Frontend Manager

Job Description:

Rakuten TV is one of Europe’s leading video streaming platforms, offering premium transactional (TVOD) and advertising-based (AVOD/FAST) content to millions of users across more than 40 countries. Backed by Rakuten Group - one of the world’s largest internet services companies - we operate a cutting-edge B2B2C model, partnering with leading device manufacturers, broadcasters, and advertising networks to deliver premium entertainment experiences.

Headquartered in Barcelona, our international team combines deep expertise in technology, content, sales, and finance to drive continued growth across EMEA. We are a data-driven, fast-paced organisation that values intellectual curiosity, ownership, and collaboration.

Are you passionate about Video on Demand? Do you love building engineering cultures as much as you love building products? Rakuten TV is looking for a Frontend Manager to lead all client-facing engineering across B2B and B2C, spanning Smart TVs, mobile, web, and whitelabel platforms.

Work with a team of wildly talented and highly motivated engineers in the fast-growing industry of Video on Demand, in one of the most exciting cities in Europe: Barcelona.

The position

As Frontend Director you own the full scope of client-side engineering at Rakuten TV. You will lead multiple frontend teams, a group of ~10 engineers and leads responsible for products used by millions of customers across Europe.

• Own technical strategy, architecture, and delivery across all frontend platforms

• Manage and grow a team of frontend engineers and leads across Mobile, CTVs and Web

• Report directly to the CTO and act as the voice of frontend engineering at leadership level

• Drive roadmap alignment between product, design, and engineering

• Define and enforce engineering standards, code quality, and testing strategy across all teams

• Own hiring, performance reviews, and career development for all direct and indirect reports

• Manage external vendor and CTVs platform relationships

• Own final call on architecture and platform decisions: you are the decision-maker, not a facilitator

What we expect from you

• 8+ years of hands-on engineering experience with a deep frontend background (JavaScript/TypeScript, mobile, or CTV), with at least 3 years in an engineering leadership role (Lead, Principal, Head, or Director)

• Deep knowledge of React and modern frontend tooling in a production environment

• Proven experience managing multi-team frontend organisations, not just tech leads, but people managers

• Experience with Smart TV application development

• Strong understanding of video streaming: HLS, DASH, players (hls.js, Shaka, or similar), DRM, and ad integration (VAST)

• Ability to define and execute long-term technical roadmaps, manage tech debt, and balance short-term delivery with architectural health

• Comfortable representing engineering in stakeholder and executive conversations

• Strong hiring instincts: you know how to attract, assess, and retain strong engineers

• Fluent in agile/scrum practices; experienced running cross-functional teams

• Experience publishing and managing applications across mobile and CTV app store portals

• Background in a streaming or media company

Stack you will work with

• Web & CTV: React, Redux, Next.js, TypeScript, Webpack, BrightScript (Roku). Major TV manufacturers and streaming devices

• Mobile: Kotlin, Swift/SwiftUI

• Playback: HLS/DASH/Smooth Streaming, PlayReady/Widevine, Shaka Player, hls.js

• Tooling: pnpm monorepo, Jest, Cypress, Playwright, Suitest, Github Actions

• Infra: Experience with major cloud providers, CDN, cloud object storage, and serverless compute.

We'd love to hire someone who is

• A multiplier: you make the engineers around you better, not just the code

• Technically credible: your team respects your opinion because you've earned it in the codebase

• Decisive under ambiguity: you move forward with incomplete information and own the outcome

• Aclear communicator: you can translate technical complexity for product and executive audiences

• Genuinely passionate about video: you care about the end-user experience, not just the architecture diagram

Some Good Reasons To Apply

• Join a leading global tech company.

• Flexible work: hybrid model, flexible hours and Friday afternoon off!

• Fast-track your career in a high-growth environment.

• Interesting training resources & free language classes.

• Enjoy a great work atmosphere, team activities & offsites.

• Modern, sustainable offices near Barcelona beach. Wellbeing focused.

• Access wellbeing & mental health platforms.

• Free coffee, juice & lunch allowance in the office.

• Work with a diverse team of 24+ nationalities!

• Flexible Remuneration: medical insurance or extra funds for meals/commuting/childcare.

• Access to Wellhub!

Rakuten Shugi Principles

Rakuten Group has an unswerving commitment to building an egalitarian society by empowering individuals and companies to be successful in business and in life. We expect “Rakutenians” to model these 5 “Shugi” Principles of Success:

• Always improve, always advance. With enough determination and effort, you can achieve anything.

• Be passionately professional. Be determined to be the best.

• Hypothesize - Practice - Validate - Shikumika. Success in business depends on making and executing concrete specific action plans.

• Maximize Customer Satisfaction. The greatest satisfaction in a service industry is to see our customers smile.

• Speed!! Speed!! Speed!! Always be conscious of time. Take charge, set clear goals, and engage yourself and your team.

Our D&I Mission

Rakuten’s corporate mission is to “contribute to society by creating value through innovation and entrepreneurship.” We foster a culture that provides equal opportunities to those who share this founding philosophy and take on the challenge to transform society, regardless gender, age, sexual orientation, race, religion, culture, nationality, disability, or any other status. Diversity is one of Rakuten's core strategies and a driving force for innovation. To continue to provide innovative services, we strive to respect the uniqueness and values of every one of our Rakutenians, located all around the world, and to create environments where they are able to demonstrate their full potential.

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