Dev Manager - India

📋 Description

• • As the Development Manager in Bangalore, you will be the vital operational and people leadership backbone for our engineering department, empowering a talented team of front-end and back-end engineers. This role is pivotal in bridging hands-on team management with seamless cross-functional collaboration, taking ownership of the health of our engineering processes, tooling, and talent. Your primary objective will be to ensure our engineers are optimally positioned to deliver high-quality work across increasingly complex eCommerce engagements.
• • You will serve as a strategic partner to the Engineering Director, playing a key role in scaling the department, driving continuous improvement initiatives, and effectively representing the needs and perspectives of the engineering team within the broader organizational structure. This is a player-coach role where you will lead by example, cultivating a culture that champions accountability, fosters curiosity, and encourages cross-disciplinary collaboration.
• • **People Leadership & Development:**
• • Directly manage and mentor a diverse team of front-end and back-end engineers, providing consistent coaching, constructive performance feedback, proactive career development planning, and essential day-to-day support.
• • Conduct regular one-on-one meetings, comprehensive performance reviews, and structured goal-setting conversations to foster the growth of individual contributors and build overall team capability.
• • Offer real-time support and guidance on complex technical challenges, delivery escalations, and navigating interpersonal dynamics within the team.
• • Spearhead the recruiting, hiring, and onboarding processes for new engineering team members, ensuring we attract and retain top talent.
• • Actively build and nurture a team culture that is deeply rooted in collaboration, a strong sense of ownership, and a commitment to continuous learning.
• • Identify critical skill gaps within the team and collaborate closely with the Engineering Director on targeted training and development strategies to address them.
• • **Cross-Functional Collaboration:**
• • Act as the primary engineering liaison to PMO, UX, and account management functions, ensuring robust alignment and clear communication across all disciplines.
• • Encourage and facilitate effective cross-functional knowledge sharing and collaboration between front-end, back-end, and QA engineers.
• • Partner closely with project and program managers to ensure engineering workflows are seamlessly aligned with delivery milestones and client expectations.
• • Represent the engineering team's interests, progress, and challenges in cross-departmental meetings and broader leadership discussions.
• • Support lead developers in ensuring smooth and efficient handoffs between the solution scoping phase and the technical delivery execution.
• • **Tooling & Systems Management:**
• • Evaluate, implement, and maintain the essential tools and systems that support the engineering team throughout the entire development lifecycle.
• • Continuously monitor the effectiveness of our tooling and advocate for strategic investments that enhance team efficiency and the quality of technical output.
• • Ensure widespread adoption and effective utilization of development tools, project management integrations, and internal platforms.
• • Stay abreast of emerging tools and technologies relevant to our agency's technical stack and evolving client needs.
• • Collaborate with the Engineering Director and IT Manager on overarching tooling strategy and critical organizational systems decisions.
• • Maintain deep expertise in Shopify's product roadmap and its technical ecosystem, including enterprise-grade integrations such as ERP, PIM, CRM, and OMS.
• • **Engineering Director Support:**
• • Serve as a strategic partner and operational right-hand to the Engineering Director, actively contributing to the execution of departmental goals and key initiatives.
• • Manage critical escalations, lead team-level initiatives, and drive alignment across engineering and adjacent teams as required.
• • Represent team capacity, morale, and development needs effectively in leadership conversations.
• • Contribute significantly to departmental planning, including headcount projections, resource allocation, and technical roadmapping.
• • Step into leadership gaps and support broader organizational priorities as directed, demonstrating flexibility and commitment.