SmartNews is a leading global information and news discovery company dedicated to delivering quality information to the people who need it. Thanks to our unique machine-learning technology and relationships with more than 3,000 global publisher partners, we provide news that matters to millions of users.
Founded in 2012 in Tokyo, SmartNews also has offices in Palo Alto, New York, Beijing, and Singapore.
If you share our vision and are passionate about our mission, we encourage you to apply!
The Team
The Global Product Team is responsible for broadening the global reach of SmartNews by innovating and building news products, starting with the US News market. Our mission is to help more people discover high-quality, trustworthy news that matters to them. Presently, we are building a new application called NewsArc.
As the Engineering Manager for the US engineering team, your mission is to drive the success of NewsArc by combining strong technical expertise with effective people leadership. You’ll play a pivotal role in shaping the product, leading a cross-functional team of engineers, and contributing directly to the codebase.
We’re looking for a hands-on leader who can help establish a high-performing engineering culture in the US—someone who thrives in a startup-like environment, takes ownership, and partners closely with Product and Design to deliver meaningful impact to users.
What You'll Do
- Lead and grow a fast-moving team of full-stack engineers based in Palo Alto
- Build a world-class news application by contributing both as an individual engineer and as a team leader
- Work closely and in person with engineers, designers, data scientists, and product managers to shape the product—from early ideas to implementation
- Take an active role in product discovery and definition—contributing ideas, prototypes, and feedback as part of the full development cycle
- Contribute directly to the codebase and lead technical decisions
- Foster a high-performance engineering culture rooted in quality, autonomy, ownership, and a strong product mindset
- 3 days a week in office
Minimum requirements
- Proficient (5+ years) in product development using either React, React Native and/or Node.js to build cross-platform mobile and/or web applications
- Proficiency in TypeScript
- Experience leading a team of 5~10 engineers–as a people manager
- Strong sense of ownership, product mindset, and user-centric thinking
- Interest in news (even if no previous work experience): We want to build a team that cares about and understands what we do
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or any related field
Nice to have experiences/skills
- Experience building products that rely on AI, ML, ranking, and/or LLM prompts
- Experience building products 0→1
- Master’s degree
Benefits available at the SmartNews US Office
- Compensation range: $175,000 to $270,250 base salary, plus bonus and equity
- 401(k) with employer matching
- Up to 100% medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family
- Benefit plan with monthly allowances
- Complimentary lunch, snacks, and beverages in the office
Top Skills
Similar Jobs
What you need to know about the Charlotte Tech Scene
Key Facts About Charlotte Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 90,859; 6.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Lowe’s, Bank of America, TIAA, Microsoft, Honeywell
- Key Industries: Fintech, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing, e-commerce
- Funding Landscape: $3.1 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (CED)
- Notable Investors: Microsoft, Google, Falfurrias Management Partners, RevTech Labs Foundation
- Research Centers and Universities: University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Northeastern University, North Carolina Research Campus
