Front End Developer

IBM; Bristol; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Senior Application Developer to lead frontend innovation in digital product development. This role offers the opportunity to shape high-quality frontend solutions using modern JavaScript frameworks like React and Vue.js. You will mentor a team, define technical architecture, and collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to deliver exceptional user experiences. With a strong emphasis on career growth and a culture that values diversity and innovation, this position is ideal for those looking to make a significant impact in a dynamic environment. Join a forward-thinking company that prioritizes your professional development and work-life balance.

Benefits

Training opportunities

Flexible working approaches

25 days holiday

Employee Assistance Program

Group personal pension plan

Mentoring and coaching programs

Internal recognition programs

Paid maternity and paternity leave

Qualifications

• Deep practical experience with modern JavaScript and its libraries.
• Strong understanding of frontend architecture and design systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead frontend development of complex web applications using JavaScript frameworks.
• Mentor junior developers and promote a culture of quality and learning.

Skills

JavaScript

React

Next.js

Vue.js

DevOps practices

Agile methodologies

Problem-solving

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

CI/CD pipelines

Testing strategies

Job description

Introduction

At IBM CIC, we deliver deep technical and industry expertise to a wide range of public and private sector clients in the UK.

A career in IBM CIC means you’ll have the opportunity to work with visionaries across multiple industries to improve the hybrid cloud and AI journey for the most innovative and valuable companies in the world. Your ability to accelerate impact and make meaningful change for your clients is enabled by our strategic partner ecosystem and our robust technology platforms across the IBM portfolio.

Curiosity and a constant quest for knowledge serve as the foundation to success in IBM CIC. In your role, you’ll be encouraged to challenge the norm, investigate ideas outside of your role, and come up with creative solutions which impact a wide network of clients, who may be at their site or one of our CIC or IBM locations. Our culture of evolution centres on long-term career growth and development opportunities in an environment that embraces your unique skills and experience.

We Offer

• A multitude of training opportunities from classroom to e-learning, mentoring and coaching programs as well as the chance to gain industry recognized certifications
• Regular and frequent promotion and progression opportunities to ensure you can drive and develop your career with us
• Feedback and checkpoints throughout the year
• Diversity & Inclusion as an essential and authentic component of our culture through our policies and process as well as our Employee Champion teams and support networks
• A culture where your ideas for growth and innovation are always welcome
• Internal recognition programs for peer-to-peer appreciation as well as from manager to employees
• Tools and policies to support your work-life balance from flexible working approaches, sabbatical programs, paid paternity leave, maternity leave and an innovative maternity returners scheme
• More traditional benefits, such as 25 days holiday (in addition to public holidays), online shopping discounts, an Employee Assistance Program, a group personal pension plan of an additional 5% of your base salary paid by us monthly to save for your future.

Your Role And Responsibilities

As a Senior Application Developer-Experience Front End, you'll be at the forefront of our digital product development, driving innovation and excellence in front-end engineering. You will be responsible for delivering high-quality frontend solutions by setting the coding standard, shaping the architecture, guiding engineering practices, and leading the team through complex technical challenges in large-scale digital transformation projects. As part of a project senior technical leadership team, you will also contribute to stakeholder management and strategic planning at the account level.

Responsibilities

• Lead the frontend development of complex web applications using modern JavaScript libraries and frameworks (React, Next.js, Vue.js, etc.).
• Define technical architecture, patterns, and practices for scalable, maintainable, and high-performing frontend solutions.
• Act as technical lead on projects — setting direction, ensuring code quality, and aligning delivery with client needs.
• Mentor and support junior and mid-level developers, promoting a culture of learning, quality, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate closely with designers, backend developers, DevOps, QA, and other stakeholders to drive end-to-end delivery.
• Translate business requirements into clear technical design and requirements, and into compelling user experiences.
• Define and lead implementation of development workflows, CI/CD pipelines, testing strategies, and release processes.
• Communicate technical decisions and trade-offs clearly to clients and internal stakeholders.

Preferred Education

Bachelor's Degree

Required Technical And Professional Expertise

• Deep practical experience with modern JavaScript and its libraries and frameworks like React, Next.js, Vue.js, or similar.
• Strong understanding of design systems, component libraries, and working closely with UX/UI teams.
• Proven track record in technical leadership roles, leading delivery teams in complex, multi-environment projects.
• Strong understanding of frontend architecture, including performance, security, compliance, accessibility, and scalability considerations.
• Experience defining the implementation of robust testing strategies (unit, integration, E2E) and managing quality in delivery pipelines.
• Strong understanding of DevOps practices and tooling relevant to frontend development.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills — able to engage with clients, present solutions, and explain technical concepts clearly.
• Experience working in agile, cross-functional teams, with an understanding of effective delivery methodologies.
• Outstanding problem-solving skills and ability to handle multiple tasks concurrently.

As an equal opportunities’ employer, we welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds. However, for you to be eligible for this role, you must have the valid right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, we do not offer visa sponsorship and have no future plans to do so. You must be a resident in the UK and have been living continuously in the UK for the last 10 years. You must be able to hold or gain a UK government security clearance.

Preferred Technical And Professional Experience

• Experience in consulting or client-facing roles, ideally in a digital or enterprise environment.
• Familiarity with backend technologies (e.g., Node.js, APIs) and how frontend integrates into broader systems.
• Exposure to cloud-native architectures (e.g., AWS, Azure, serverless, containerized environments).
• Experience contributing to pre-sales and project discovery phases by advising on technical feasibility and shaping solutions.
• Involvement in technical communities or thought leadership (e.g., speaking, blogging, OSS contributions).