Code Metal
Principal Frontend Engineer
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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 need to know about the Austin Tech Scene
Austin has a diverse and thriving tech ecosystem thanks to home-grown companies like Dell and major campuses for IBM, AMD and Apple. The state’s flagship university, the University of Texas at Austin, is known for its engineering school, and the city is known for its annual South by Southwest tech and media conference. Austin’s tech scene spans many verticals, but it’s particularly known for hardware, including semiconductors, as well as AI, biotechnology and cloud computing. And its food and music scene, low taxes and favorable climate has made the city a destination for tech workers from across the country.
Key Facts About Austin Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 180,500; 13.7% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Dell, IBM, AMD, Apple, Alphabet
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, hardware, cloud computing, software, healthtech
- Funding Landscape: $4.5 billion in VC funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Live Oak Ventures, Austin Ventures, Hinge Capital, Gigafund, KdT Ventures, Next Coast Ventures, Silverton Partners
- Research Centers and Universities: University of Texas, Southwestern University, Texas State University, Center for Complex Quantum Systems, Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, Texas Advanced Computing Center
