Front-end Software Engineer
The Idol Front-end Software Engineer
Summary
Front-end engineer on a product squad building secure, accessible web applications for insurance products. Day to day involves developing responsive UIs with HTML, CSS and JavaScript/TypeScript (React or Vue), driving WCAG accessibility standards, integrating with APIs, and mentoring other engineers. Hybrid working with office attendance in Cumbria about twice a month.
This role forms part of a multi-disciplinary product squad responsible for delivering digital experiences across a range of insurance products. The successful candidate will design, develop and maintain high-quality, user-focused web applications that are secure, scalable, responsive and accessible. They will bring strong Front-end engineering expertise, promote accessibility best practices, contribute to technical decision-making, and provide guidance and mentoring to engineers with less Front-end experience. Working closely with product, design and engineering colleagues, they will help drive high standards of quality, usability and maintainability across the development lifecycle.
- Develop secure, scalable and testable Front-end solutions using modern engineering standards, semantic HTML, CSS, JavaScript or TypeScript, and recognised CSS framework best practices to deliver responsive, performant and maintainable user interfaces.
- Design and develop accessible Front-end solutions focusing on semantic HTML structures, complex forms, keyboard interactions, focus management, responsive layouts and dynamically updated user interfaces that meet recognised accessibility standards.
- Collaborate with Product, Design and Engineering colleagues to interpret requirements and translate them into inclusive, high-quality user experiences, using Figma to review designs and agree appropriate implementation solutions.
- Develop and execute automated and manual accessibility testing approaches, contributing to unit, integration and end-to-end test coverage while identifying, diagnosing and resolving accessibility issues across new and existing applications.
- Integrate Front-end applications with APIs, back-end systems and supporting services to deliver robust and seamless customer experiences.
- Create and maintain Storybook stories and documentation to demonstrate accessible, reusable Front-end components.
- Provide practical guidance, code review feedback and mentoring to engineers, promoting high standards of quality, accessibility and maintainability.
- Follow agreed development processes and standards, contribute to their improvement, and fully adopt Agile ways of working while keeping informed of emerging Front-end technologies, accessibility practices and browser capabilities.
- Consider, relevant to your role, the needs and objectives of all our customers, including vulnerable customers, to ensure that they receive good outcomes.
- Proven professional experience in Front-end or web development, operating confidently with strong practical knowledge of HTML, CSS and JavaScript or TypeScript and experience using a modern Front-end framework such as React or Vue.
- Advanced knowledge of semantic HTML, accessible forms, validation patterns, keyboard interaction and focus management, with practical application of WCAG 2.x Level AA requirements throughout design, development and testing.
- Experience using automated and manual accessibility testing tools, including browser accessibility tooling, keyboard-only testing and screen readers, with the ability to create accessibility tests and integrate them into wider testing and delivery pipelines.
- Demonstrable experience designing accessible, reusable components in React or Vue, creating and maintaining Storybook component libraries, and managing accessibility across responsive interfaces, dynamic content and single-page applications.
- Experience identifying, prioritising and resolving accessibility issues within existing code base, ensuring solutions remain compliant, maintainable and user focused.
- Good understanding of CSS architecture, CSS frameworks, web application security, performance, browser compatibility, source control and modern development best practices.
- Experience integrating Front-end applications with APIs and working collaboratively with back-end developers, designers, testers, product colleagues and other stakeholders.
- Experience communicating technical concepts clearly and providing guidance, support or mentoring to colleagues.
Challenge Positively
- Acts as a positive Front-end advocate, constructively challenging inaccessible or unsustainable approaches.
- Welcomes challenge, takes initiative and demonstrates continuous self-driven learning.
- Gives constructive code review feedback and helps colleagues understand the reasoning behind recommended practices.
- Is flexible and adaptable, changing direction where required and learning new technologies and techniques quickly.
Commit Together
- Provides clear and concise verbal and written communication to colleagues, senior management and other stakeholders.
- Collaborates openly, shares knowledge and patiently mentors developers who are building their Front-end capability.
- Contributes positively to an inclusive, supportive and collaborative team environment.
Act Decisively
- Diagnoses problems methodically and develops pragmatic, user-focused solutions.
- Self-manages workload, balances competing priorities and consistently meets agreed deadlines and delivery targets.
- Takes ownership and accountability for their work and conduct to support good customer outcomes.
Scope
This is a full-time Monday to Friday role working an average 37.5 hours per week.
This is a full-time Monday to Friday role working an average 37.5 hours per week.
Hybrid flexible home/office working supported. There is a requirement to attend the office in Cumbria approximately twice a month or as frequently is required to meet the role requirements (expenses will be provided depending on your location).
Salary in the range of £32,500 to £51,500 depending on experience, 25 days holiday plus public holidays, plus performance-rated bonus, enhanced pension, and generous private medical, family, sickness and insurance benefits, and share schemes.