Engineering manager ikea

Working with engineering, quality, sustainability, and product requirement? We moved too fast, and while I was well-intentioned, some of the integrations were rough. Our backend team (Java for prototyping, Go for production) recently evaluated whether switching from Google BigTable to managed MongoDB could reduce cloud costs.

We ran a short PoC using real, replicated data.

Engineers who expect to only code will struggle. We work fully integrated with the Range & Development teams to lead product development, within our scope, in line with Range & Development Plans at IKEA of Sweden and Core Business Franchise. It’s a simple but powerful way to stay grounded. You’re not here to just write code, you’re here to really understand how IKEA works, and to make it work better.

At least once a year, every engineer spends a day on the retail floor.

You can't fake it. Emotions aren’t a distraction, they’re a signal of something important you need to pay attention to - ignoring them and trying to “win” with logic kills creativity and blocks problem-solving.

That shift - from “being right” over my followers to creating space for the growth of others was a huge turning point for me.

Many thanks to Nikolay for sharing his experience and putting a lot of effort into this article!

I found it really interesting to peek inside such a famous company, which is not a classic ‘tech one’.

What inspired you to apply for this position, and how do you believe your experience matches the key requirements for the role?

Please note that we will be interviewing continuously, which means that we may close the application process earlier than stated if we find the right candidates. Read more about why articulating the right problems matters.

We’ve seen what happens when “done” is assumed but not defined.

You aim to make a meaningful impact and remain steadfast even during challenging times.

We expect you to consider the customer experience and collaborate across the entire decisioning area, with C-Recs and P-Recs as your focus. Idealism around “modern” practices - agile, microservices, whatever - doesn’t always hold up in practice. A more conservative investment often serves the business better.

In such a huge, old, and successful business, humility is essential.

And sometimes, the ROI just doesn’t justify an immediate upgrade.

A collaborative mindset is essential; in your day-to-day, you will work closely across disciplines to ensure we build products our customers love and that the business needs.

Examples of your core responsibilities are:
• Technology Accountability: Ensure a well-designed and resilient implementation of technical solutions aligned with the product’s growth.
• IKEA Leadership: Lead a diverse software engineering team with IKEA values as your compass.

I thought I was being helpful, but I was actually silencing the team.

What I learned instead is the power of pulling, not pushing. After a new acquisition for Ingka Group of IKEA, the leadership team and I jumped in to help integrate the incoming IT team, their product, and their way of working into ours.

I didn’t realize how overwhelmed they were.

Our job is turning IKEA’s iconic, historically successful processes into modern digital experiences.

As an Engineering Manager, you will play a crucial role in shaping the recommendation experience for millions of people around the world. What helps the team however, is that we regularly review every recurring meeting - its length, cadence, purpose, and attendees.