Frontend Developer - Product & UX

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Frontend Developer - Product & UX
Company: Hopae
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Job Type: Full-time
Category: Frontend Development, Product Engineering, UX Engineering
Date Posted: 2025-09-29
Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)
Remote Status: Hybrid (Remote-friendly with presence in Seoul, Paris, or San Francisco preferred)

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is crucial for bridging the gap between business objectives and user-facing product development, focusing on creating intuitive and effective digital interfaces.
• The Frontend Developer will be instrumental in translating complex technical concepts and business value into seamless user experiences, particularly within digital identity and authentication flows.
• Emphasis will be placed on a product-centric approach, encouraging proactive problem-solving and contribution to product strategy beyond mere code implementation.
• Collaboration with design, engineering, and product teams is paramount to ensure a cohesive and high-quality user experience across Hopae's innovative platform.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the raw listing is for a "Frontend Developer - Product & UX," the description heavily emphasizes product thinking and bridging business goals with UX. This suggests a role that is more integrated into the product lifecycle than a purely technical frontend role, requiring a candidate who can both code and contribute to product strategy. The remote-friendly nature, coupled with specific office locations, implies a hybrid model where candidates are expected to be in proximity to one of the listed hubs for potential collaboration, even if fully remote work is an option.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Product-Oriented UI/UX Development: Design, develop, and implement user interfaces that effectively communicate business value and support product goals, ensuring a visually appealing and functional user experience.
• Bridging Product Gaps & Requirements Ambiguity: Proactively identify and address incomplete requirements or product specifications, proposing user-centered and business-aligned solutions.
• Translating Complex Workflows: Convert intricate authentication processes and digital identity verification flows into intuitive, accessible, and user-friendly interfaces.
• Product-Centric Problem Solving: Go beyond coding by questioning UI/UX decisions, driving improvements, and ensuring the interface aligns with strategic product objectives.
• Code Quality and Maintainability: Write clean, reusable, and maintainable code using TypeScript, React, and Next.js, adhering to best practices and contributing to a robust code review process.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with UI/UX designers, product managers, and backend engineers to ensure seamless integration of frontend components and alignment with overall product vision.
• Design System Integration & Contribution: Leverage and potentially contribute to existing design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency in UI development.
• User Experience Enhancement: Continuously seek opportunities to improve the user journey, focusing on performance, accessibility, and overall usability of the platform.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities have been expanded to explicitly include the core duties implied by "Product & UX" in the job title, such as bridging gaps, solving product-centric problems, and enhancing user experience. Specific technical responsibilities related to code quality and collaboration have also been detailed.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong academic foundation in Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is beneficial. Equivalent practical experience will also be strongly considered.
Experience: A minimum of 2 years of professional frontend development experience is required, with a focus on modern JavaScript frameworks and user-centric product development.

Required Skills:

• Product Thinking: Demonstrated ability to understand business objectives and translate them into effective UI/UX solutions.
• Problem-Solving Skills: Aptitude for navigating ambiguity, identifying root causes, and developing practical, user-focused solutions for complex challenges.
• Frontend Development Expertise: Proficient in building modern, responsive web applications using React and Next.js, or equivalent modern JavaScript frameworks.
• TypeScript Proficiency: Strong command of TypeScript for building robust and maintainable applications.
• Core Web Technologies: Solid understanding of HTML5, CSS3, and browser rendering principles.
• Collaborative Communication: Proven experience working effectively in cross-functional teams, clearly articulating ideas and actively participating in discussions with designers, engineers, and stakeholders.
• UI/UX Sensibility: A keen eye for user experience and interface design principles, with the ability to implement designs accurately and suggest improvements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Product Planning or UX Writing: Experience contributing to product roadmaps, user story creation, or crafting microcopy and user-facing text.
• User Flow Design: Experience in designing and documenting user journeys and interaction flows from conception to implementation.
• Design System Experience: Familiarity with or experience in building/maintaining design systems (e.g., using Storybook, integrating with Figma).
• B2B SaaS or Global Applications: Prior experience developing for B2B SaaS products or applications with a global user base.
• Test Automation: Experience with unit, integration, or end-to-end testing frameworks to improve code quality and reliability.
• Mobile & Multi-Country Adaptation: Experience in adapting UI/UX for various screen sizes, including mobile devices, and for different cultural contexts or multi-country deployments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience level has been inferred from the "2+ years" requirement. The preferred qualifications have been elaborated to highlight the specific areas that would make a candidate stand out, aligning with the "Product & UX" focus.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrated Product Impact: Showcase projects where your frontend contributions directly influenced business goals or significantly improved user experience metrics.
• Problem-Solving Case Studies: Include examples of how you tackled ambiguous requirements or technical challenges, detailing your thought process and the implemented solution.
• UI/UX Design Translation: Present examples of translating complex designs or workflows into functional, high-fidelity user interfaces.
• Code Quality Examples: Provide snippets or links to repositories demonstrating clean, maintainable, and well-documented code, ideally using TypeScript and React/Next.js.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Visualization: If applicable, include examples of how you've visualized or documented complex user flows or technical processes.
• Design System Implementation: Showcase how you’ve integrated or contributed to design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency.
• Performance & Optimization Metrics: Present projects where you focused on frontend performance optimization, including quantifiable results.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section is critical for a role with a "Product & UX" focus. The requirements emphasize showcasing not just coding ability but also strategic thinking, problem-solving, and tangible impact on the product and user experience, aligning with the core responsibilities of the role.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on market research for Mid-Level Frontend Developers with 2-5 years of experience in Seoul, South Korea, and considering the hybrid/remote flexibility and the innovative tech sector, a competitive annual salary range is estimated between ₩55,000,000 and ₩85,000,000 KRW. This range accounts for the specific skills in React/Next.js, TypeScript, and the product-centric UX focus.

Benefits:

• Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO): Flexibility and autonomy to manage personal time effectively.
• Remote-Friendly Work Environment: Support for flexible work arrangements, allowing for a better work-life balance.
• Real Ownership from Day 1: Opportunity to take significant responsibility and have a direct impact on the product and company direction.
• Multicultural Team: Work within a diverse and inclusive team, fostering a rich collaborative environment with colleagues from over 10 nationalities.
• High-Impact, Global Product: Contribute to a cutting-edge digital identity platform with a global reach and significant market potential.
• Inclusive, Respectful Culture: Be part of a company that values respect, inclusivity, and a positive work environment.
• Mentorship & Learning Support: Access to guidance and resources for continuous professional development and skill enhancement.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are estimated at 40 hours per week. The company emphasizes an async-first approach, promoting flexibility in scheduling work around core collaboration times, ideal for managing complex frontend development tasks and cross-functional communication.

📝 Enhancement Note: A salary range has been estimated for Seoul, South Korea, considering the role's experience level and technical stack, using industry benchmarks. The provided benefits have been detailed with context relevant to operations professionals, emphasizing ownership and flexibility.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Hopae operates within the Digital Identity and Decentralized Technology sector, focusing on building a privacy-first, secure, and trusted digital identity platform. This industry is rapidly evolving, driven by increasing concerns around data privacy, security breaches, and the need for user-controlled digital footprints. Company Size: Hopae is a growing startup, indicated by its recent funding rounds and the emphasis on a fast-moving, async-first team. This typically means a dynamic environment where individual contributions have a high impact, and processes are still being refined. Founded: Founded with a mission to revolutionize digital identity, Hopae is driven by innovation in decentralized tools and privacy-first solutions. The company's history is rooted in research, as evidenced by the completion of numerous eID research projects.

Team Structure:

• Async-First & Multicultural: The team operates with an async-first methodology, promoting efficient asynchronous communication and collaboration across different time zones and cultures. With over 10 nationalities, the team is globally distributed, with key hubs in Seoul, Paris, and San Francisco.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Engineers, designers, and product managers work closely together, fostering a collaborative environment where ideas are shared openly and feedback is integral to the development process.
• Ownership & Purpose-Driven: Team members are encouraged to take ownership of their work and are driven by the company's mission to provide privacy-first identity solutions to everyone.

Methodology:

• Speed, Ownership, Purpose: These are the core tenets guiding Hopae's development and operational methodology.
• Decentralized & Privacy-Focused: The company's technical approach is rooted in decentralized tools and a strong commitment to user privacy.
• Data-Driven Iteration: While not explicitly stated for this role, a modern tech company like Hopae would likely employ data analysis to inform product decisions and iterate on user experience improvements.

Company Website: https://www.hopae.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture has been described by integrating details from the "About Hopae" section and inferring common startup dynamics. The emphasis on "async-first" and "multicultural" is highlighted as key aspects for potential employees to understand.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Mid-Level Frontend Developer, typically requiring 2-5 years of relevant experience. It offers a significant opportunity to grow beyond traditional frontend development into a more product- and UX-focused engineering role within a rapidly advancing technology sector. The emphasis on "real ownership from day 1" suggests a path for rapid advancement for high performers. Reporting Structure: While not explicitly detailed, a Frontend Developer typically reports to a Engineering Lead or Head of Engineering. In a startup environment, there's often direct interaction with Product Managers and UX Designers, allowing for clear alignment on product strategy and user experience goals. Operations Impact: The Frontend Developer's impact is directly tied to the success of Hopae's digital identity platform. By creating intuitive and valuable user interfaces, this role influences user adoption, customer satisfaction, and the overall perception of the product's security and trustworthiness. Contributions to core product features and user flows directly support the company's mission and revenue-generating potential.

Growth Opportunities:

• Product Strategy Influence: As the role involves bridging product gaps and solving product-centric problems, there's a clear opportunity to grow into influencing product direction and strategy.
• Specialization in Digital Identity: Deepen expertise in the complex and emerging field of decentralized digital identity and privacy-enhancing technologies.
• Design System Evolution: Contribute to the growth and refinement of Hopae's design system, potentially leading to specialized roles in UI architecture or frontend tooling.
• Leadership Potential: For high performers, opportunities for technical leadership, mentoring junior developers, or moving into lead engineering roles within product teams are likely to emerge as the company scales.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section frames the "Frontend Developer - Product & UX" role within a broader career context. It emphasizes the unique opportunity to influence product strategy and grow within the specialized field of digital identity, going beyond typical frontend career paths.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hopae operates with a "remote-friendly" and "async-first" team model, indicating a flexible approach to work. While they have office locations in Seoul, Paris, and San Francisco, the emphasis is on asynchronous collaboration, suggesting that physical presence in an office may not be mandatory but could be beneficial for team cohesion and specific collaborative sessions. Office Location(s): Key hubs are located in Seoul (Gangnam), Paris, and San Francisco. Candidates are expected to be located in or willing to relocate to one of these regions to facilitate easier collaboration and potential in-person meetings.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative & Async-First: The workspace is designed to support both asynchronous communication (via tools like Slack and Notion) and focused, independent work. When collaboration is needed, it's structured to be efficient and inclusive across different time zones.
• Modern Tech Stack & Tools: The team utilizes a modern tech stack (React, Next.js, TypeScript) and collaboration tools (Slack, Notion, Figma), providing engineers with the necessary resources to build high-quality products.
• Global Team Interaction: The opportunity exists to interact with a diverse, multicultural team, offering exposure to different working styles and perspectives, enriching the overall work experience.

Work Schedule: The company promotes an async-first culture, which implies a degree of flexibility in daily work schedules. While a standard 40-hour work week is typical, the focus is on delivering results and collaborating effectively across time zones, allowing individuals to manage their time strategically.

📝 Enhancement Note: The work environment details are synthesized from the company description and the role's remote flexibility, highlighting the async-first nature and the importance of being in proximity to one of the company's main hubs.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Recruiter Intro Call (30 min): An initial conversation to understand your background, career aspirations, and assess mutual fit with Hopae's culture and mission. Be prepared to discuss your interest in digital identity and privacy.
• Functional/Technical Interview (45 min): This stage will delve into your technical skills, focusing on your experience with React, Next.js, TypeScript, and your approach to problem-solving. Expect questions related to building complex UIs and translating requirements into code.
• Culture Fit Conversation (45 min): This interview assesses your alignment with Hopae's values, particularly regarding collaboration, ownership, and working in an async-first, multicultural environment. Be ready to discuss how you approach teamwork and contribute to a positive culture.
• Offer 🎉: Successful candidates will receive an employment offer.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Product Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the business goals it served and the user experience improvements achieved. Quantify results whenever possible (e.g., "improved conversion by X%", "reduced user errors by Y%").
• Showcase Problem-Solving: Include at least one project where you encountered significant ambiguity or a complex technical challenge. Detail your thought process, the solutions you considered, and why you chose the final implementation.
• Demonstrate UI/UX Translation: Present examples where you translated designs or complex workflows into polished, functional interfaces. Explain your approach to ensuring responsiveness, accessibility, and adherence to design principles.
• Code Quality & Best Practices: Be prepared to walk through code examples (either from your portfolio or a live coding exercise) that demonstrate clean, maintainable TypeScript and React/Next.js code. Highlight your use of modern frontend practices.
• Design System Contributions: If you have experience with design systems, showcase how you utilized them for consistency or any contributions you made to their development.

Challenge Preparation:

• Product-Centric Scenarios: Anticipate questions that require you to think like a product owner. For example, "How would you design the UI for a new multi-factor authentication flow?" or "If a user reported confusion with our onboarding process, how would you investigate and propose a solution?"
• Technical Deep Dives: Be ready for discussions on state management (Zustand, React-Query), styling approaches (Tailwind), and performance optimization techniques relevant to Next.js applications.
• Collaboration & Communication: Prepare examples of how you’ve effectively collaborated with designers and backend engineers, especially in an async environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides concrete advice for candidates, detailing potential interview stages and offering specific tips for portfolio presentation and challenge preparation, all tailored to the "Product & UX" focus of the role.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Language: TypeScript
• Frameworks: React, Next.js, Expo (for potential mobile cross-platform development)
• State Management: Zustand, React-Query (indicating a preference for modern, efficient state management solutions)
• Styling: CSS, Tailwind CSS (for utility-first CSS for rapid UI development)

Analytics & Reporting: While specific tools aren't listed for frontend, expect to work with tools that track user interactions and performance metrics. Understanding how to integrate frontend with analytics platforms will be key. CRM & Automation: Not directly applicable to this frontend role, but understanding how the frontend integrates with backend systems that might interface with CRMs or automation platforms is beneficial. Collaboration & Design:

• Communication: Slack, Notion (standard for async-first, remote teams)
• Design Collaboration: Figma (critical for seamless handoffs and collaboration with designers)

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack has been clearly itemized based on the provided details. Specific libraries like Zustand and React-Query are highlighted, suggesting an expectation of familiarity with modern frontend patterns.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Speed, Ownership, Purpose: These are the foundational values driving Hopae's operations. Engineers are expected to move quickly, take full responsibility for their work, and be driven by the company's mission.
• Privacy-First Identity: A core value that permeates all product development, ensuring that user privacy and security are paramount in every decision.
• Collaboration & Inclusivity: The company fosters a multicultural and respectful environment, valuing diverse perspectives and encouraging open communication.
• High-Impact & Global Vision: A commitment to building a product that has a significant impact on a global scale.

Collaboration Style:

• Async-First Communication: Emphasis on clear, documented asynchronous communication, respecting different time zones and working preferences.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Close collaboration between frontend, backend, design, and product teams is essential for delivering cohesive user experiences. Regular check-ins and feedback loops are likely integrated.
• Code Review Culture: A strong emphasis on code reviews to maintain quality, share knowledge, and foster collective ownership of the codebase.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture section elaborates on the values and collaboration styles mentioned in the company description, framing them in the context of how they apply to engineers within the organization.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Ambiguity in Product Requirements: As highlighted, a key challenge is translating incomplete specifications into functional and user-friendly features, requiring proactive problem-solving and communication.
• Balancing Speed with Quality: In a fast-moving startup environment, maintaining high code quality and robust user experiences while iterating quickly can be a constant challenge.
• Global User Experience: Adapting UI/UX to meet the diverse needs and expectations of a global user base, considering cultural nuances and accessibility standards.
• Rapidly Evolving Technology Landscape: Staying current with the fast pace of frontend development and the emerging technologies in the digital identity space.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Digital Identity: Gain specialized knowledge in a cutting-edge field with significant future potential.
• Product Strategy & UX Design: Develop skills beyond traditional frontend development, contributing to product roadmap discussions and UX design decisions.
• Modern Frontend Architecture: Master advanced patterns and libraries within the React/Next.js ecosystem, including state management and performance optimization.
• Cross-Cultural Collaboration: Enhance communication and teamwork skills by working with a diverse, globally distributed team.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section identifies potential challenges specific to a startup environment and a role focused on product and UX, alongside clear growth opportunities that align with the company's mission and the evolving tech landscape.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Product-Centric Problem Solving: Be prepared to discuss how you would approach designing a user interface for a complex feature, like a decentralized identity verification flow. Focus on user needs, business goals, and technical feasibility. Example: "How would you design the UX for a user onboarding process that requires verifying multiple digital credentials?"
• Collaboration & Communication in Async Environments: Prepare examples of how you've effectively collaborated with designers and backend engineers, especially when working remotely or across time zones. Highlight instances where you proactively resolved communication gaps.
• Bridging Requirements Gaps: Be ready to share scenarios where you received incomplete requirements and how you went about clarifying them, proposing solutions, and ensuring the final product met user and business needs.

Company & Culture Questions:

• Mission Alignment: Research Hopae's mission around privacy-first digital identity and be ready to articulate why this mission resonates with you.
• Async-First Culture: Discuss your experience or aptitude for working effectively in an async-first environment, emphasizing your ability to communicate clearly and manage your time independently.
• Ownership Mentality: Share examples of times you took initiative, went above and beyond your defined role, or took ownership of a challenging problem.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: For each project in your portfolio, frame it as a narrative: the problem, your approach, the solution, and the impact.
• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics (e.g., user adoption, conversion rates, performance improvements) to demonstrate the value of your work.
• Explain Your "Why": Be ready to explain the rationale behind your technical and design decisions, especially how they served the product goals and user experience.
• Focus on Product & UX: Highlight aspects of your projects that demonstrate your product thinking and ability to translate complex requirements into intuitive user interfaces.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides actionable interview preparation advice, focusing on the specific requirements of the "Frontend Developer - Product & UX" role at Hopae, including strategy questions, company insights, and portfolio presentation tips.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Frontend Developer - Product & UX position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.
• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your experience with React, Next.js, TypeScript, and any projects demonstrating strong product thinking or UX impact. Use keywords from the job description.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 key projects that best showcase your ability to bridge product goals with user experience through frontend development. Prepare to discuss the business impact and your specific contributions.
• Prepare for Technical & Cultural Fit: Be ready to discuss your technical approach to frontend development and articulate how you embody Hopae's values of speed, ownership, and purpose, particularly within an async-first, multicultural team.
• Research Hopae: Understand their mission in digital identity and privacy. Consider how your skills and aspirations align with their global product vision.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

---