Engineering Manager

As an Engineering Manager, you will lead and develop a high-performing engineering team to deliver exceptional web solutions for non-profits. This hands-on role requires expertise in team management, project oversight, and technical strategy to drive innovation and efficiency. You will collaborate closely with stakeholders, ensure alignment with business objectives, and foster a culture of growth and excellence. With a strong technical background and proven leadership skills, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Five Jars’ engineering practices and delivering impactful results for clients.

Who We Are

Five Jars is a full-service Design, Strategy, and Web Development digital agency that creates intuitive, data-driven web experiences. Over the past six years, we've delivered over 100 projects for industries like health and fitness, media, arts and culture, and NGOs.

Our team of creative and talented experts, led by leaders with 15+ years of experience in technology, is committed to innovation, collaboration, and delivering meaningful results for our clients and the community.

• Technical Team Management
• Engineers Hiring
• Technical Project Management
• Collaboration and communication
• Technical leadership
• Processes improvement & innovation 
• Decision-making
• Accountability for KPI’s

• Set goals, track performance, and conduct regular one-on-ones with engineers
• Mentor and guide engineers in career development, promotions, and technical growth
• Assign roles based on strengths, resolve conflicts, and maintain team productivity
• Establish educational programs and certification goals with a clear career path
• Plan team capacity to ensure sufficient resources for projects
• Manage and document the developers' onboarding and offboarding
• Set up individual goals for every developer and tech person in the team
• Promote business awareness within the team by helping engineers connect their work to the company’s goals and customer impact
• Encourage a mindset that values delivering meaningful results over simply completing tasks, fostering a deeper understanding of how their contributions drive success
• Provide constructive, timely, and actionable feedback to engineers, fostering continuous growth and improvement
• Collaborate with HR to create and maintain a skills matrix for the team, identifying gaps and implementing targeted training to upskill team members
• Ensure team members maintain work-life balance to prevent burnout while still meeting organizational goals

• Participate in the hiring process by collaborating with the talent acquisition team to identify and attract engineering talents
• Conduct interviews, assess technical and cultural fit, and contribute to building a diverse, high-performing engineering team aligned with organizational goals
• Develop and implement an onboarding plan that ensures new hires become productive within 30/60/90 days while integrating seamlessly into the team
• Collaborate with HR to ensure a structured career progression framework is in place, aligning growth opportunities with organizational goals

• Ensure on-time project delivery, and meet quality and client expectations
• Provide accurate project estimates and participate in resource planning along with the project management team
• Automate decision-making processes to streamline workflows and improve efficiency
• Lead the team in solving technical challenges and optimizing operations
• Collaborate with Project Managers to align technical and project goals, ensuring the engineering team contributes effectively to project success
• Monitor and mitigate risks associated with engineering deliverables, ensuring the team is prepared to handle unforeseen challenges

• Communicate goals, expectations, and deadlines clearly to the team
• Provide stakeholders with solutions/product pitches, project updates, and team needs
• Keep stakeholders informed about progress and address challenges proactively
• Foster a culture of proactive cross-functional collaboration, ensuring the engineering team builds strong relationships with other departments
• Facilitate regular feedback loops between stakeholders and engineers to improve alignment and responsiveness

• Support the team with expertise in software design, development, databases, and coding
• Ensure solutions follow best practices for quality, security, and maintainability
• Guide the team in adopting innovative technologies and solutions
• Define and enforce technical standards across the team, ensuring consistency and adherence to best practices
• Evaluate and introduce cutting-edge tools, technologies, or frameworks that enhance team productivity and project outcomes

• Continuously improve processes and tools to increase team efficiency
• Encourage innovation and implement strategies that improve productivity and product development
• Promote technology advancements that enhance team performance
• Identify repetitive manual processes and lead automation efforts to reduce operational overhead
• Foster an experimentation culture where engineers are encouraged to propose and test new ideas with measurable impact

• Make data-driven decisions to address challenges and optimize resources
• Implement digital engineering and automation to improve project timelines and outcomes
• Ensure alignment of technical decisions with organizational strategy and goals, prioritizing long-term value
• Facilitate decision-making frameworks that encourage team input while ensuring timely resolution of key technical challenges

• Monitor, measure, and report on the performance of the engineering team against established KPIs
• Develop action plans to address gaps in performance or resource allocation, ensuring continuous improvement
• Ensure that team efforts contribute to achieving business-level objectives, bridging the gap between technical execution and strategic outcomes

• 7+ years of experience in software development, with a strong background in technical architecture, and at least 2–3 years in a senior technical or architectural role (e.g., Engineering Manager, Senior Software Architect, Lead Engineer, Staff Engineer)
• Must have proven experience managing different engineering teams, including mentoring, career development, and fostering a positive, inclusive team culture
• Strong communication skills in English (C1), capable of leading client calls and explaining complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
• Ukrainian language native or C1 speaker
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
• Strong skills in organizing resources, setting priorities, and meeting deadlines, with experience in agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban)
• Strong background in software design, architecture, and development, with proficiency in both back-end and front-end technologies
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure), CI/CD pipelines, and modern development frameworks (e.g., React, Symfony, Laravel)
• Proven ability to implement structured reporting processes and align technical outputs with business goals
• Ability to solve technical challenges, implement technology improvements, and optimize workflows through automation
• High levels of empathy and emotional intelligence, fostering trust, rapport, and collaboration while ensuring a healthy work-life balance

• Screening interview with TA Specialist (45 min)
• Qualification interview with COO & Head of Delivery (60 min)
• Final interview with CTO (60 min)
• (Optional) Focus interview (60 min)
• References check
• Offer

• 100% remote work with a flexible schedule and a 7-hour workday
• A dynamic environment focused on meaningful projects for non-profits
• Professional growth opportunities through courses, certifications, conferences and business trips
• Unique opportunity to shape processes and foster engineering culture in a digital agency
• Benefits like paid vacation, sick leaves, and days off for national holidays
• A warm, friendly, and collaborative work environment
• Regular team-building activities and Happy Hour Fridays!

Ready to inspire, lead, and innovate with us?

Apply now to join Five Jars as our next Engineering Manager!