Frontend Lead

General Dynamics - IT; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

General Dynamics - IT is seeking a Frontend Lead to architect and build the web application used by operators in a cyber command center. You will set standards, own the front-end architecture, and lead the team to deliver a performant, accessible interface across partners.

The role requires hands-on React/TypeScript expertise, experience with real-time data streams, and the ability to implement role-based rendering, shared state, and a scalable component library in a government context.

Qualifications

• Senior hands-on experience architecting and building production single-page web applications in a modern component-based framework.
• Experience with modular or independently deployable front-end architectures.
• Experience owning shared application state, including context that persists across functional areas.
• Experience building interfaces driven by continuously updating data over WebSocket, server-sent events, or an equivalent, including reconnection and state recovery.
• Experience implementing role or permission-driven rendering.
• Demonstrated ability to sustain rendering and interaction performance under high-frequency updates and large data volumes.
• Strong proficiency in a statically typed JavaScript environment, modern build tooling, and automated testing practice.
• Working knowledge of Section 508 and WCAG requirements and how to satisfy them in a shared component library.
• Experience providing technical direction and code review to other engineers.
• Technical training, certification, or a degree in a related field, and 5 years of relevant experience.
• Public Trust eligibility.
• United States citizenship is required.
• Work on site at a government facility in the DMV area.

Responsibilities

• Own the front-end architecture, including module structure, routing, build tooling, and dependency management.
• Design the application so functional areas can be developed, tested, and released independently without destabilizing the whole.
• Design and own the shared application state model, including context that persists as a user moves between functional areas.
• Establish and maintain the shared component library and the conventions governing its use.
• Implement consumption of continuously updating data over WebSocket, server-sent event, or comparable streaming interfaces.
• Handle connection lifecycle, authentication on the stream, reconnection, and recovery of state missed during an interruption.
• Implement update strategies that keep the interface responsive under sustained high-frequency change.
• Implement stale, degraded, and disconnected states so the currency of displayed data is always evident.
• Implement rendering driven by user role and permission, so available content and actions are determined by entitlement.
• Implement client-side handling of content-level restrictions supplied by the service layer.
• Ensure entitlement logic is testable and that failures fail closed.
• Profile and optimize rendering, update, and interaction performance against realistic data volumes.
• Ensure the application performs on the managed workstation configuration and restricted browser baseline deployed in the operating environment.
• Support use across multiple simultaneous views and multiple displays, and rendering on large-format shared displays.

Skills

Single-page apps

Component-based architecture

State management

Real-time data streaming

Role-based rendering

Performance optimization

Automated testing

WCAG/508 compliance

Technical leadership

Mentoring/code review

Education

Bachelor's degree or related

Tools

React

TypeScript

WebSocket

Micro-frontend patterns

CloudFront/S3/Azure Front Door

Build tooling

Testing frameworks

Job description

Position Summary

The Frontend Lead owns the architecture and construction of the web application used by operators in a cyber command center supporting national cyber defense across Critical Infrastructure, State, Local, Tribal and Territorial, and Federal Civilian Executive Branch partners. Successful candidate designs the front-end architecture that supports that, builds a substantial share of it, and sets the standards the other interface engineers work to.

Key Responsibilities

Application Architecture

• Own the front-end architecture, including module structure, composition, routing, build tooling, and dependency management
• Design the application so functional areas can be developed, tested, and released independently without destabilizing the whole
• Design and own the shared application state model, including context that persists as a user moves between functional areas
• Establish and maintain the shared component library and the conventions governing its use

Real-Time Data Handling

• Implement consumption of continuously updating data over WebSocket, server-sent event, or comparable streaming interfaces
• Handle connection lifecycle, authentication on the stream, reconnection, and recovery of state missed during an interruption
• Implement update strategies that keep the interface responsive under sustained high-frequency change
• Implement stale, degraded, and disconnected states so the currency of displayed data is always evident

Access-Driven Rendering

• Implement rendering driven by user role and permission, so available content and actions are determined by entitlement
• Implement client-side handling of content-level restrictions supplied by the service layer
• Ensure entitlement logic is testable and that failures fail closed

Performance & Display Targets

• Profile and optimize rendering, update, and interaction performance against realistic data volumes
• Ensure the application performs on the managed workstation configuration and restricted browser baseline deployed in the operating environment
• Support use across multiple simultaneous views and multiple displays, and rendering on large-format shared displays

Quality, Accessibility & Standards

• Ensure the application meets Section 508 and WCAG requirements as a condition of delivery
• Own the automated test approach across component, integration, and end-to-end levels
• Enforce code quality standards through review, static analysis, and shared conventions
• Obtain and maintain the training and certifications required for the position. Certification currency is tracked and reported to the customer monthly.

Technical Leadership & Delivery

• Provide technical direction and code review to the engineers building the interface
• Break work into deliverable increments and estimate credibly against a fixed delivery date
• Work with the design function so designs are implementable and applied consistently
• Work with the service layer engineers on interface contracts and data delivery patterns, and with platform engineers on build and deployment
• Identify and elevate technical risk affecting the delivery schedule

Required Qualifications

• Senior hands-on experience architecting and building production single-page web applications in a modern component-based framework.
• Experience with modular or independently deployable front-end architectures.
• Experience owning shared application state, including context that persists across functional areas.
• Experience building interfaces driven by continuously updating data over WebSocket, server-sent events, or an equivalent, including reconnection and state recovery.
• Experience implementing role or permission-driven rendering.
• Demonstrated ability to sustain rendering and interaction performance under high-frequency updates and large data volumes.
• Strong proficiency in a statically typed JavaScript environment, modern build tooling, and automated testing practice.
• Working knowledge of Section 508 and WCAG requirements and how to satisfy them in a shared component library.
• Experience providing technical direction and code review to other engineers.
• Technical training, certification, or a degree in a related field, and 5 years of relevant experience. Additional years of directly relevant experience may substitute for the degree requirement in accordance with company labor category policy.
• Public Trust eligibility.
• United States citizenship is required.
• Work on site at a government facility in the DMV area.

Preferred Qualifications

• Production experience with React and TypeScript specifically. The application is currently expected to be built in React.
• Experience building operational or monitoring interfaces intended for sustained use.
• Experience with micro-frontend composition or equivalent independent-deployment patterns.
• Specific experience with content delivery and static hosting services such as CloudFront and S3, or Azure Front Door and Blob Storage.
• Experience with large-format or shared-display rendering targets.
• Experience delivering software in a government or otherwise regulated environment.
• Experience establishing a design system or component library from scratch.
• IAAP Web Accessibility Specialist, or demonstrable equivalent accessibility practice.