GT was founded in 2019 by a former Apple, Nest, and Google executive. GT’s mission is to connect the world’s best talent with product careers offered by high-growth companies in the UK, USA, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands.
On behalf of Dreams, GT is looking for an Engineering Manager to lead front-end engineering and test teams through a major front-end modernisation programme while keeping a high-traffic ecommerce platform stable and performant.
Work format: hybrid, based in Loudwater, Buckinghamshire
Dreams is the UK’s most loved and most recommended bed retailer, helping people sleep better for almost 40 years. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in High Wycombe, the company operates at national scale with over 220 stores, 12 delivery centres, and its own manufacturing facility, supported by more than 2,500 colleagues across the UK.
Behind the brand is a highly data-driven, end-to-end operation spanning procurement, manufacturing, logistics, retail, and direct-to-customer delivery, moving over 14,000 products every week. As part of the Composite family, a global $8bn group, Dreams is investing heavily in modern platforms and data capabilities—offering data engineers the opportunity to work with large, complex datasets and deliver solutions that have clear, real-world business impact.
About the RoleAs Engineering Manager for Ecommerce Front-End & QA, you are the day-to-day technology deputy to the Head of Ecommerce. You lead the front-end engineering and test teams to deliver a stable, high-performing ecommerce experience while improving delivery predictability, release confidence, and quality. This role is central to steering Dreams' front-end modernisation / migration programme.
You are technically credible—able to guide engineering direction, challenge approaches, and make pragmatic trade-offs—and a strong people manager who builds a high-performing team and reduces reliance on the Head of Ecommerce for operational oversight.
What makes this project interesting:
End-to-end ownership of a front-end migration / modernisation programme on a high-traffic trading platform
Real authority to set FE standards, patterns, and engineering ways of working
Combined leadership of both front-end engineering and QA, with clear visibility of business impact
Engineering Leadership & Delivery Ownership
Own delivery outcomes for FE engineering and QA: predictable throughput, release readiness, incident/defect ownership, and continuous improvement
Establish and maintain strong engineering ways of working
Identify delivery risks early (dependencies, resourcing, technical constraints) and actively remove blockers
Balance "run the business" work with roadmap delivery and technical-debt reduction to protect site stability and future change velocity
Front-End Modernisation / Migration Leadership
Steer the front-end migration programme end-to-end: sequencing, approach, and delivery governance, ensuring progress without destabilising trading
Set and maintain FE standards and patterns: framework usage, TypeScript standards, state management, component structure/reuse, testing strategy, and performance best practices
Make key migration decisions visible: document major trade-offs and ensure alignment across stakeholders
Ensure the team maintains a sustainable architecture direction
Quality & Test Leadership (via Test Manager)
Line-manage and support the Test Manager to create and execute effective test strategies, plans, and scripts across releases and change programmes
Ensure robust coverage across testing types: exploratory, feature, pre/post-release, integration, regression, and performance—primarily manual with pragmatic automation where it adds value
Drive strong defect management: triage, prioritisation, clear ownership, and fast resolution, especially for live issues impacting customers/trading
Maintain clear release sign-off processes and communication so stakeholders understand confidence and risk
Stakeholder & Partner Management
Actively question project briefs and help shape solutions to reduce delivery roadblocks
Translate business goals into engineering delivery plans and communicate clearly to non-technical stakeholders
Coordinate with third-party development and QA partners on standards, quality expectations, and delivery timelines
People Leadership & Team Development
Build a strong engineering and QA culture focused on ownership, quality, continuous improvement, and collaboration
Set clear expectations, coach performance, develop capability, and support hiring for the future platform
Create a team structure and operating rhythm that reduces day-to-day dependency on the Head of Ecommerce
Proven experience leading and line-managing a team of front-end engineers (and/or a cross-functional delivery team), with strong people-management capability
Strong technical credibility in modern front-end development (JavaScript/TypeScript, component-based architecture, performance, testing), with the ability to guide decisions even if not coding daily
Demonstrable experience leading delivery of significant front-end change (migration, modernisation, replatform, major refactor) with clear sequencing and risk management
Strong understanding of software quality and testing practices; experience partnering closely with QA/Test roles and maintaining release confidence
Excellent stakeholder management: able to communicate trade-offs, progress, and risks clearly to technical and non-technical audiences
Strong English communication skills
Ecommerce and/or retail experience, especially within high-traffic trading environments
Experience working with third-party engineering partners and external QA providers
Familiarity with experimentation/CRO delivery environments and performance-focused delivery
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