Software Engineering Manager - UCX (Web)

About HL and the Opportunity

We're building the next generation platform for one of the UK's largest financial services companies, trusted by over 2 million clients and managing c.£150 billion in assets. This is your opportunity to shape technology that will redefine how people invest and achieve financial freedom.

You will build our green field next generation Unified Client Experience (UCX) frontend and web applications that will streamline client journeys across a range of products and services. It's an exciting opportunity to design, architect and build a modern frontend from scratch using React, AWS technologies and latest design patterns including micro front ends, module federation and industry best practices to modernize and transform our savings and investment platform.

The UCX team consolidates the efforts of the whole organisation, transforming client journeys and delivering on HL's vision to give people financial freedom. You will work with like-minded people from business, product and engineering functions to develop and refine client journeys covering onboarding, KYC, account management and investment workflows in a secure and compliant environment.

By joining us, you'll help deliver innovative and scalable solutions that make investing easier and more accessible to millions of users across the UK.

Be part of HL's future. Be part of the future of investing. Shape it with us.

What You'll Be Doing

Leadership & People Management

• Recruit, lead, and develop an agile team of 5-7 front-end and web engineers (React) across a mix of seniority levels.
• Own people management responsibilities including hiring, onboarding, line management, performance management, coaching, mentoring, and career development.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performance team culture focused on continuous improvement and psychological safety.

Technical Leadership & Delivery

• Provide hands-on technical leadership for the design and delivery of greenfield front-end web applications using React and AWS technology stack. Solid experience & knowledge of React and Web development is a must-have.
• Define and uphold front-end engineering standards, best practices, and architectural principles.
• Lead technical decision-making, balancing short-term delivery needs with long-term maintainability and scalability.
• Ensure applications are performant, accessible, secure, and compliant with relevant standards and regulations.

Platform & Integration

• Lead the integration of front-end platforms with backend services using GraphQL APIs, and third-party systems to deliver seamless end-to-end user experiences.
• Collaborate with backend, platform, and DevOps teams to ensure well-designed interfaces and reliable deployments.

Ways of Working & Quality

• Take ownership of the agile software development lifecycle, including backlog refinement, Scrum ceremonies, CI/CD pipelines, release processes, and production deployments.
• Promote iterative delivery with a strong focus on customer outcomes, rapid feedback loops, and measurable value.
• Ensure high code quality through code reviews, automated testing, and shared ownership of technical outcomes.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Work closely with Product Managers, Designers, and business stakeholders to align technical delivery with product strategy and customer needs.
• Communicate technical concepts, trade-offs, and progress clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

About You

• 10+ years of commercial experience building web and front-end applications

Interview Process

3 Stage Interview

Stage 1 - Discussion with our Hiring Manager (30 mins):

A chance to talk with our Hiring Manager in more detail about the role, our tech stack and some of the problems we solve every day. Here, we'll dig a bit more into some of your experiences, understand the processes you're familiar with and the technologies you've used to deliver end user value.

Stage 2 - Technical Assessment (70 mins):

For the technical part, we'd like you to sit down with some of your potential peers to work through a technical design solution. This is to assess your technology depth including technical design/architecture knowledge, familiarity with design patterns, analytical skills and knowledge of web technology stack

Stage 3 - Final Round - Architecture, Leadership & Culture fit (60 - 80 mins):

In this round you will be assessed on your overall architecture and technical skill, your leadership experience and our cultural fit

Salary & Package

We offer a competitive salary of up to £115,000, depending on experience, alongside a generous performance-based bonus scheme.

Your total reward package includes:

• 💰 Up to 19% pension contribution - helping you plan confidently for the future
• 🏥 Private medical insurance

We believe in recognising and rewarding the impact you make - and ensuring you feel valued every step of the way.

Working Schedule

We're based in the stunning Paddington Central offices at 4 Kingdom Street, a modern workspace designed to energise your day and elevate collaboration.

What Makes It Special?

• 🌿 Landscaped rooftop gardens - perfect for a breath of fresh air or informal catch-ups.
• 🏀 London's highest rooftop basketball court - yes, really!
• 🧘 ♀️ Wellness amenities including showers, lockers, hairdryers, and fresh towels.
• 🚲 Cyclist-friendly with secure bike storage and drying rooms.
• 🛋️ Stylish lounge areas, booths, and breakout spaces for focused work or relaxed chats.
• 🌊 Canalside location near Little Venice, with floating restaurants, coffee shops, and a seasonal pop-up garden bar.
• 🚆 Unbeatable transport links - just steps from Paddington Station and the Elizabeth Line.

We embrace a hybrid working model that gives you the best of both worlds:

• 1-2 days a week in the office to connect, collaborate, and enjoy everything the space has to offer.
• Remote flexibility for deep focus, work-life balance, and personal productivity.

This is a full-time role, working 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday.