Application Development Manager

IN SHORT MSQ DX is hiring a Front-End Development Manager to partner with our Front-End Staff Developer in leading the Front-End Development practice across the US and Brazil. We are looking for a strong technical delivery leader who knows how to turn great plans into high-quality software. The Front-End Development Manager leads development teams through execution, bringing structure, accountability, and momentum to complex delivery efforts. This is a hands-on technical leadership role focused on team execution, development quality, estimation, code reviews, delivery discipline, and successful software delivery. The ideal candidate combines deep front-end development experience with proven people leadership skills. They care deeply about code quality, enjoy mentoring developers, and know how to keep teams focused on delivering well-built solutions. This role partners closely with Architects, Product Owners, QA, Project Managers, DevOps, and project leadership to ensure work is delivered in alignment with approved technical direction, defined scope, timelines, and quality standards. This position reports to the VP of Development & Architecture. WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING Technical & People Leadership Own and report on practice KPIs through weekly, monthly, and quarterly dashboards and readouts. Lead front-end delivery across multiple concurrent client engagements, enforcing UI architecture standards for scalable and maintainable React and Next.js applications. Perform code reviews and uphold engineering standards across the practice. Establish and enforce performance budgets, including Lighthouse, Core Web Vitals, and accessibility audits, with clear remediation plans. Ensure responsive, cross-browser experiences that meet WCAG 2.2 Level A standards as a baseline, with the flexibility to support Level AA requirements when needed. Drive adoption and maintenance of Storybook documentation, design tokens, and shared component libraries. Champion AI-forward front-end development practices, including AI-assisted code generation, RAG-ready user interfaces, and telemetry-enhanced experiences. Develop and communicate hiring plans, staffing needs, and team-scaling strategies. Hire, onboard, and establish clear expectations for new team members, including documented onboarding plans and probationary reviews. Hold regular 1:1 meetings, provide ongoing feedback, and support performance, growth, and career development. Conduct performance reviews, address performance concerns promptly, and partner with HR when formal action is needed. Manage key people-management responsibilities, including approvals, staffing awareness, performance planning, and compensation discussions. Handle sensitive personnel matters responsibly, including escalation of concerns, employment transitions, offboarding, and knowledge transfer. Serve as a trusted advisor to clients, peers, and company leadership. Cross-Functional Partnership Partner with the Front-End Staff Developer, Experience Design, Architecture, Back-End Development, Business Analysis, QA, and PMO teams to scope work, mitigate risk, and deliver predictable outcomes. Support estimation and planning efforts for front-end initiatives, balancing technical quality with delivery timelines. Identify and proactively address risks, blockers, and technical debt across projects and engagements. WHATWE’D LOVE TO SEE 7+ years of professional front-end development experience, including 5+ years in a technical people-management role. Strong proficiency with TypeScript, React, and Next.js. Experience with modern React patterns, including complex state management, server components, routing, and data-fetching strategies. Understanding of front-end architecture patterns and scalability considerations for enterprise client applications. Knowledge of UI/UX principles, design systems, accessibility standards, and responsive design best practices. SOFT SKILLS NEEDED Strong leadership and mentoring abilities, with experience coaching mid-level and senior engineers. Ability to lead through influence by setting clear expectations, holding teams accountable, and providing direct, actionable feedback. Comfort operating within a shared leadership model and partnering closely with a Staff Developer. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders. Ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities and balance leadership responsibilities with focused technical work. High degree of ownership, accountability, and follow-through. Coaching mindset with a genuine passion for developing others. NICE TO HAVE Experience working with distributed teams across multiple geographies, including Latin America. Experience in a digital agency or consultancy environment serving enterprise clients. Experience with Contentstack , Optimizely, Sitecore XM Cloud, or other headless CMS and composable DXP platforms. Experience with AI-assisted development tools and AI-powered user interface patterns. Experience contributing to or maintaining a design system as a product. Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science , Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience. Pay Range - Remote - US $150,000 - $170,000 USD Who We Are MSQ DX, formerly Arke, is a full-service experience design and technology consultancy dedicated to delivering connected, optimized digital solutions that spark conversations and fuel exponential growth. Our core values are the heart of MSQ DX and influence everything we do. We cultivate a vibrant culture for extraordinary people and uphold high standards while creating value for our clients and stakeholders. Why MSQ DX? At MSQ DX, our greatest strength is our people. We believe in creating an environment where everyone can do meaningful work, grow their skills, and feel supported by a team that truly cares. We offer a fantastic benefits package to our US-based employees , including health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, along with a 401(k) plan that includes up to a 4% company match. We also trust our employees to self-manage their personal time off and we invest in opportunities for ongoing learning, mentorship, and professional development. For our Brazil team , we provide competitive compensation and access to growth and collaboration with our cross-cultural teams. Everyone at MSQ DX plays an important role in our success, and we value each person’s unique contributions to our culture. We are proud to be a place where people enjoy working and feel encouraged to be their best. We hope you will explore what it is like to be part of MSQ DX.