Principal Frontend Engineer
full-time•United States
About this role
Role: Principal Front-End Engineer
Location/Time zones: US-based (East Coast preferred; Mountain works).
Work setup: Remote (high-ownership, small team).
Mission: Lead the front-end technical direction for a geospatial product used in a fragile/mission-sensitive deployment environment.
- Set front-end architecture and technical standards for a TypeScript/React application.
- Design scalable UI patterns for complex geospatial workflows (Cesium) and surrounding app features.
- Establish best practices for state management, component architecture, performance, testing, and maintainability.
- Partner with engineering leadership to plan, prioritize, and deliver high-impact product work.
- Mentor engineers through code reviews, architecture discussions, and practical implementation guidance.
- Drive execution: this role is hands-on and coding-heavy, not a “pure strategy” position.
- 8+ years building and scaling front-end systems; deep React + TypeScript expertise.
- Strong architectural judgment: you can balance “build fast” with “don’t paint us into a corner.”
- Track record leading complex UI work (interactive, data-heavy apps; performance matters).
- Experience working with design systems / component libraries (we’re using MUI; Tailwind is optional/uncertain).
- Ability to operate in a fast-moving environment with minimal process overhead.
- Excellent communication: you can align teammates around patterns and decisions without slowing delivery.
- GIS / geospatial domain experience (Cesium, mapping frameworks, geo interactions, coordinate systems, etc.).
- Experience with visualization libraries (not required; product is more geospatial + UI workflows than pure D3).
- Backend familiarity (API design, debugging cross-stack issues).
- Prior work on simulation platforms, gaming-adjacent UI paradigms, or real-time systems.
As the product grows, we want a principal-level front-end leader who can keep the system coherent while still shipping quickly—especially around geospatial UX and performance.
Interview process (example)- Intro call (context + scope)
- Architecture + deep-dive interview (with FE + leadership)
- Practical exercise or portfolio/work-sample review focused on real product complexity
- Final discussions / references
What you'll do
- The Principal Frontend Engineer will lead the front-end technical direction for a geospatial product, setting architecture and technical standards while mentoring engineers. This role is hands-on and requires driving execution in a fast-paced environment.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Principal Frontend Engineer do at Code Metal?
As a Principal Frontend Engineer at Code Metal, you will: the Principal Frontend Engineer will lead the front-end technical direction for a geospatial product, setting architecture and technical standards while mentoring engineers. This role is hands-on and requires driving execution in a fast-paced environment..
Is the Principal Frontend Engineer position at Code Metal remote?
The Principal Frontend Engineer position at Code Metal is based in United States, United States. Contact the company through Clera for specific work arrangement details.
How do I apply for the Principal Frontend Engineer position at Code Metal?
You can apply for the Principal Frontend Engineer position at Code Metaldirectly through Clera. Click the "Apply Now" button above to start your application. Clera's AI-powered platform will help match your profile with this opportunity and guide you through the application process.