Software Engineer III (UI)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Software Engineer III (UI) Company: Proofpoint Location: Colorado, United States Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: Software Engineering / Frontend Development Date Posted: January 12, 2026 Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years) Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Design, develop, and maintain modern, user-focused web applications with a primary focus on frontend technologies like React and modern JavaScript.
• Collaborate closely with product management, design, and backend engineering teams to deliver scalable, secure, and reliable features.
• Contribute to shared UI foundations, including reusable components and UI libraries, ensuring consistency and performance across the platform.
• Integrate with backend APIs and data services, applying secure coding practices and an awareness of common web vulnerabilities (OWASP Top 10).
• Leverage AI-assisted development tools within an AI-First engineering environment to enhance productivity and code quality.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is categorized under Software Engineering with a strong emphasis on Frontend Development, given the explicit mention of UI, React, and modern JavaScript. The "III" in the title suggests a mid-level position, aligning with the AI-derived experience level of 2-5 years. The hybrid work arrangement is inferred from the specified locations and the general trend in the tech industry, though not explicitly stated as hybrid, it implies a need for on-site presence in at least one of the listed locations.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Architect and implement modern web interfaces utilizing React, Node.js, and associated frameworks, ensuring robust and scalable solutions.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration with product, design, and backend engineers to translate requirements into functional, secure, and high-performance features.
• Develop, manage, and evolve reusable UI components and comprehensive component libraries to maintain design consistency and optimize frontend performance across the entire platform.
• Seamlessly integrate with backend APIs and data services, prioritizing security, efficiency, and data integrity in all integration points.
• Proactively apply secure coding best practices in frontend development, maintaining a vigilant awareness of common web vulnerabilities and OWASP Top 10 principles to mitigate risks.
• Actively participate in an AI-First engineering environment, utilizing AI-assisted development tools to boost productivity, enhance code quality, and accelerate development cycles.
• Take full ownership of features from initial concept and design through to deployment and ongoing iteration, incorporating customer and user feedback for continuous improvement.
• Contribute to the enhancement and maintenance of automation, CI/CD pipelines, and comprehensive testing strategies to uphold high release velocity and ensure exceptional quality standards.
• Embrace a mindset of continuous learning and adaptation, staying abreast of evolving customer requirements, advancements in AI capabilities, and emerging security threats.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities have been expanded to detail the "end-to-end ownership" and "collaboration" aspects, which are critical for mid-level engineers. Emphasis has been placed on the "AI-First" environment and "secure coding practices" as these are highlighted in the original description and are key differentiators for modern software engineering roles.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Minimum of a Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited institution in a relevant engineering discipline (e.g., Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology).

Experience:

• Demonstrated experience in designing and building modern, user-centric web applications.
• Proven ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams, collaborating with product managers, designers, and backend engineers.
• Experience in taking features from conception through to deployment and iterative improvement.

Required Skills:

• React Proficiency: Deep understanding of modern React patterns, including hooks, component composition, and controlled state management, for building dynamic and responsive user interfaces.
• JavaScript Fundamentals: Strong command of core JavaScript concepts (e.g., closures, async/await, promises, event loop) and their impact on UI performance and application architecture.
• API Integration: Experience with integrating frontend applications with RESTful APIs, ensuring efficient and reliable data exchange.
• Testing Frameworks: Proficiency in writing unit and integration tests using popular frameworks such as Jest, React Testing Library, Cypress, or Playwright to ensure code quality and stability.
• Secure Coding Practices: Awareness and application of secure coding principles to mitigate common web vulnerabilities, referencing OWASP Top 10 guidelines.
• AI-Assisted Development: Familiarity and practical experience using AI tools to enhance development productivity and code quality within an AI-First engineering environment.

Preferred Skills:

• Node.js: Familiarity with Node.js for local development, build tooling, and frontend workflow support.
• Design Systems: Experience working with established design systems or contributing to shared UI component libraries to ensure design consistency and developer efficiency.
• Micro-FrontEnds: Experience with Micro-FrontEnd architectures and distributed UI development strategies for scalable web applications.
• Observability Tools: Hands-on experience with observability platforms (e.g., Splunk, Grafana) for debugging and monitoring frontend application behavior in production environments.
• UI Libraries: Practical experience with UI component libraries such as Material UI or similar frameworks.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills are directly extracted from the "Preferred Qualifications" and "Key Responsibilities" sections, rephrased for clarity and ATS optimization. "AI-Assisted Development" is elevated to a required skill due to its explicit mention as part of the "AI-First engineering environment." The Bachelor's degree requirement is explicitly stated as required.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrated UI Development: Showcase a portfolio of modern web applications, highlighting complex UI development using React, with clear examples of component design and state management.
• API Integration Examples: Include case studies or code samples demonstrating successful integration with backend APIs, detailing the architecture and data flow.
• Testing Strategy: Present examples of implemented unit and integration tests, illustrating your approach to ensuring code quality, reliability, and test coverage.
• Performance Optimization: Provide examples where you've identified and resolved performance bottlenecks in frontend applications, showcasing analysis and optimization techniques.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Document workflows for feature development, from requirements gathering and design collaboration to implementation, testing, and deployment.
• Component Library Development: Illustrate the process of designing, building, and maintaining reusable UI components and libraries, including documentation and version control strategies.
• Performance Monitoring & Debugging: Outline processes for monitoring frontend application performance in production, including debugging methodologies and the use of observability tools.
• Secure Development Lifecycle: Detail your approach to incorporating security best practices throughout the frontend development lifecycle, from initial design to code reviews and deployment.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section is crafted to guide candidates on how to best present their experience for a frontend role. It emphasizes practical, demonstrable skills relevant to UI development, API integration, testing, and performance, all within the context of a structured development process. The inclusion of "Secure Development Lifecycle" and "Performance Monitoring" reflects the job description's emphasis on security and observability.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• SF Bay Area, New York City Metro Area: $136,200 - $214,005 USD per year
• California (excludes SF Bay Area), Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Washington DC Metro, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Texas, Washington, Virginia, and Alaska: $112,700 - $177,100 USD per year
• All other cities and states excluding those listed above: $101,600 - $159,720 USD per year

Benefits:

• Competitive Compensation: A strong base salary reflective of market rates and experience.
• Comprehensive Benefits Package: Includes health, dental, and vision insurance, likely with multiple plan options.
• Flexible Work Environment: Options for hybrid work arrangements and potentially flexible hours to support work-life balance.
• Annual Wellness and Community Outreach Days: Paid time off dedicated to personal well-being and community engagement.
• Recognition for Contributions: Programs and initiatives to acknowledge and reward employee achievements and impact.
• Career Success on Your Terms: Opportunities for professional development and advancement.
• Global Collaboration and Networking Opportunities: Access to a diverse, international team.
• Work from Anywhere: A three-week "Work from Anywhere" option annually.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours are expected, estimated at 40 hours per week. The flexible work environment may offer some adaptability in scheduling, but consistent availability for collaboration is crucial.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary ranges are directly extracted and organized by region as provided in the job description. The benefits are listed with brief elaborations to highlight their value to a professional. The "Work from Anywhere" benefit is specifically called out. The working hours are estimated based on the "FULL_TIME" employment type and industry standards.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Cybersecurity and Information Security. Proofpoint is a global leader in protecting organizations from cyber threats, with a particular focus on human-centric security and data protection across email, cloud, and collaboration tools. Company Size: Large Enterprise (5,000+ employees). This indicates a well-established organization with structured processes, extensive resources, and significant opportunities for career growth and impact across diverse product lines. Founded: 2002. Proofpoint has a significant history in the cybersecurity space, suggesting a mature company with deep expertise and a proven track record in innovation and market leadership.

Team Structure:

• The Software Engineer III (UI) will likely be part of a dedicated frontend engineering team, potentially within a larger product development group focused on a specific area of Proofpoint's cybersecurity suite.
• This team likely operates with a flat or matrixed reporting structure, common in tech companies, with engineers reporting to a Engineering Manager or Director.
• Cross-functional collaboration is a core tenet, involving close partnerships with Product Managers, UX/UI Designers, Backend Engineers, QA Engineers, and potentially DevOps/SRE teams.

Methodology:

• Agile Development: Proofpoint emphasizes an AI-First engineering environment and a "fast-moving environment," suggesting an Agile or Scrum-based development methodology for rapid iteration and continuous delivery.
• Data-Driven Decisions: While not explicitly stated for UI, the company's overall focus on cybersecurity implies a data-driven approach to problem-solving, performance analysis, and feature prioritization.
• Continuous Improvement: The mention of CI/CD pipelines, testing, and iterative feedback loops points to a culture of continuous improvement in both process and product.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company context has been enriched by drawing from the provided description and general knowledge of cybersecurity companies. The emphasis on "AI-First," "human-centric security," and "fast-moving environment" are integrated to provide a nuanced view of the company culture and operational approach relevant to a software engineer.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Mid-Level Software Engineer (Level III). This position signifies a solid foundation in frontend development with the expectation of technical leadership on features, mentorship for junior engineers, and the ability to independently drive complex tasks. The role requires not just coding proficiency but also an understanding of system architecture, best practices, and cross-functional collaboration.

Reporting Structure:

• Typically, a Software Engineer III would report to an Engineering Manager or a Lead Software Engineer.
• They are expected to work collaboratively within their immediate engineering team and interact regularly with product management, design, and backend engineering counterparts.

Operations Impact:

• As a UI Engineer, the primary impact is on the user experience of Proofpoint's cybersecurity products. This includes ensuring intuitive interfaces, efficient workflows, and clear presentation of complex security data.
• High-quality frontend development directly contributes to customer satisfaction, product adoption, and the overall effectiveness of the cybersecurity solutions by making them accessible and usable.
• Contribution to shared UI foundations and best practices amplifies impact across multiple product teams and features.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in advanced React patterns, Micro-FrontEnds, performance optimization, accessibility, or specific areas of cybersecurity UI.
• Technical Leadership: Progress to Senior Software Engineer roles, leading feature development, architecting solutions, and mentoring junior engineers.
• Cross-Functional Expansion: Develop skills in backend integration, DevOps practices, or product strategy through closer collaboration with other departments.
• Management Track: With demonstrated leadership and people skills, there's a potential path towards Engineering Management roles.
• Learning & Development: Access to internal training, external conferences, and certifications to stay current with evolving technologies, particularly in AI and cybersecurity.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section focuses on the career trajectory for a Software Engineer III, translating the role into actionable growth paths. The "Operations Impact" is tailored to a UI engineer's contribution to product usability and customer experience in the cybersecurity domain.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid. Employees are expected to work from a Proofpoint office in one of the listed locations (Colorado, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Draper, UT) for a portion of the week, with flexibility to work remotely for the remainder. This fosters collaboration while allowing for personal flexibility. Office Location(s):

• Colorado, United States (likely Colorado Springs or Denver metro)
• Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
• Draper, Utah, United States

Workspace Context:

• The office environment is designed to facilitate collaboration, with shared workspaces, meeting rooms, and common areas that encourage interaction among team members.
• Access to modern development tools, high-speed internet, and necessary hardware will be provided. The company's "AI-First" approach suggests a commitment to providing cutting-edge technological resources.
• Opportunities for informal knowledge sharing, team stand-ups, and cross-functional brainstorming sessions are integral to the collaborative culture.

Work Schedule:

• A standard 40-hour work week is expected for full-time employees.
• The hybrid model and "flexible work environment" suggest that specific daily start/end times may be adjustable, provided that core collaboration hours are respected and team commitments are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The work environment details are synthesized from the location data and the mention of a "flexible work environment" and "hybrid" status, emphasizing the blend of in-office collaboration and remote flexibility.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter will review your application and conduct an initial phone screen to assess basic qualifications, experience, and alignment with the role and company culture.
• Technical Interview(s): Expect one or more technical interviews. These may include:
  • Live Coding Challenge: Solving a frontend problem in real-time, often focusing on JavaScript fundamentals, React component design, or algorithmic thinking.
  • System Design / Architecture: Discussing how you would approach building a specific UI feature or system, considering scalability, performance, and maintainability.
  • Behavioral Questions: Assessing your problem-solving skills, teamwork, ownership, and how you handle challenges.
• Portfolio Review: You will likely be asked to present and discuss projects from your portfolio, explaining your technical decisions, challenges faced, and outcomes achieved.
• Hiring Manager Interview: A final interview with the hiring manager to discuss your career goals, team fit, and overall suitability for the role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Select Projects: Choose 2-3 of your strongest projects that best showcase your React proficiency, UI design skills, and experience with modern web development practices.
• Highlight Key Contributions: For each project, clearly articulate your specific role, the problems you solved, the technologies you used (especially React, Node.js, APIs), and the impact of your work.
• Showcase Code Quality: Be prepared to walk through code snippets, demonstrating clean, well-structured, and maintainable code. Highlight your use of testing frameworks and secure coding practices.
• Explain Technical Decisions: Be ready to justify your architectural choices, state management strategies, and API integration approaches. Discuss trade-offs considered.
• Demonstrate Process: Show how you followed a development process, including collaboration with designers and backend teams, and how you incorporated feedback.

Challenge Preparation:

• Frontend Fundamentals: Brush up on JavaScript (ES6+), React concepts (hooks, context, state management), CSS (flexbox, grid), and common design patterns.
• Problem-Solving: Practice solving live coding problems, focusing on breaking down complex issues into smaller, manageable steps.
• System Design: Think about how to design scalable and performant UI components and applications. Consider API design and data flow.
• Behavioral Questions: Prepare STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) answers for common questions about teamwork, challenges, failures, and successes.
• Company Research: Understand Proofpoint's products, mission, and culture. Be prepared to articulate why you are interested in this specific role and company.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides actionable advice for candidates, focusing on the practical aspects of the interview process and portfolio presentation, tailored to a UI Engineer role. The emphasis on "AI-assisted development" and "secure coding" within the preparation tips reflects the job description's unique requirements.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• React: The core JavaScript library for building user interfaces, requiring deep proficiency in its patterns and ecosystem.
• Node.js: Used for local development, build tooling (e.g., Webpack, Vite), and potentially server-side rendering or API development support.
• Modern JavaScript (ES6+): Essential for advanced frontend development, including features like async/await, promises, and arrow functions.
• HTML5 & CSS3: Fundamental for web structure and styling, including modern layout techniques like Flexbox and Grid.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Observability Tools (e.g., Splunk, Grafana): For monitoring application performance, debugging production issues, and analyzing user behavior.
• Browser Developer Tools: Essential for debugging, performance profiling, and inspecting UI elements.

CRM & Automation:

• Version Control (Git): Standard for code management, collaboration, and CI/CD integration.
• CI/CD Tools (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions): For automating build, test, and deployment pipelines, ensuring high release velocity.
• Project Management Tools (e.g., Jira, Asana): For tracking tasks, sprints, and project progress within Agile frameworks.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section details the expected technology stack, focusing on the core frontend tools mentioned in the job description. It also includes supporting tools common in modern software development environments, particularly those related to CI/CD and observability, as hinted at in the responsibilities.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Bold: Encouraging innovative thinking and taking calculated risks in software design and implementation, particularly in exploring new UI patterns or AI integrations.
• Responsive: Being agile and adaptable to changing requirements, user feedback, and emerging security threats, ensuring quick iterations and timely issue resolution.
• Accountable: Taking ownership of features and code quality, ensuring reliable delivery of scalable and secure UI components.
• Visionary: Contributing to the future direction of the product's user interface, anticipating user needs and technological advancements in UI development.
• Exceptional: Striving for excellence in code quality, user experience, and overall contribution to the team's success, delivering high-impact features.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Working seamlessly with Product, Design, and Backend teams to ensure cohesive product development and a unified user experience.
• Feedback Exchange: Openly sharing and receiving constructive feedback during code reviews, design discussions, and team retrospectives to foster continuous improvement.
• Knowledge Sharing: Actively participating in team discussions, documentation, and potentially internal tech talks to share expertise on React, UI best practices, and AI-assisted development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's core values (BRAVE) are interpreted through the lens of a UI engineer's role, highlighting how these values translate into daily work and team interactions. The collaboration style emphasizes the cross-functional nature of the role.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Rapid Technological Evolution: Staying current with the fast pace of change in frontend technologies, especially AI integration in development tools and evolving UI patterns.
• Balancing Innovation and Stability: Implementing new features and technologies while maintaining the stability, security, and performance of a large-scale cybersecurity platform.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent understanding and execution across diverse teams (Product, Design, Backend) to deliver a unified user experience.
• Complex Problem Solving: Tackling intricate UI challenges related to data visualization, user workflows, and security feature implementation within the cybersecurity domain.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Frontend Technologies: Deepen expertise in React, explore emerging frontend frameworks, and advanced JavaScript concepts.
• AI in Development: Gain hands-on experience and learn best practices for leveraging AI tools to enhance productivity and code quality.
• Cybersecurity Domain Knowledge: Develop a strong understanding of cybersecurity principles and how they translate into user interface requirements.
• Leadership and Mentorship: Opportunities to mentor junior engineers, lead feature development, and potentially move into technical leadership or management roles.
• Industry Conferences & Training: Access to professional development resources, including conferences, workshops, and online courses to enhance skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section outlines potential challenges specific to a mid-level UI engineer in a cybersecurity company, linking them to growth opportunities and continuous learning. The focus on AI and cybersecurity domain knowledge is crucial.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex UI feature you designed and built using React. What were the key challenges, how did you overcome them, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on component design, state management, API integration, and business impact).
• "How do you approach ensuring code quality and maintainability in a large frontend codebase? Discuss your experience with testing frameworks and code reviews." (Highlight Jest, React Testing Library, secure coding, and team collaboration).
• "Imagine you need to integrate a new AI-powered feature into our existing web application. Walk me through your process from understanding the requirement to deployment, considering UI implications and potential risks." (Emphasize your AI-first approach, problem-solving, and collaboration).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Proofpoint and our mission in cybersecurity?" (Research Proofpoint's products, recent news, and align your interest with their mission).
• "How do you contribute to a collaborative and inclusive team environment?" (Provide examples of teamwork, mentorship, and how you handle differing opinions).
• "How do you stay updated with the latest trends in frontend development and AI-assisted development?" (Demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning and proactive skill development).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly state the problem, your role, the solution (technical details), and the quantifiable results or impact.
• Show, Don't Just Tell: Be prepared to share your screen and walk through live demos or code snippets. Highlight specific React patterns, API integrations, or testing strategies.
• Highlight AI Integration (if applicable): If you have projects that utilized AI tools for development, be ready to discuss how they improved your workflow or code quality.
• Address Challenges: Be transparent about difficulties encountered and how you navigated them, showcasing your problem-solving approach and resilience.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides tailored interview questions and preparation strategies, emphasizing the unique aspects of the role, such as AI-assisted development, cybersecurity context, and the importance of a strong portfolio for a UI Engineer.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Software Engineer III (UI) position:

• Submit your application through the Proofpoint Careers portal via the provided URL.
• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and online portfolio (e.g., GitHub, personal website) to prominently feature your most relevant React projects, UI/UX design contributions, API integration examples, and any experience with AI-assisted development tools.
• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly highlights your years of experience, proficiency in React, JavaScript, and related frontend technologies, and any contributions to secure coding practices or CI/CD pipelines. Quantify achievements wherever possible.
• Interview Preparation: Practice answering common frontend interview questions, prepare STAR method responses for behavioral questions, and rehearse your portfolio presentation to articulate your technical decisions and impact clearly.
• Company Research: Thoroughly research Proofpoint's mission, products, and company culture. Understand their position in the cybersecurity market and how your skills align with their "AI-First" and "people-centric" approach.

⚠️ 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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