User Experience Team," which functions as an enablement or platform team. This team likely consists of senior software developers, potentially UX engineers or designers, and possibly a product manager or team lead. They are responsible for building foundational UI elements that other product development teams consume. This structure implies a collaborative environment where the platform team supports and guides multiple downstream product teams.

Methodology: The team operates on principles of building reusable, scalable, and accessible UI components. Emphasis is placed on:

• Platform Engineering: Creating a stable and efficient "platform layer" that other teams can rely on.

• Component-Based Architecture: Designing modular and maintainable UI elements.

• Accessibility First: Integrating WCAG standards into the core development process.

• Developer Enablement: Improving the developer experience for teams consuming the platform's outputs.

• Data-Driven Improvement: Utilizing analytics (Pendo, Datadog RUM) to understand user behavior and optimize performance.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Savvas Learning Company's focus on innovation in K-12 education suggests a company culture that values forward-thinking solutions and continuous improvement. The "Application Shell & User Experience Team" is positioned as a critical enabler of this innovation, highlighting the impact of this role on the broader engineering organization.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is classified as a Senior Software Developer, indicating an individual contributor position requiring significant technical expertise and autonomy. It sits above mid-level roles and below principal or lead developer positions. The emphasis is on deep technical contribution, architectural influence within the platform team, and potentially mentoring junior developers.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Software Developer (UX) will likely report to a Engineering Manager or Tech Lead within the Application Shell & User Experience Team. This team operates as a platform enablement unit, meaning its members collaborate closely with product development teams across the organization, but their direct reporting line is within their specialized team.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is substantial, as the UI libraries and web components developed will form the default building blocks for multiple Savvas products. This means the developer directly influences UI consistency, accessibility, developer experience, and the overall user experience of the company's educational software. Their work aims to accelerate development for other teams and ensure a unified, high-quality user interface across the K-12 learner experience.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in front-end architecture, specific frameworks (Angular, StencilJS), web component standards, and advanced accessibility techniques.

• Platform Leadership: Grow into a Lead Developer or Principal Engineer role within the platform team, taking on more architectural responsibility and strategic decision-making for the UI ecosystem.

• Mentorship: Guide and mentor junior developers within the team, fostering a culture of learning and best practices.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Expand influence by working closely with UX and product teams to shape the future direction of the user experience across Savvas's product portfolio.

• Contribution to Modernization: Play a key role in ongoing platform modernization initiatives, potentially leading workstreams for major framework upgrades or architectural shifts.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a clear path for growth within a specialized platform engineering domain. The "high impact" and "real platform ownership" points suggest opportunities to shape technical direction and gain significant recognition for contributions that benefit the entire engineering organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as "On-site," indicating a traditional office-based work environment. This suggests a collaborative setting where in-person interaction with colleagues is expected.

Office Location(s): The primary office location specified is Oakville, Ontario, Canada. This location will serve as the base for the on-site work.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Working on-site in Oakville will facilitate direct collaboration with team members and potentially other departments, fostering a dynamic exchange of ideas and problem-solving.

• Tools & Technology: The workspace will be equipped with the necessary hardware and software to support development using the specified tech stack, including powerful workstations and access to internal development environments.

• Team Interaction: The on-site arrangement promotes spontaneous interactions, team huddles, and a strong sense of team cohesion, which is beneficial for a platform team reliant on close coordination with UX and product stakeholders.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is likely 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, totaling 40 hours per week. While on-site, there may be some flexibility in daily start and end times, subject to management approval and team needs, but the expectation is consistent presence during core business hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "On-site" requirement in Oakville suggests a preference for in-person collaboration, which can be advantageous for roles focused on building shared platforms and fostering strong team dynamics. Candidates should be prepared for a traditional office work setting.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications and resumes, potentially followed by a brief phone screen to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit.

• Technical Interview(s): Expect one or more technical interviews focusing on front-end development principles, JavaScript/TypeScript, Angular, web components, and problem-solving. This may include coding challenges or live coding sessions.

• Portfolio Review: A dedicated session where candidates present their portfolio, showcasing specific projects related to UI libraries, design systems, accessibility, and platform development. Be prepared to discuss technical decisions, challenges, and outcomes.

• System Design/Architecture Discussion: An interview focusing on how you would approach building or evolving a UI platform, addressing scalability, maintainability, and cross-team collaboration.

• Behavioral & Cultural Fit Interview: Assessing soft skills, teamwork, communication, and alignment with Savvas Learning Company's values and the team's collaborative style. This might involve questions about past projects, conflict resolution, and learning experiences.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader or hiring manager to finalize the decision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Focus on 2-3 strong projects that directly align with the job description's requirements, especially those involving reusable UI components, design systems, or platform enablement.

• Showcase Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem you solved, your specific contributions, the technologies used, and the measurable outcomes or benefits (e.g., improved developer productivity, enhanced user experience, increased accessibility compliance).

• Highlight Process: Be prepared to discuss your development process, including how you approach requirements gathering, design collaboration, coding, testing (unit, integration, e2e), and deployment (CI/CD).

• Accessibility Focus: If possible, include examples where accessibility was a primary consideration, detailing testing methods and adherence to WCAG standards.

• Storytelling: Frame your project presentations as narratives. Start with the challenge, explain your approach, detail your technical solutions, and conclude with the impact and lessons learned.

Challenge Preparation:

• Front-End Fundamentals: Brush up on core JavaScript/TypeScript, DOM manipulation, CSS preprocessors (SCSS), and modern front-end patterns.

• Angular Deep Dive: Be ready to discuss Angular concepts like components, services, modules, directives, dependency injection, RxJS, and performance optimization.

• Web Components: Understand the fundamentals of web components (Custom Elements, Shadow DOM, HTML Templates) and frameworks like StencilJS.

• Testing Frameworks: Familiarize yourself with testing libraries like Jest, Karma, Jasmine, and end-to-end testing tools like Playwright or Selenium.

• Accessibility Tools: Know how to use browser developer tools and specific accessibility testing tools (e.g., Axe, Lighthouse, BrowserStack accessibility checks).

• System Design: Practice thinking about how to design scalable and maintainable UI component libraries and platform architectures.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "platform shell" and "reusable UI libraries" suggests that interviewers will be keen to see how candidates approach building foundational code that serves multiple internal teams. Demonstrating an understanding of developer enablement and cross-team collaboration will be key.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Angular: Core framework for building complex front-end applications and platform components. Expect proficiency in its architecture, lifecycle hooks, and RxJS integration.

• StencilJS (or similar Web Component framework): For creating reusable, framework-agnostic web components. Understanding of Custom Elements, Shadow DOM, and HTML Templates is vital.

• TypeScript/JavaScript: The primary languages for development, requiring strong proficiency in modern JavaScript features and TypeScript's type system.

• HTML/CSS/SCSS: Essential for structuring and styling web interfaces, with SCSS being the preferred preprocessor.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Pendo: For product analytics, user behavior tracking, and in-app guides. Experience integrating Pendo for feature adoption and user journey analysis is beneficial.

• Datadog Real User Monitoring (RUM): For monitoring application performance from the end-user's perspective, identifying performance bottlenecks, and tracking errors.

CRM & Automation:

• StorybookJS: A tool for developing, documenting, and testing UI components in isolation. Essential for building and maintaining a component library/design system.

• CI/CD Tools (e.g., Jenkins, Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions): For automating the build, test, and deployment processes of UI components and platform applications.

• Automated Testing Frameworks:

  • Selenium/Playwright: For end-to-end testing of UI functionality and user flows across different browsers.
  • BrowserStack (or similar): For cross-browser and cross-device testing.

Cloud & Infrastructure:

• AWS (Amazon Web Services): Experience with AWS services, particularly those related to serverless architecture patterns (e.g., Lambda, API Gateway, S3) for UI-adjacent services, is a strong plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack is modern and focused on front-end development, componentization, and enabling other teams. Proficiency in Angular and web components is paramount, with added value in experience with analytics, cloud services, and robust automated testing.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Quality & Reliability: A strong emphasis on building robust, well-tested, and stable UI components that downstream teams can depend on. This translates to a commitment to code quality, thorough testing, and reliable releases.

• Collaboration & Enablement: The team's purpose is to enable other development teams. This means valuing open communication, active listening, and a proactive approach to supporting colleagues.

• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: A culture that encourages exploring new technologies, improving existing processes, and staying ahead of industry trends in UI development and accessibility.

• User-Centricity (Developer & End-User): While focusing on the developer experience (DX) for internal teams, the ultimate goal is to enhance the end-user experience for K-12 learners. This requires balancing technical efficiency with user needs.

• Accessibility Advocacy: A deep commitment to making educational content accessible to all learners, embedding WCAG principles into the fabric of the UI platform.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Partnership: The team works closely with UX designers and product managers, requiring strong communication and partnership skills to translate vision into technical reality.

• Internal Support Model: The team acts as an internal service provider, offering support, documentation, and guidance to other engineering teams consuming their UI components and frameworks.

• Feedback Loops: An open culture for receiving and providing constructive feedback on code, designs, and processes to drive continuous improvement.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices, technical insights, and lessons learned through code reviews, documentation, and internal presentations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture appears to be one of collaboration, enablement, and technical excellence, driven by a mission to improve education. The "platform" nature of the team means that strong interpersonal and communication skills are as important as technical prowess.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Diverse Needs: Catering to the varied requirements and technical stacks of multiple consuming product teams while maintaining a cohesive and standardized UI platform.

• Platform Modernization Pace: Keeping up with evolving front-end technologies and driving adoption of new standards and framework upgrades across a large organization, potentially encountering resistance to change.

• Ensuring Broad Adoption: Encouraging and supporting diverse teams to adopt the platform's UI libraries and components, which requires excellent documentation, training, and ongoing support.

• Maintaining Accessibility Standards: Continuously ensuring that all platform components meet stringent accessibility requirements (WCAG) amidst rapid development cycles and feature additions.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Front-End Architecture: Gaining deeper expertise in micro-frontend patterns, advanced state management, and scalable UI system design.

• Cloud & Serverless Technologies: Expanding knowledge in AWS services and serverless architecture for building robust, scalable UI-related backend services.

• Accessibility Specialization: Becoming a subject matter expert in web accessibility, potentially leading accessibility initiatives within the engineering organization.

• Cross-Domain Exposure: Working with various product teams provides exposure to different problem domains within the K-12 education sector.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Opportunities to mentor junior engineers and take on technical leadership responsibilities within the platform team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for platform engineering roles in large organizations. They offer significant opportunities for professional growth by requiring the developer to navigate complex technical and organizational landscapes.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you designed and implemented a reusable UI component library or design system. What were the key architectural decisions, and how did you ensure adoption by other teams?" (Focus on process, architecture, and collaboration impact).

• "How would you approach migrating a large Angular application from an older version to a newer one while minimizing disruption to development teams?" (Focus on strategy, risk mitigation, and phased approaches).

• "Imagine a product team is struggling to meet WCAG AA compliance in their UI. What steps would you take to support them, and what resources would you offer?" (Focus on problem-solving, accessibility expertise, and enablement).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Savvas Learning Company and our mission in K-12 education?" (Research company values, products, and mission).

• "How do you contribute to a positive and collaborative team environment, especially in an on-site setting?" (Highlight teamwork, communication, and proactive support).

• "Describe your experience working with UX and Product Management. How do you ensure alignment between design vision and technical implementation?" (Showcase cross-functional collaboration skills).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure with Impact: For each portfolio piece, follow the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) or a similar narrative structure. Clearly state the problem, your role, the actions you took, and the quantifiable results or impact.

• Technical Depth: Be prepared to dive deep into the technical architecture, design patterns used, challenges faced, and specific code snippets if requested.

• Focus on Reusability & Platform: Emphasize how your work created reusable assets and benefited other development teams or the overall platform.

• Accessibility Demonstration: If possible, show live examples or screenshots of accessible components and explain your testing methodology.

• Conciseness: Respect the interviewer's time; aim for clear, concise explanations, and be ready to elaborate on specific areas of interest.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just coding ability but also architectural thinking, a strong understanding of platform enablement, and a commitment to quality and accessibility. Candidates should be ready to articulate their contributions through concrete examples and discuss their approach to complex technical and collaborative challenges.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Software Developer (UX) position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Dayforce portal.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight experience with Angular, web components, UI libraries, design systems, accessibility (WCAG), and CI/CD. If you have a portfolio, ensure it prominently features projects demonstrating these skills.

• Resume Optimization: Use keywords from the job description such as "Senior Software Developer," "UX," "Angular," "StencilJS," "TypeScript," "Web Components," "Accessibility," "CI/CD," and "Platform Engineering." Quantify achievements whenever possible (e.g., "Reduced UI development time by X%," "Increased accessibility compliance to Y%").

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your experience with the STAR method, focusing on projects related to building reusable UI assets, platform development, and cross-functional collaboration. Prepare to discuss your approach to accessibility and platform modernization.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Savvas Learning Company's mission, products, and values. Understand their role in the K-12 education technology sector and how this position contributes to their goals.

⚠️ 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.