Software Engineering Manager II

Software Engineering Manager II

Department: Tech

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Vancouver

Compensation: $170,000 - $190,000 / year

Description

Hi there, we’re Article. 👋  Since 2013, we have been redefining the furniture industry one sofa at a time, it’s not easy — it requires solving challenging, meaningful problems. This is where you come in. As a Software Engineering Manager II, you will empower high-performing, micro-sized engineering squads to rapidly build, scale, and maintain the technology powering Article's operations.

In Application Engineering, we operate with maximum agility. Our engineers rotate across projects and own delivery end-to-end—spanning frontend, backend, data engineering, and cloud infrastructure. We leverage modern AI tools like Claude AI as a force multiplier so engineers can query systems in natural language and spend less time wading through legacy documentation.

Because our projects, processes, and team compositions vary significantly depending on business needs, we need an Engineering Manager who is pragmatic, flexible, and highly adaptable. Our operating model thrives on fluidity—dogmatic approaches or rigid frameworks will break this system. You will meet our teams and systems where they are, adapting your management style and delivery practices to fit the unique needs of each initiative while building flexible, high-impact systems quickly.

Within your first few months, you’ll take ownership of capacity planning, establish clear delivery standards across active project squads, and guide engineer project rotations smoothly. In a year, you’ll be proud to say you’ve streamlined squad operations, reduced ongoing maintenance overhead, and coached a high-performing, highly adaptable engineering team that consistently delivers business outcomes.

As a Particle (people of Article), you will have a high level of autonomy to solve challenging, meaningful problems the best way you can. That means you’re trusted to explore solutions you believe will work best (you’re the expert, after all). You’ll do all this while growing your skills within a company that is redefining the furniture industry.

We are a modern, adaptable engineering organization built around micro-sized squads (typically 1–2 engineers) with full-stack ownership. We use Claude AI to understand complex codebases fast and skip dense documentation. Instead of sitting in traditional code reviews, our managers act as Delivery Managers and partner with Staff Engineers on sprint execution, resource planning, and stakeholder alignment.

We are a hybrid team—you'll be in the office at our Vancouver HQ 3 days per week.

What You’ll Do

• Adapt & Execute Across Varied Contexts: Lead multiple concurrent micro-squads (1–2 engineers) through rapidly shifting project scopes, team structures, and operational frameworks, applying a pragmatic lens to execution rather than enforcing one-size-fits-all processes.

• Drive Agile Operations: Lead fast, high-quality project cycles from scoping through to production deployment, embracing changing business needs with composure and flexibility.

• Leverage AI Integration: Empower engineers with AI tools like Claude AI to navigate complex codebases via natural language, accelerating onboarding and smooth project rotations.

• Manage Capacity & Trade-offs: Own capacity planning and project sequencing, pragmatically balancing high-ROI initiatives with technical debt reduction and operational stability.

• Interface with Stakeholders: Serve as the key interface for project delivery—leading trade-off conversations with cross-functional stakeholders, managing delivery timelines, and setting realistic expectations.

• Partner on Execution: Partner with Product Managers and Staff Engineers on sprint planning, task creation, and resource allocation without conducting direct code reviews.

• Cross-Domain Guidance: Guide engineers as they traverse front-end, back-end, integrations, data engineering, and AWS cloud infrastructure across different project rotations.

• Maintain Health & Stability: Review operational metrics (incidents, bugs, debt) and ensure squads schedule proactive improvements to continuously reduce operational workload.

• Cultivate Accountable Culture: Model "above the line" behavior across squads, maintaining high standards of fairness, ownership, and clear accountability.

Who You Are

Adaptability & Pragmatic Mindset

• Process-Agnostic & Pragmatic: You understand that rigid methodologies don't work in a fluid environment. You adapt your approach to match the needs of varying projects, processes, and team dynamics rather than trying to fit teams into a strict playbook.

• Comfortable with Fluidity: You thrive in an environment where engineering resources rotate, project scopes evolve, and micro-squad structures shift regularly.

• Solutions-Oriented: You focus on what works in practice over theoretical perfection, balancing speed, quality, and business value.

Leadership & Coaching

• Clear Expectation Setting: Set clear expectations, define squad goals, and hold engineers accountable with fairness and direct support.

• Technical Leader Coaching: Coach senior engineers and technical leaders in effective mentoring, flexible squad rituals, and practical decision-making.

• Continuous Feedback Loop: Actively gather 360-degree stakeholder feedback to guide performance reviews and individual career growth plans.

Delivery & Collaboration

• Delivery Management: Expert in sprint planning, trade-off discussions, and stakeholder communication in fast-paced environments.

• Cross-Functional Communication: Ability to translate complex technical decisions clearly for non-technical partners.

• Resilience: Highly resilient when managing shifting business priorities and fast delivery cycles.

Qualifications & Technical Experience

• Engineering Management: Previous experience directly managing software engineers across various experience levels.

• Multi-Squad Oversight: Proven track record managing capacity and project delivery across multiple concurrent projects or micro-squads.

• Full-Stack Familiarity: Comfortable supporting full-stack engineering environments across frontend, backend, APIs, data pipelines, and AWS cloud infrastructure.

• Modern Engineering Standards: Hands-on familiarity with modern software practices (CI/CD, monitoring, incident response, unit testing).

Must-Have

• Legally able to work in Canada.

• Completion of a criminal background check.

Perks & Benefits

Wealth: 

• The salary range is $170,000 to $190,000

• Starting salary is determined by your transferable skills, knowledge, work experience, and the hiring team’s budget, which is based on business needs, market compensation data, and internal equity

• We believe in Winning Together. When Article hits its annual financial goals, eligible employees will receive a cash bonus

• 4% RRSP matched contributions through Wealthsimple 

Life:

• 20 days of vacation*

• 1 extra day off (Inclusion and Diversity Day)

• 6 well-being (sick) days 

• Hybrid work: 3 days a week in the office

• Work remotely (anywhere in the world) for up to 3 weeks

Total Health:

• Excellent extended health and dental benefits packages

• $1000 health/lifestyle spending account* for your total physical and mental well-being

• TELUS Health App
• Mental Health Assistance/Counseling 

• Virtual medical appointments

Office Space:

• The Article HQ is a converted warehouse, with an open accessible layout and no offices (even for our founders)

• Work from your desk, an Article sofa, collaboration spaces, or a private meeting room• Standup desks can be requested too

• Our kitchens are stocked with salty, sweet and healthy snacks, & all the premium coffees and teas to keep you buzzing 

• Onsite fitness equipment with showers and towel service

• Pickleball, badminton, and table tennis matches happen, from very competitive to very casual

• A dog-friendly office - well-socialized pups are welcome

Getting here:

• Free street parking (first come, first serve; no reserved spots for senior leaders)

• Indoor secure bike storage with change rooms and showers

• 20-minute walk to either Main Street- Science World or VCC Clark Skytrain stations 

Extra:

• 45% discount on our entire product range (15% for friends and family) 

*Prorated  #INDARTICLE