Manager, Software Engineer
Hands-on engineering manager at pharma company AbbVie leading a small team (2-3 FTEs plus contractors) building full-stack web apps that solve scientific and business problems, spanning React/TypeScript front-ends, Python and Node.js services, GraphQL APIs, Docker/Kubernetes deployment, and LLM-integrated services.
- Compensation
- Not disclosed
- Location
- North Chicago, IL, us
- Work setup
- Hybrid
- Seniority
- Lead
- Employment
- Contract
- Experience
- 0+ years
- Category
- Software engineering
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- Bachelor's Degree with 6 years' experience, Master's Degree with 5 years' experience, or PhD with 0 years' experience
- Thorough theoretical and practical understanding of full stack software engineering
- Hands-on experience delivering production applications with Python and React + TypeScript
- Experience designing, implementing, and consuming GraphQL APIs
- Experience building custom integrations between third-party and internal systems
- Practical experience with containerization (Docker)
- Strong TypeScript proficiency, including type-driven API design and shared type/codegen workflows
- Proven implementation of creative technology solutions that advanced the business
- Excellent written and oral English communication skills
- Experience with Node.js server frameworks (e.g., Hapi, Apollo Server)
- Experience with Python service frameworks and packaging tools (e.g., uv, pydantic, httpx)
- Prior experience managing or leading a small engineering team
- Exposure to LLM/agent-based application development and integration with internal AI SDKs
Nice to have
- Life sciences industry experience and/or chemistry degree
Full description
The Manager, Software Engineer will work collaboratively with technology and business groups to conceive, design, engineer, and implement full stack software solutions that solve significant scientific or business problems, while leading and developing a small team of engineers. This role will deliver production-grade web applications and services across a modern React/TypeScript front-end, Python and Node back-end services, and GraphQL APIs. The incumbent will balance hands-on technical contribution with day-to-day team leadership - guiding project execution, developing team members, and driving engineering practices that improve productivity and quality across the group.
Responsibilities
Technical
- Conceive, design, engineer, and implement full stack software solutions—spanning React/TypeScript front-ends, Python and Node.js services, and GraphQL APIs—by studying information needs, conferring with users, and analyzing systems flow, data usage, and work processes.
- Design and build responsive, accessible web experiences in React and TypeScript, using modern tooling (Vite, GraphQL codegen, TanStack/Redux Toolkit, react-hook-form, zod) and shared design systems.
- Design and implement GraphQL APIs; author schemas and resolvers that scale across multiple services and clients.
- Build and operate Python and Node.js back-end services, including agent/LLM-integrated services, exposing them safely and observably to front-end and downstream consumers.
- Design and build custom integrations between systems, both third-party and internal, ensuring reliable and secure data exchange.
- Package and deploy applications using containerization (Docker); have working familiarity with Kubernetes-based orchestration for services owned by the team.
- Maintain CI/CD pipeline ownership for the team's services, covering automated build, test, and deployment across environments.
- Partner with stakeholders to help define and implement technical guardrails for citizen-developed applications, applying software engineering and infrastructure principles to promote secure, reliable, scalable, and supportable solutions.
- Instrument services and clients for observability and use those signals to analyze and resolve technical problems using disciplined problem-solving methods.
People & Team Leadership
- Manage a small team of 2–3 direct FTE reports, and direct the work of additional contract engineers, providing day-to-day direction on tasks, sprint planning, and prioritization.
- Conduct performance reviews and support each FTE team member's career development, including goal-setting and skill growth planning; provide performance feedback on contractors' work.
- Mentor and coach team members on technical practices, code quality, and problem-solving approaches.