Principal Frontend Engineer – Vue.js / Modern JavaScript – Growing Start-up – London (Hybrid)

HT Recruitment Limited; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

London-based startup is seeking a Principal Frontend Engineer to design and own the frontend architecture. This hands-on leadership role involves writing code, shipping features and setting how systems are built and scaled.

You’ll work with modern tooling, including AI-assisted development, and have freedom to try new approaches that deliver impact across international markets. Expect ownership, influence, and direct access to founders as you help build an elite in-house engineering

Qualifications

• You are an experienced engineer with strong architectural knowledge and shipping quality work.
• You have helped shape technical direction and set engineering standards from day one.
• You are excited about AI-assisted development to move faster and smarter.
• You are proactive, curious and an excellent communicator.
• You thrive in fast-paced startups and complex, scalable systems.

Responsibilities

• Own the frontend architecture and technical direction for the product.
• Write code, ship features and drive ongoing improvements.
• Define how components, services and systems are built and scaled.
• Collaborate with a small, talented team and founders on strategy.
• Experiment with modern tooling and AI-assisted development to improve delivery.

Skills

Architectural leadership

Hands-on coding

Technical direction

Communication

Job description

Here's a rare chance to build a frontend from scratch. We're looking for a Principal Frontend Engineer to join a well-backed start-up and design the systems the business will run on. Nothing here is legacy and there's no inherited mess. The architecture, patterns and standards will be yours to set.

This is a hands‑on leadership role. You'll spend most of your time writing code and shipping, and you'll also own how things are structured, built and scaled. You'll work with modern tooling, including AI-assisted development, and you'll have the freedom to try new approaches and keep improving how the team builds. If you get a buzz from turning a blank repo into a product used across international markets, this one's for you.

About You

• You're a builder at heart: a highly experienced engineer with strong architectural knowledge who loves creating well‑designed, scalable systems.
• You've played a key role in shaping technical direction and you take pride in shipping high‑quality work.
• You're excited about using AI-assisted development to build faster and smarter.
• You're proactive, curious and an excellent communicator.
• You want ownership and the chance to set engineering standards, architecture and product direction from day one.
• You're confident working on your own and enjoy working with a small, talented team to deliver real impact.
• You'll stand out if you've worked in fast-paced start‑ups, fintech, real‑time consumer platforms or high‑availability environments.

The Company

This is a brand‑new, fast‑growing start‑up with pre‑seed backing. It was founded by an experienced leadership team with big international ambitions. They currently operate from London and Malta, and London will become the long‑term technology and marketing hub.

The team is deliberately small and highly collaborative, with around 10-11 people in the UK and a further team in Malta. Their vision is to build world‑class in‑house technology as they scale globally across multiple regulated markets. You'll be one of the people who builds it.

Why You Should Do This Job

• A blank canvas: you'll build the frontend architecture from the ground up, not maintain someone else's.
• Real ownership and influence, at an early stage when your decisions shape everything that follows.
• Direct access to the founders, with a seat at the table for strategic technical decisions.
• Real technical leadership while you stay hands‑on in the code.
• You'll build at scale: your work will roll out across multiple international markets.
• You'll help build an elite in‑house engineering team as the company moves away from outsourced delivery.
• Modern tools and AI‑assisted development, plus the freedom to experiment.
• A strong engineering culture built on collaboration and continuous learning.
• Fast‑moving and low‑bureaucracy: ideas go from whiteboard to production quickly.

Salary + Package

Location

London‑based, hybrid working with flexibility. The long‑term technology hub will be in London.