Senior Front End Developer - FTC
Summary
Senior front-end developer on a fixed-term contract building and maintaining connected TV (CTV) features for UKTV's U video-on-demand app within a scrum squad. Core stack is TypeScript and React (HTML/CSS/JavaScript), with Preact, Next.js and CTV platforms such as Amazon Fire, Samsung, LG and Freeview Play.
The Commercial & Digital team is responsible for developing and growing UKTV’s revenue streams across sales, distribution, advertising and sponsorship, ventures and digital.
The Digital team are tasked with developing, evolving and implementing UKTV’s VoD and digital strategy covering U digital products and platforms, and partnerships.
The team consists of multi-disciplined, talented individuals across several different units: Curation, Product and Production & Development. We are tasked with developing a world-class BVOD service, as well as complementary digital products and partnerships to grow audiences and contribute to the long-term profitability of UKTV.
Following exceptional growth in 2024, we saw direct-to-consumer views to the U app grow by 15%. U also enjoyed a 23% uplift in average monthly active users and an 18% increase in registrations. We have ambitious plans to become a VoD destination: delivering new content, features, and functionality to U, our owned and operated VoD product, FAST channels and our pay platform partners.
Purpose of the role
We’re looking for a proactive senior CTV developer to join our front-end team. You will be a vital member of our CTV codebase, working as part of our scrum team. This is an excellent opportunity to spearhead new features for connected tv development and ongoing maintenance, being a great problem solver and team player whilst collaborating with other developers in the squad.
You will be working in a fast paced, forward-thinking media company, helping to shape the future of television with high profile direct-to-consumer products. Working as part of a squad, you’ll be involved in the planning and scoping of complex projects, to facilitate the growth and build of additional functionality across our AVOD products. A proactive nature and keen eye for detail is essential, as is a passion for the world of TV and digital entertainment.
Key Experience
- Experience in UI development on a direct-to-consumer product
- Experience writing code for connected tv applications for partners such as Amazon Fire, Samsung, LG, Freeview Play etc.
- Strong demonstrable skills of TypeScript and React
- Proficiency in HTML, CSS, JavaScript and TypeScript.
Experienced integrating 3rd party services and APIs into an existing technology stack
- Experienced with state management
- Comfortable writing in cutting edge technologies as well as legacy code
- Familiarity with design patterns and object-orientated programming
- Understanding of version control e.g. Git.
- Understanding of unit testing and/or test-driven development
- Experience working in an agile development environment, in either Scrum or Kanban (recognising the importance of soft skills to positively impact the wider team)
Knowledge
- Experience of Preact in some capacity
- Knowledge of CI/CD e.g. GitHub Actions
- Good understanding of single page applications
- Knowledge of video playback, encoding and DRM
- Knowledge of front-end best practises
- Experience in carbon footprint reduction techniques for development
- Knowledge of Next.js, React Native framework
Skills & personal qualities
- Have the commitment and passion to know the product inside out and strive to constantly improve and iterate
- A solution focussed mindset, thinking differently and taking a creative view to resolve any issues
- A team player, collaborating with colleagues in your squad and across the business, to deliver successful projects
- Be aware of ongoing strategic and consumer research and how it affects the evolution of the digital strategy and the broader digital landscape
- Relish participating in multiple projects concurrently requiring excellent organisational skills and being adaptable to changing priorities
- Strong communication skills, knowing when to loop in other teams and escalate issues
- Recognise the importance of soft skills, to positively impact the wider team and facilitate a psychologically safe environment
- A growth mindset, always looking to develop, improve and build on your knowledge
What you will get to work on….key outputs and responsibilities of the role
- Be seen as the in-house expert in CTV ensuring the highest level of quality and maintainability
- Build well-formed and logical code for new functionality and bug fixes across our U platform primarily for connected tv
- Implement accessibility features across our app(s)
- Work from supplied designs with a keen attention to detail
- Work with our platform partners to address technical issues
- Undertake code reviews where requested, driving high quality standards
- Work to Agile principles and contribute to stand ups, retrospectives, planning sessions and sprint reviews
- Keep the lead front end developer regularly informed with progress and issues
- Gain and share development experience and knowledge from other front-end members of the team as well as external resources
- The opportunity to responsibly write code using AI
Hybrid-Working
At UKTV, we are working in a hybrid environment with a mixture of home and office working. Getting together in the office as a team and a company gives colleagues an opportunity to build and maintain great relationships, encourages our culture of collaboration and creativity while recognising that colleagues need to have a healthy and happy work-life balance. You’ll agree with your manager the split of time you spend in the office or at home based on the role that you do, how often you come together as a team and your personal preference.
Diversity & Inclusion Commitment
At UKTV, our inclusion vision is to truly represent society in our workforce and on-screen, and create a culture of fairness and respect where we champion difference so that every person feels included and empowered to do their best work. We are committed to ensuring a level playing field at UKTV where all employees and job applicants are given equal opportunity, and that we have diverse voices at the table in everything we do. We welcome applications from everyone and we want UKTV to be a place where you can be your authentic self, give your best and develop your career free from discrimination of any kind.