Engineering Manager (Core UI)

SimSpace serves as an AI Proving Ground where organizations can confidently train, test, and outmaneuver adversaries in any environment. Trusted by allied governments, militaries, enterprises, and research institutions worldwide, SimSpace enables adaptive, AI-ready defenses that stay ahead of evolving threats. Founded in 2015 by experts from U.S. Cyber Command and MIT Lincoln Laboratory, the platform unifies training, testing, and validation in a realistic, live-fire simulation—helping teams evaluate security investments, optimize performance, and compress cyber readiness cycles from months to days.

Why join SimSpace? We are an organization that is focused on building our culture and mindfully enhancing our atmosphere every day which is why we have collaborated on an integral value system. Our governing philosophy of being Human Centered is deeply embedded within our value system. We apply this philosophy to every one of our internal team members, external clients, and their customers.

How Do We Work? We believe that people are at the center of everything we do. SimSpace fosters a culture of continuous learning, curiosity, and professional growth. That belief shows up in action: in-house training, internal and external learning platforms, cyber conferences, industry events, and dedicated time for skill development. Our people are empowered to shape their careers - and it shows. Year over year, SimSpace consistently outperforms industry benchmarks in internal mobility, promotions, and total rewards growth.

Who Thrives Here? We are a team of innovators, protectors, and problem-solvers. We believe diversity of thought and experience fuels better solutions, and we’re committed to building teams that reflect the communities we serve. Whether you’re remote or office-based, you’ll collaborate with talented colleagues across departments and time zones, united by the mission to create a safer digital world.

We invite you to apply today!

ABOUT THE ROLE

SimSpace is investing in the craft, consistency, and quality of every interface our customers touch, as well as in the systems that make great UI possible at scale. We're growing a dedicated Core UI engineering team that owns the foundation the rest of the product is built on: our design system, shared component libraries, frontend architecture, and the partnership between engineering and UX Design.

As the Engineering Manager for Core UI, you'll lead and grow this team—Design Engineers and Core Frontend Engineers—and be accountable for the health of our core frontend: the repositories, architecture, and standards everything else depends on, the relationship with UX Design, and the careers of the engineers who build it.

This is a people-leadership role with deep technical grounding. You lead through your team while staying close enough to the technical decisions to guide architecture, unblock hard problems, and hold a high bar for craft, accessibility, and performance. We're looking for a hungry, experienced engineering leader who wants real ownership—someone who treats the frontend platform as a product, sets a high standard, and drives frontend engineering forward in an owned, accountable way.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

BUILD AND LEAD THE CORE UI TEAM

• Lead, grow, and develop a team of Design Engineers and Core Frontend Engineers; own hiring, onboarding, 1:1s, performance, and career growth.

• Set the team's direction, goals, and priorities, translating platform strategy into a clear roadmap and execution plan.

• Foster a culture that values collaboration, inclusion, craft, and creativity.

• Mentor Design Engineers and frontend engineers, modeling strong craft, collaboration, and pragmatism.

• Lead UI-focused initiatives end to end, balancing ideal UX outcomes with delivery realities.

OWN THE CORE FRONTEND PLATFORM

• Own SimSpace's core frontend repositories, design system (e.g., Monorail), component libraries, and overall frontend architecture—treating the platform as a product with a roadmap and measurable quality.

• Steward architectural decisions and manage technical and UX debt deliberately, balancing long-term health with delivery needs.

• Establish and enforce standards for code health, accessibility, responsiveness, performance, testing, and documentation across shared UI systems.

OWN THE PARTNERSHIP WITH UX DESIGN

• Own the relationship between engineering and UX Design, ensuring alignment between design (Figma) and implementation (code, Storybook).

• Define workflows that turn design intent into production code predictably, and bring feasibility and engineering insight into design reviews early.

• Support prototyping workflows that let UX research gather customer feedback and iterate quickly.

DRIVE DELIVERY AND CROSS-TEAM EXECUTION

• Partner with Product Management to align frontend work with business objectives and timelines, and maintain the plans and resourcing for predictable delivery.

• Collaborate with other engineering teams and QA so shared UI systems integrate seamlessly and meet a high quality bar.

• Continuously improve Agile processes to enhance your team's velocity, quality, and delivery.

RAISE THE BAR ON CRAFT, ACCESSIBILITY, AND CONSISTENCY

• Champion accessibility (a11y) at the component, system, and organizational level, with WCAG-aligned standards and guidance.

• Drive UX quality, polish, responsive design standards, and consistency across the product—down to the error states, transitions, and keyboard interactions that make it feel premium—reducing UI inconsistency and UX debt.

WHAT YOU BRING

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 8+ years in frontend, UX, or design-adjacent engineering, including 2+ years directly managing or leading engineers.

• Proven ability to lead and grow frontend or UX engineering teams, including distributed or hybrid teams.

• Strong technical depth in TypeScript and React—modern component patterns and state management—enough to guide architecture and review work credibly.

• Experience owning or substantially contributing to design systems or shared UI libraries used by multiple teams.

• Solid understanding of accessibility (a11y) standards and how to operationalize them.

• Track record of partnering closely with designers, PMs, and engineers across teams.

• Hands-on experience with Agile methodologies, paired with strong leadership and communication skills.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Storybook, design tokens, and Figma-to-code workflows.

• Theming, white-labeling, and design token strategy.

• Frontend testing strategies (unit, visual, and accessibility).

• Comfort across the stack when needed (API integration, backend collaboration).

• Rapid UI prototyping and iterating against customer and UX research feedback.

• Interest in AI-assisted UI development and prototyping.

• Experience integrating work from contractors or external teams.

• Bachelor's in Computer Science or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).

WHO YOU ARE

• Hungry for ownership—you want a domain you can shape and set the bar for.

• You care deeply about UX quality and craft, and operationalize it through systems and standards, not heroics.

• You lead through your team but stay close enough to make—and unblock—hard technical calls.

• You balance high standards with pragmatism, making smart trade-offs when delivery demands them.

• You're energized by building teams, growing engineers, and influencing across disciplines without formal authority.

WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS

The Core UI team exists to reduce UI inconsistency and UX debt, improve accessibility and usability, increase frontend velocity through shared systems, and make SimSpace's product feel cohesive, modern, and premium. As the leader of this team, your impact compounds—you own the foundation the rest of frontend builds on, shaping how every product team builds interfaces and how customers experience SimSpace every day.

OUR TECH STACK INCLUDES

TypeScript, React, Kotlin, Storybook, Figma, our design system (Monorail), Git/GitHub, Docker, Kubernetes

We’re proud to offer a competitive and comprehensive package designed to support your well-being, growth, and success:

• Compensation. Base salary range: $160,000 - $220,000 reflecting our confidence in your expertise and impact, with the opportunity for bonuses tied to company performance and individual contributions.

• Health & Wellness. Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, plus savings plans—coverage starts on day one!

• Mental Health Support. Access to company-paid counseling, coaching, and resources for you and your family through Spring Health.

• Financial Well-Being. Plan for your future with a 401(k)-retirement savings plan featuring a company match.

• Flexible Time Off. Take the time you need with unlimited vacation and dedicated health & wellness days. SimSpace provides flexible solutions to meet the diverse work-life needs of team members.

• Parental Leave. Paid leave plans to support you and your loved ones during life’s most important moments.

• Ownership Opportunities. Equity stock options at hire, with annual performance-based grants—become an invested stakeholder in our shared success.

• Referral Rewards. Earn $1,500–$3,500 for every qualified hire through our employee referral program.

• Peloton Interactive Wellness Program. Full- and partial- subsidized membership plans and equipment discounts to help you reach your personalized fitness goals.

• Continuous Learning. Access a LinkedIn Learning membership to prioritize your personal and professional development.

• Social Connections. Monthly reimbursements for meaningful connections with teammates through our SocialSpace Community.

• Extra Perks. Legal plan coverage, pet insurance, wellness reimbursements, and more to simplify life’s details.

Join SimSpace and enjoy benefits that enhance your career, health, and happiness!

SimSpace is an Equal Opportunity Employer:

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

SimSpace is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.

Research shows that women and people from underrepresented groups only apply to jobs if they meet all of the qualifications. However, no one ever meets 100% of the qualifications. SimSpace encourages you to break that statistic and to apply. We look forward to your application!

We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, in accordance with applicable law. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, please contact careers@simspace.com.

SimSpace does not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies.

Actual compensation for the position is based on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to affordability, skills, qualifications and experience, and may vary from the range.