Lead Front End Engineer

Ocho People Ltd.; Belfast City District; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Ocho People Ltd. seeks a Lead Front End Engineer to own frontend architecture for a React-based platform, guiding scalability, performance, and UX across the product.

You'll mentor engineers, set engineering standards, and collaborate with product, design, and backend teams in a cloud-native setup, driving technical direction and quality.

Qualifications

• Strong experience with React and modern JavaScript/TypeScript.
• Proven leadership in frontend with ownership of systems.
• Experience designing scalable frontend architectures.
• Experience with API integration and distributed systems.
• Experience working with AWS services (e.g., API Gateway, Lambda, S3).

Responsibilities

• Own the frontend architecture across a React-based platform.
• Lead the design and development of high-quality, scalable UI systems.
• Define and enforce engineering standards, best practices, and patterns.
• Collaborate with backend teams to integrate AWS-based services and APIs.
• Drive performance optimisation, accessibility, and user experience improvements.
• Mentor and support engineers, providing technical leadership.
• Translate requirements into robust technical solutions with product/design teams.
• Contribute to CI/CD pipelines and deployment strategies in a cloud environment.

Skills

React

JavaScript/TypeScript

Leadership

Frontend architecture

AWS

Performance optimization

Testing strategies

Mentoring

Tools

Next.js

CI/CD pipelines

Job description

Are you the kind of engineer who doesn't just build frontends, but defines how they should be built at scale?

My client is looking for a Lead Front End Engineer to take ownership of a modern, high-impact web platform, shaping both the technical direction and engineering standards across the frontend function.

This is a hands-on leadership role where you'll combine deep React expertise with architectural thinking and team mentorship, working closely with product, design, and backend teams in a cloud-native environment.

The Role

You will take the lead on frontend architecture and delivery, ensuring the platform is scalable, performant, and maintainable as the product continues to grow.

You'll be responsible for setting direction, making key technical decisions, and raising the bar across the team.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the frontend architecture across a React-based platform
• Lead the design and development of high-quality, scalable UI systems
• Define and enforce engineering standards, best practices, and patterns
• Collaborate with backend teams to integrate with AWS-based services and APIs
• Drive performance optimisation, accessibility, and user experience improvements
• Mentor and support engineers, providing technical leadership and guidance
• Work closely with product and design to translate requirements into robust technical solutions
• Contribute to CI/CD pipelines and deployment strategies in a cloud environment

Required Experience

• Strong experience with React and modern JavaScript/TypeScript ecosystems
• Proven experience in a Lead or Senior Front End role with ownership of systems
• Experience designing and building scalable frontend architectures
• Solid understanding of API integration and distributed systems
• Experience working with AWS (e.g. API Gateway, Lambda, S3, CloudFront)
• Strong knowledge of performance optimisation, state management, and testing strategies
• Experience mentoring engineers and influencing technical direction

Desirable

• Experience with Next.js or server-side rendering
• Exposure to micro-frontends or design systems
• Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
• Experience working in high-growth or product-led environments

Why Join?

• Opportunity to own and shape the frontend strategy
• Work on a modern, cloud-native stack
• High level of autonomy and technical influence
• Collaborative, engineering-driven culture
• Real impact on a scaling product and user experience