Senior Software Engineer, UI

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Software Engineer, UI Company: Oak Engage Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: Software Engineering / Front-End Development Date Posted: 2025-10-23 Experience Level: Senior (5+ years) Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the design and development of high-quality, responsive front-end components utilizing React and other modern JavaScript frameworks.
• Drive the implementation of complex UI/UX solutions by collaborating closely with product managers and designers to translate intricate requirements into elegant user interfaces.
• Champion best practices in accessibility, scalability, and performance to ensure robust and user-friendly applications that meet evolving business needs.
• Contribute significantly to front-end architectural planning and the overall long-term technical strategy of Oak Engage's platform.
• Mentor and guide junior developers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement within the engineering team.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is classified as Senior due to the explicit mention of leading development, architectural planning, and mentoring responsibilities, which are characteristic of senior-level positions in software engineering. The emphasis on translating complex requirements and ensuring scalability indicates a need for strategic thinking beyond basic coding.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Architect, develop, and implement responsive and performant front-end features using React, JavaScript, and TypeScript.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Product Management, UX/UI Design, and Backend Engineering, to define feature specifications and deliver seamless user experiences.
• Ensure all front-end development adheres to established coding standards, architectural guidelines, and best practices for maintainability, scalability, and performance.
• Actively participate in code reviews, providing constructive feedback to peers and junior engineers to uphold code quality and promote knowledge sharing.
• Contribute to the continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines, ensuring efficient and reliable deployment of front-end updates.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex front-end bugs and performance issues, optimizing application responsiveness and user satisfaction.
• Stay abreast of emerging front-end technologies and trends, evaluating their potential application to enhance Oak Engage's platform and development processes.
• Own the front-end development lifecycle for specific features or modules, from initial conception and design through to deployment and post-launch monitoring.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities have been expanded to reflect the typical duties of a Senior Front-End Engineer, including active participation in code reviews, CI/CD, troubleshooting, and staying current with technology trends, which are implied by the senior title and the company's focus on growth and product-market fit.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong academic foundation in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field is advantageous. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience: A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in front-end software development is required, with a significant focus on modern JavaScript frameworks.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in front-end development with 5+ years of hands-on experience.
• Deep proficiency in React and modern JavaScript (ES6+) / TypeScript.
• Strong command of HTML5 and CSS3, including preprocessors like SASS/LESS and concepts like responsive design.
• Extensive experience in integrating front-end applications with RESTful APIs and understanding of asynchronous programming.
• Demonstrated architectural thinking and experience designing and implementing scalable, component-based front-end systems.
• Familiarity with agile development methodologies, including Scrum or Kanban.
• Proficient in version control systems, particularly Git.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices.
• A strong user-focused mindset with a keen eye for detail and a commitment to delivering high-performance applications.

Preferred Skills:

• Exposure to Azure DevOps for CI/CD and project management.
• Experience with front-end testing frameworks (e.g., Jest, React Testing Library, Cypress).
• Knowledge of state management libraries (e.g., Redux, Zustand, Context API).
• Familiarity with build tools and bundlers (e.g., Webpack, Vite).
• Experience with performance monitoring tools and techniques.
• Understanding of web accessibility standards (WCAG) and best practices for inclusive design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Required Skills" have been detailed to reflect specific technologies and practices expected for a senior front-end role, such as HTML5, CSS3, responsive design, API integration, and agile methodologies. Preferred skills have been added to highlight areas that would further enhance a candidate's suitability, such as testing frameworks and state management, aligning with industry best practices for senior front-end engineers.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 significant front-end projects, demonstrating a progression of complexity and responsibility.
• For each project, clearly articulate your specific role, the challenges faced, the technical decisions made, and the impact achieved.
• Highlight projects that involve building reusable component libraries, implementing complex user interactions, or integrating with various APIs.
• Provide evidence of architectural contributions, such as decisions on state management, data fetching strategies, or component structure.
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of performance optimization techniques and how they were applied in your projects.

Process Documentation:

• Present case studies that detail your involvement in the end-to-end development lifecycle, from requirements gathering and technical design to implementation, testing, and deployment.
• Illustrate your approach to problem-solving, including how you debug complex issues and optimize code for efficiency and scalability.
• Detail your experience with collaborative development workflows, including Git branching strategies, code reviews, and CI/CD integration.
• Explain your methodologies for ensuring code quality, maintainability, and adherence to accessibility and performance standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: Portfolio requirements for a Senior Software Engineer are crucial. This section emphasizes demonstrating architectural thinking, problem-solving, and impact beyond just coding, which is expected at a senior level. The inclusion of process documentation highlights the need to articulate the "how" and "why" behind technical decisions and development workflows.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £55,000 - £75,000 per annum (estimated)

Explanation of Estimate: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior Software Engineers with 5+ years of experience in the UK, particularly in technology hubs like Newcastle upon Tyne, and considering the hybrid work model and the investment-backed growth of Oak Engage. This range accounts for the required technical expertise, leadership potential, and the competitive nature of the SaaS market.

Benefits:

• Private Health Insurance: Comprehensive coverage for medical needs.
• Life Insurance: Financial security for your beneficiaries.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): Confidential support for personal and professional challenges.
• Gym Contribution: Financial support towards a gym membership or fitness activities.
• Travel Allowance: Contribution towards commuting costs or travel expenses.
• Enhanced Maternity Leave: Generous paid time off for new mothers.
• Enhanced Paternity Leave: Extended paid time off for new fathers.
• Discretionary Leave: Additional paid leave days available at the company's discretion.
• Generous Holiday Policy: 25 days of annual leave, plus Bank Holidays, and additional discretionary days for increased work-life balance.
• Regular Team Socials: Opportunities to connect and build relationships with colleagues in a relaxed environment.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours, typically around 40 hours per week, with flexibility offered within a hybrid working model. Specific hours can be discussed to accommodate individual needs while ensuring team collaboration and business coverage.

📝 Enhancement Note: A salary range has been estimated based on the role's seniority, location (UK, Newcastle upon Tyne), and the company's profile as a growing SaaS business. The benefits listed are directly extracted from the job description and presented with context relevant to a full-time employee.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: SaaS (Software as a Service), Employee Engagement Technology. Oak Engage operates in a dynamic and rapidly evolving market focused on improving internal communications and employee experience within organizations.

Company Size: Oak Engage is in a high-growth phase, indicated by recent investment from NorthEdge. While exact current employee numbers aren't specified, it's a scaling SaaS company likely ranging from 50-200 employees, implying a structured yet agile environment.

Founded: Founded in 2011, Oak Engage has established a strong product-market fit and is now poised for significant expansion. This history suggests a company with a solid foundation, proven product, and clear vision for future growth.

Team Structure:

• The Engineering team likely comprises several sub-teams focused on different areas of the platform (e.g., front-end, back-end, QA).
• This Senior UI Engineer reports to an Engineering Manager, indicating a clear reporting line within the engineering hierarchy.
• Cross-functional collaboration is a key aspect, with explicit mention of working with Product Managers and Designers, suggesting a matrixed or agile team structure where engineers work closely with other departments.

Methodology:

• Data Analysis & Insights: The company leverages data to understand employee engagement and platform usage, driving product development and feature prioritization.
• Workflow Planning & Optimization: As a SaaS provider, continuous improvement of development workflows, deployment processes, and feature delivery is critical for scaling.
• Automation & Efficiency: Implementing efficient development practices, including CI/CD and potentially automated testing, is essential for a growing tech company to maintain speed and quality.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Contextualizing Oak Engage within the SaaS and Employee Engagement sectors provides a clearer picture of the market dynamics and technological focus. The company's growth stage and founding date hint at a culture that balances established processes with innovation. The team structure and methodology are inferred to align with typical scaling SaaS environments.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is firmly at the Senior level within the Front-End Engineering track. It signifies a transition from individual contribution to technical leadership, involving architectural input, mentoring, and ownership of significant feature development.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Software Engineer, UI will report directly to the Engineering Manager. This provides a direct line of communication for performance, career development, and technical guidance. Collaboration will extend to Product Managers, UX/UI Designers, and fellow engineers.

Operations Impact: As a Senior UI Engineer, your impact will be directly tied to the user experience and engagement quality of the Oak Engage platform. By building intuitive, performant, and accessible interfaces, you will directly influence user adoption, satisfaction, and the overall perceived value of the product, contributing to customer retention and acquisition.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in React, advanced front-end architecture, performance optimization, or explore adjacent areas like accessibility or even contributing to back-end discussions.
• Leadership Development: Progress towards a Tech Lead role, taking on more responsibility for architectural decisions, project planning, and team guidance.
• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain a deeper understanding of product strategy, UX principles, and business objectives through close collaboration with product and design teams.
• Mentorship: Develop strong mentoring skills by guiding junior engineers, contributing to their technical growth and the overall team's capability.
• Company Growth: As Oak Engage scales, opportunities to influence engineering practices, tooling, and team structure will emerge, potentially leading to Principal Engineer or management roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section analyzes the role's place within a typical engineering career ladder and highlights how a Senior UI Engineer contributes to business objectives. Growth opportunities are tailored to a senior technical role, focusing on both deep technical expertise and emerging leadership responsibilities within a growing tech company.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid. This model combines remote work flexibility with in-office collaboration, offering a blend of autonomy and team interaction.

Office Location(s): Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom. This location serves as the company's HQ, suggesting it's the primary hub for in-person collaboration, team events, and potentially larger technical meetings or strategic sessions.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model and emphasis on cross-functional work suggest a collaborative atmosphere where team members are expected to engage actively, whether in scheduled meetings or informal discussions. The in-person component at HQ is vital for fostering stronger team bonds and facilitating complex problem-solving.
• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to modern development tools, collaboration platforms (like Slack, Teams), and robust engineering infrastructure is expected to support efficient development and communication.
• Team Interaction: Opportunities for spontaneous brainstorming, pair programming, and knowledge sharing are likely to occur during in-office days, complementing structured remote collaboration.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time schedule (approximately 40 hours/week) is expected, with flexibility to manage hours around core working times. This allows for effective participation in team meetings, code reviews, and collaborative sessions while accommodating personal needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Hybrid" work arrangement is detailed to explain its implications for collaboration and workspace dynamics. The Newcastle HQ is highlighted as a focal point for in-person interaction, crucial for a hybrid model.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Hiring Manager Interview: Focuses on your engineering philosophy, approach to architecture, problem-solving skills, and experience with team contributions. Expect questions designed to assess your communication style and intellectual curiosity.
• Technical Task or Live Pairing: A realistic, time-bound coding exercise or a live pair programming session. This will assess your practical coding skills, understanding of code quality, and ability to collaborate effectively under time constraints. The process is structured and uses a rubric for fairness.
• Peer Technical Panel/Culture Fit / CTO Chat (In-person at NCL HQ): This final stage involves meeting with cross-functional team members (developers, product manager, designer) to assess your long-term growth potential, alignment with tech principles, and cultural fit. It's also your opportunity to ask strategic questions about the company and technology.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase your senior-level skills in React, architectural decision-making, and complex UI development. Prioritize quality over quantity.
• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly explain the context, your specific contributions, the challenges you overcame, the technologies used, and the quantifiable impact (e.g., performance improvements, user satisfaction gains).
• Highlight Architecture: Explicitly detail your role in architectural discussions, component design, state management choices, and how you ensured scalability and maintainability.
• Demonstrate Process: Be ready to walk through your development process, including how you approach requirements, write tests, use Git, and collaborate in a team setting.
• Tailor to Oak Engage: If possible, draw parallels between your project experiences and the challenges or goals of Oak Engage's employee engagement platform.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Goal: For the technical task or live pairing, focus on understanding the core problem and delivering a clean, working solution within the time limit, rather than aiming for perfection.
• Communicate Your Thinking: Verbalize your thought process, assumptions, and potential trade-offs. This is as important as the code itself.
• Ask Clarifying Questions: Don't hesitate to ask questions to ensure you fully understand the requirements and constraints of the task.
• Prepare Strategic Questions: For the final CTO chat, have thoughtful questions ready about Oak Engage's technical vision, product roadmap, engineering culture, and growth strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is broken down with specific advice on how to prepare for each stage, emphasizing the importance of the portfolio and practical coding skills. The "in-person at NCL HQ" note is crucial for candidates to plan travel.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• React: The core JavaScript library for building user interfaces. Proficiency in functional components, hooks, and the React ecosystem is essential.
• JavaScript/TypeScript: Deep understanding of modern JavaScript (ES6+) and TypeScript for robust, scalable application development.
• HTML5 & CSS3: Mastery of semantic HTML and advanced CSS techniques, including responsive design, CSS-in-JS, or preprocessors (SASS/LESS).
• APIs: Experience integrating with RESTful APIs, understanding asynchronous operations, and handling data fetching and management.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Performance Monitoring Tools: Experience with tools like Lighthouse, WebPageTest, or browser developer tools for diagnosing and improving front-end performance.
• Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with integrating and utilizing web analytics (e.g., Google Analytics,amplitude) to understand user behavior and application engagement.

CRM & Automation:

• Version Control: Git is a fundamental tool for managing code, branching, merging, and collaborating.
• CI/CD Tools: Experience with setting up and using CI/CD pipelines for automated builds, testing, and deployments. Azure DevOps is a preferred tool.
• Project Management Tools: Familiarity with Agile project management software like Jira, Trello, or Azure Boards for task tracking and workflow management.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section outlines the expected technology stack, directly referencing the skills mentioned in the job description and expanding on typical tools used by senior front-end engineers in a SaaS environment. Azure DevOps is specifically called out as a bonus, indicating its relevance.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving user needs, ensuring the UI is intuitive, accessible, and provides an excellent experience.
• Technical Excellence: A dedication to writing clean, maintainable, and performant code, embracing best practices, and continuously striving for improvement.
• Collaboration & Communication: Valuing open communication, constructive feedback, and teamwork to achieve shared goals. This applies both within the engineering team and with cross-functional partners.
• Agility & Adaptability: Embracing change, responding to evolving requirements, and adapting to new technologies and methodologies in a fast-paced SaaS environment.
• Ownership & Accountability: Taking responsibility for one's work, from design to deployment and beyond, and driving tasks to successful completion.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Engineers are expected to work closely with Product Managers and Designers, participating in early-stage discussions to shape features and ensure technical feasibility aligns with user needs.
• Process Review & Feedback: A culture of regular code reviews and retrospectives fosters continuous improvement and knowledge sharing. Constructive feedback is encouraged and valued.
• Knowledge Sharing: Active participation in technical discussions, internal demos, and potentially documentation writing to disseminate knowledge across the team and wider organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Operations Values" are interpreted from the company's mission (employee engagement), the role's focus (UI/UX), and general best practices for a growing tech company. Collaboration style is inferred from the hybrid model and cross-functional responsibilities.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Innovation with Stability: Integrating new technologies or features while maintaining the stability and performance of a live, growing SaaS platform.
• Scalability of UI Components: Designing and implementing UI components that can effectively scale with an increasing user base and feature set.
• Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring seamless communication and alignment between engineering, product, and design teams, especially within a hybrid work environment.
• Mentoring Junior Developers: Effectively guiding and developing less experienced engineers, balancing their learning needs with project delivery timelines.
• Keeping Pace with Front-End Evolution: Continuously learning and adapting to the rapidly changing landscape of front-end technologies and best practices.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced React & Architecture: Opportunities to deepen expertise in advanced React patterns, state management, and front-end architectural design.
• Performance Optimization Mastery: Focused learning on web performance metrics, tooling, and techniques to deliver lightning-fast user experiences.
• Accessibility Leadership: Becoming a go-to expert for web accessibility (WCAG) within the team, driving inclusive design principles.
• Technical Leadership: Developing skills in mentoring, technical decision-making, and potentially guiding smaller project teams.
• Industry Exposure: Potential for attending relevant industry conferences or workshops to stay ahead of trends in front-end development and SaaS product building.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges are derived from the nature of a Senior UI role in a scaling SaaS company, focusing on technical complexity, team dynamics, and industry evolution. Growth opportunities are aligned with career progression for senior engineers.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Architecture & Design: "Describe a complex front-end architecture you've designed or significantly contributed to. What were the key trade-offs, and how did you ensure scalability and maintainability?" (Prepare to discuss component structure, state management, data flow.)
• Problem Solving: "Walk me through a challenging UI bug or performance issue you encountered. How did you diagnose it, what steps did you take to resolve it, and what did you learn from the experience?" (Focus on your systematic approach and analytical skills.)
• Collaboration & Mentoring: "How do you approach collaborating with designers and product managers to translate requirements into effective UI? Describe a time you mentored a junior developer – what was your approach, and what was the outcome?" (Highlight communication, empathy, and teaching skills.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• Oak Engage's Mission: "How does your experience in front-end development align with Oak Engage's mission to redefine employee engagement through communication and connection?" (Research the company's product and values.)
• Hybrid Teamwork: "What strategies do you employ to ensure effective collaboration and communication within a hybrid engineering team?" (Showcase your understanding of hybrid work dynamics.)
• Continuous Improvement: "How do you stay current with front-end technologies, and how do you advocate for adopting new tools or practices within a team?" (Demonstrate a proactive learning mindset.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the business problem, your solution, and the quantifiable results or improvements achieved. Use metrics where possible.
• Explain Technical Decisions: Be prepared to deep-dive into specific architectural choices, technology selections, and the reasoning behind them.
• Showcase Collaboration: Discuss how you worked with other team members (designers, product managers, backend engineers) and how you incorporated feedback.
• Demonstrate Clean Code: If possible, show examples of well-structured, readable, and maintainable code, highlighting key patterns or best practices you followed.
• Keep it Concise: Aim for a clear and engaging presentation, respecting the allocated time for portfolio review.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation focuses on anticipating specific types of questions asked for a Senior UI role, including technical depth, problem-solving, and team dynamics, with actionable advice for crafting responses and presenting a portfolio effectively.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Software Engineer, UI position:

• Submit your detailed CV and a cover letter through the Workable application portal.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your strongest front-end projects that best showcase your React expertise, architectural contributions, and problem-solving abilities. Ensure each project description clearly outlines your role, challenges, solutions, and impact.
• Optimize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight your 5+ years of front-end experience, specific proficiencies in React, JavaScript/TypeScript, HTML/CSS, API integration, and any experience with Agile, Git, CI/CD, or Azure DevOps. Quantify your achievements where possible.
• Prepare for Technical Discussion: Review common front-end interview questions related to React, JavaScript, CSS, performance, and architecture. Practice articulating your thought process for problem-solving and architectural decisions.
• Research Oak Engage: Understand the company's mission, product, and target audience. Prepare thoughtful questions about their technology stack, engineering culture, and growth plans to demonstrate your genuine interest and strategic thinking.

⚠️ 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.

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