Software Engineer III (UX Engineer – Design System)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Software Engineer III (UX Engineer – Design System)

Company: Chewy

Location: Boston, MA, United States / Minneapolis, MN, United States

Job Type: Full time

Category: UX Engineering / Frontend Platform

Date Posted: 2026-08-21

Experience Level: 5+ years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the development and evolution of a scalable, accessible design system and its underlying UI components using React, TypeScript, HTML, CSS, and modern JavaScript.

• Drive the technical strategy and architecture for frontend foundations, influencing decisions around component APIs, theming, accessibility, performance, and overall developer experience.

• Champion design system adoption across multiple engineering teams through comprehensive documentation, robust tooling, and proactive developer enablement.

• Enhance shared frontend infrastructure, including Storybook, testing frameworks, accessibility validation, and developer workflows, to improve productivity and code quality.

• Mentor and coach other engineers, fostering a culture of high-quality frontend development and best practices through code reviews, design discussions, and technical leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Software Engineer III," the "UX Engineer – Design System" specialization and responsibilities clearly place this role within a specialized frontend engineering discipline focused on platform and design system development, rather than a generalist software engineering position. The emphasis on cross-functional collaboration with Design and Accessibility further solidifies its unique operational niche.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Architect, build, and maintain reusable UI components, patterns, and design system foundations using React, TypeScript, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.

• Design robust, scalable, and business-logic-agnostic component APIs that facilitate seamless adoption across diverse applications and domains.

• Lead technical design discussions, influencing architectural decisions related to component systems, theming strategies, accessibility compliance, performance optimization, and overall developer experience.

• Collaborate closely with Product Design, Accessibility, and Front-End Platform teams to translate design system requirements into actionable engineering solutions.

• Drive the adoption and effective utilization of the design system by creating clear documentation, developing supportive tooling, providing migration guidance, and conducting developer enablement sessions.

• Improve and maintain shared frontend infrastructure, including Storybook implementations, automated testing suites, accessibility validation tools, design token pipelines, and developer workflows.

• Leverage AI-assisted engineering practices to enhance productivity, improve documentation quality, streamline accessibility reviews, support migration efforts, and elevate the overall developer experience.

• Mentor junior and mid-level engineers through thorough code reviews, constructive design reviews, insightful architecture discussions, and targeted technical coaching, thereby elevating frontend engineering standards across the organization.

• Proactively identify and resolve complex, ambiguous technical challenges, striking a balance between immediate delivery needs and long-term platform scalability and maintainability.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a blend of hands-on development, architectural influence, and team enablement. The inclusion of "AI-assisted engineering practices" and "design token pipelines" points to a forward-thinking team that values modern tooling and efficiency. The emphasis on mentoring and influencing across teams indicates a senior-level role with significant impact potential.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 5+ years of experience building modern frontend applications, frontend platforms, shared UI libraries, or design systems.

Required Skills:

• Advanced proficiency in React, TypeScript, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, with a deep understanding of modern component architecture patterns and browser behavior.

• Proven experience in building, maintaining, or scaling reusable component libraries or design systems that have been adopted by multiple engineering teams.

• Strong grasp of component API design principles, composition patterns, hooks, controlled and uncontrolled API paradigms, accessibility best practices, and developer ergonomics.

• Demonstrated ability to lead technical initiatives, influence engineering decisions, and drive consensus across cross-functional teams.

• Hands-on experience with Storybook or similar tools for component development, documentation, testing, and collaborative review.

• Deep understanding of web accessibility standards (WCAG), semantic HTML, ARIA attributes, keyboard navigation, focus management, screen reader compatibility, and accessibility testing methodologies.

• Experience working with design tokens, theming systems, and scalable frontend architecture patterns.

• Aptitude for independently defining, decomposing, and solving ambiguous and complex technical problems.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly document technical decisions, trade-offs, and engineering standards.

• Experience mentoring other engineers and contributing to the improvement of engineering practices across teams. Preferred Skills:

• Experience building or scaling enterprise-level design systems that support multiple products and diverse engineering organizations.

• Familiarity with Style Dictionary, design token governance models, token pipelines, and automated design token management.

• Experience implementing multi-brand, multi-theme, or multi-platform frontend architectures.

• Advanced experience with modern Storybook capabilities, including interaction testing, accessibility testing, visual regression testing, composition, and CI/CD workflows.

• Experience with Next.js, React Server Components, Server Actions, streaming technologies, and other modern frontend platform capabilities.

• Proficiency with monorepos, package publishing workflows, advanced build tooling, dependency management, codemods, custom linting rules, or automated migration tooling.

• Experience leveraging AI-assisted development tools to enhance developer experience, documentation, migration workflows, accessibility reviews, or platform adoption.

• Experience in defining frontend standards, establishing governance models, or shaping platform strategy.

• Background in e-commerce, high-scale consumer applications, Agile development methodologies, or cloud infrastructure supporting frontend platforms and developer tooling.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Required Skills" section reflects a senior-level engineer with deep technical expertise in frontend development and design systems. The "Preferred Skills" offer a clear path for candidates to differentiate themselves, particularly those with experience in advanced tooling, enterprise-scale systems, and emerging technologies like AI-assisted development. The educational requirement is flexible, acknowledging practical experience.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase examples of reusable UI components and patterns developed for shared libraries or design systems, demonstrating API design and composition.

• Present case studies of design system implementation or adoption, detailing the challenges, solutions, and impact on developer productivity or user experience consistency.

• Include documentation examples, such as Storybook entries, API documentation, or style guides, that highlight clarity, accessibility, and ease of use for other developers.

• Demonstrate experience with frontend infrastructure improvements, such as automated testing, accessibility validation, or build process optimization, with quantifiable results. Process Documentation:

• Provide documentation for a significant design system component or pattern, detailing its architecture, API, accessibility considerations, and intended usage.

• Illustrate a process for contributing to or maintaining a design system, including versioning, testing, and release management strategies.

• Outline a strategy for driving design system adoption within a team or organization, including communication, training, and support mechanisms.

• Document a technical challenge encountered during the development of a shared frontend component or system and the systematic approach taken to resolve it.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role focused on design systems and frontend platforms, a portfolio is crucial for demonstrating practical application of skills. The requirements emphasize not just the output (components, libraries) but also the thought process behind them (API design, accessibility, adoption strategies) and the ability to document and communicate these effectively.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on Chewy's typical compensation structure for Software Engineer III roles in major tech hubs and considering the specialized UX engineering focus, a competitive salary range is estimated between $130,000 - $180,000 annually. This range accounts for the 5+ years of experience requirement, the specific skill set in design systems and frontend architecture, and the high cost of living in locations like Boston and Minneapolis.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health coverage: Medical, Rx, Vision, and Dental insurance plans.

• Financial security: 401k retirement plan with company matching and a new hire and annual equity grant.

• Performance incentives: Eligibility for an annual bonus.

• Work-life balance: Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO) subject to manager approval, plus six paid holidays per year.

• Family support: Parental leave, family services benefits, and backup dependent care.

• Wellness and convenience: Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Telemedicine services, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and Pet Adoption Reimbursement.

• Perks: Discounts on pet insurance and Chewy.com purchases.

• Paid leave: Eligibility for paid sick and family leave in compliance with applicable state and local regulations.

Working Hours: Standard full-time position, typically around 40 hours per week. While core hours are expected for collaboration, the unlimited PTO policy suggests flexibility in managing personal time around work commitments.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on industry benchmarks for a Software Engineer III with 5+ years of experience in a specialized frontend role, considering geographic location and the competitive nature of UX engineering talent. The extensive list of benefits provided in the raw data has been structured for clarity, highlighting key categories relevant to employees.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: E-commerce (Pet Supplies & Services). Chewy operates in a highly competitive online retail space, with a strong focus on customer service and a deep understanding of pet parent needs. This means operations must be efficient, reliable, and scalable to support a high volume of transactions and customer interactions.

Company Size: Large (likely 5,000+ employees, based on typical tech company structures for this level of role). A large company size implies established processes, larger teams, and opportunities for specialization, but also potential for bureaucracy. For an operations role, this means understanding how to navigate larger organizational structures and influence change.

Founded: 2011. Chewy has a relatively young history but has experienced rapid growth, indicating a dynamic and evolving environment that likely values innovation and agility in its operations.

Team Structure:

• The UX Engineering team is likely a specialized group within a larger engineering or product organization, focusing on platform-level concerns like design systems and frontend foundations.

• The role reports into a management structure overseeing UX Engineering or Frontend Platform, with close collaboration expected with Product Design, Accessibility, and application-specific engineering teams.

• Cross-functional collaboration is a core tenet, requiring strong communication and partnership with designers, product managers, and other engineers to ensure consistency and quality across the customer experience. Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is implied, with a focus on metrics for component adoption, accessibility compliance, and developer productivity.

• Workflow planning and optimization are central to the role, aiming to streamline frontend development processes through robust tooling and reusable components.

• Automation and efficiency practices are key, especially in improving developer experience and ensuring consistent quality across a large organization.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company context is extrapolated from Chewy's known business model and industry. The emphasis on e-commerce and customer experience directly influences the operational needs for a robust, scalable, and user-friendly frontend. The team structure and methodology are inferred based on the specialized nature of the UX Engineer role within a large tech organization.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is a Software Engineer III, which typically signifies a senior individual contributor. In the context of UX Engineering and Design Systems, this means taking ownership of significant technical areas, driving technical direction, and mentoring others. It's a role that requires not just technical execution but also strategic thinking about platform evolution and developer enablement.

Reporting Structure: The Software Engineer III will likely report to a Manager or Director of UX Engineering or Frontend Platform. They will work closely with Product Designers, Accessibility Specialists, and application-focused Software Engineers, acting as a technical leader and advocate for the design system.

Operations Impact: The primary impact of this role is on improving the efficiency, consistency, and quality of frontend development across Chewy. By providing well-designed, accessible, and reusable components, this engineer will enable other teams to build features faster, reduce technical debt, and ensure a cohesive and high-quality user experience for millions of pet parents. This directly contributes to customer satisfaction and brand perception.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in advanced frontend architecture, design systems, accessibility, performance optimization, and emerging technologies like AI-assisted development.

• Leadership Development: Transition into a Tech Lead role, guiding a team on technical strategy, or move into management by developing leadership and people management skills.

• Platform Strategy: Contribute to or lead the overall frontend platform strategy for Chewy, influencing tooling, architecture, and engineering standards across the organization.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Expand influence across product, design, and other engineering disciplines, becoming a key partner in shaping the company's digital product strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth analysis focuses on typical career progression paths for senior frontend engineers in specialized roles like design systems. The emphasis is on deepening technical expertise, developing leadership capabilities, and increasing strategic influence within the organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site. This role is based in a physical Chewy office location in Boston, MA, or Minneapolis, MN, indicating a preference for in-person collaboration and team synergy.

Office Location(s):

• Boston, MA (BOS1)

• Minneapolis, MN Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The role is situated within a team that thrives on close collaboration with Product Design, Accessibility, and other engineering teams. Expect regular design reviews, technical discussions, and pair programming opportunities.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to a modern technology stack, including development tools, CI/CD pipelines, Storybook, and potentially AI-assisted development platforms. The team likely maintains a well-equipped environment for efficient frontend development.

• Team Interaction: Frequent interaction with a dedicated UX Engineering team, product managers, and engineers from various application teams. This fosters knowledge sharing and a unified approach to frontend development.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours/week) are expected. While the unlimited PTO suggests flexibility, on-site presence implies adherence to typical office working hours for team collaboration and meetings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "On-site" work arrangement is a key differentiator. The description focuses on how this physical presence facilitates collaboration and team integration, which are often valued in design system development.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your application, focusing on your resume and any provided portfolio link for relevant experience in design systems, React, and accessibility.

• Technical Interview(s): Expect one or more technical interviews focusing on frontend fundamentals, React, TypeScript, component architecture, and design system principles. This may include live coding exercises or in-depth discussions about your past projects.

• Design System Deep Dive: A dedicated session with UX Engineers and/or Product Designers to discuss your experience with design systems, component API design, accessibility, and your approach to technical leadership and mentoring. You'll likely be asked to walk through specific examples from your portfolio.

• System Design/Architecture Interview: Potentially a session focused on system design, where you might be asked to design a scalable component architecture or a strategy for design system adoption, demonstrating your ability to solve ambiguous problems.

• Hiring Manager/Team Fit Interview: A final interview to assess cultural fit, communication skills, and alignment with Chewy's values. This is also an opportunity to ask in-depth questions about the team and role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Design System Contributions: Clearly present projects where you built, maintained, or scaled component libraries or design systems. Highlight the technologies used (React, TypeScript), the problems solved, and the impact.

• Demonstrate API Design: For key components, explain your API design choices, focusing on reusability, extensibility, and developer ergonomics. Use code snippets or Storybook examples.

• Highlight Accessibility Expertise: Showcase specific examples of how you ensured accessibility (WCAG compliance, ARIA implementation, keyboard navigation) in your components. This is a critical requirement.

• Detail Technical Leadership & Mentoring: Include examples where you led technical initiatives, mentored other engineers, or influenced engineering standards.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your work, such as improved development speed, reduced bug rates, increased component adoption, or enhanced user satisfaction.

Challenge Preparation:

• Component Design Exercise: Be prepared to design a React component from scratch, considering its API, state management, accessibility, and potential for reuse.

• Design System Strategy: Think about how you would approach scaling a design system in a large organization, including adoption strategies, governance, and tooling.

• Accessibility Problem-Solving: Prepare to discuss how you would address common accessibility issues or audit existing components for compliance.

• Code Review Simulation: Practice providing constructive feedback on code snippets related to React components or design system implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides actionable advice tailored to a UX Engineer role focused on design systems. It emphasizes the importance of a portfolio that showcases specific skills like component API design, accessibility, and technical leadership, and outlines a realistic interview process with preparation tips for potential technical challenges.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• React: The core JavaScript library for building user interfaces. Expertise in modern React features (hooks, context API) is essential.

• TypeScript: For static typing, enhancing code quality, maintainability, and developer productivity in large-scale applications.

• JavaScript (ES6+): Modern JavaScript features for robust frontend development.

• HTML5 & CSS3: For semantic structure and advanced styling, including CSS-in-JS solutions or CSS Modules.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Storybook: A primary tool for developing, testing, documenting, and showcasing UI components in isolation. Expect proficiency in its features like addons, themes, and potentially interaction testing.

• Browser Developer Tools: Essential for debugging, performance profiling, and accessibility testing.

CRM & Automation:

• Version Control (Git): Standard for code management, collaboration, and branching strategies.

• CI/CD Tools (e.g., Jenkins, GitHub Actions): For automated builds, testing, and deployment pipelines, especially for component libraries.

• Package Managers (npm/Yarn): For managing project dependencies and publishing reusable packages.

• Monorepo Tools (e.g., Lerna, Nx): Potentially used for managing multiple related packages within a single repository, common in design system development.

• Design Token Tools (e.g., Style Dictionary): For managing and transforming design tokens into various formats usable by different platforms.

• AI-Assisted Development Tools: Mentioned as a bonus, these could include tools for code generation, documentation assistance, or automated testing.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section focuses on the specific technical stack required for a frontend engineer working on design systems. It highlights core languages and frameworks as well as specialized tools like Storybook and Design Token management, which are critical for this role. The inclusion of monorepo and AI tools reflects modern development practices.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Obsession: A core value at Chewy, meaning all operations and engineering efforts should ultimately serve the pet parent and their needs, ensuring a seamless and positive experience.

• Innovation & Agility: The rapid growth of Chewy suggests a culture that embraces new ideas, adapts quickly to market changes, and is comfortable with iterative development and experimentation.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: The emphasis on cross-functional partnerships highlights the importance of effective communication, mutual respect, and shared ownership among engineers, designers, and product teams.

• Quality & Excellence: A commitment to delivering high-quality, accessible, and performant user experiences is paramount, driven by strong engineering standards and meticulous attention to detail.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: While not explicitly stated for this role, it's a common value in tech companies, implying that decisions regarding component design, adoption, and platform strategy should be informed by data and metrics.

Collaboration Style:

• Partnership with Design: A close, iterative working relationship with Product Designers to translate design visions into robust, implementable UI components.

• Cross-Functional Problem Solving: Proactively engaging with application engineers, accessibility experts, and product managers to solve complex frontend challenges and ensure consistent user experiences.

• Knowledge Sharing & Mentorship: A culture of open communication, where engineers share best practices, provide constructive feedback through code reviews, and actively mentor colleagues to elevate collective skills.

• Feedback-Driven Improvement: An environment where feedback on components, APIs, and processes is welcomed and used to drive continuous improvement in the design system and development workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture section is tailored to reflect Chewy's known customer-centric approach and the likely values of a modern tech company focused on product quality and collaboration within its engineering and design departments.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling Design System Adoption: Ensuring consistent adoption and adherence to design system standards across a large, diverse engineering organization with varying levels of technical maturity.

• Balancing Reusability with Flexibility: Designing components and APIs that are highly reusable and maintainable while also providing enough flexibility for application teams to meet unique feature requirements.

• Keeping Pace with Frontend Evolution: Continuously evaluating and integrating new frontend technologies, patterns, and best practices to keep the design system modern and effective.

• Bridging Design and Engineering Gaps: Effectively translating complex design specifications and accessibility requirements into robust, developer-friendly code components.

• Influencing Technical Direction: Driving adoption of new standards or architectural patterns in a large organization where established practices may exist.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Frontend Architecture: Deepen expertise in state management, performance optimization, server-side rendering (SSR), and modern frameworks like Next.js.

• Design System Mastery: Become a recognized expert in design system strategy, governance, tooling, and best practices for large-scale implementation.

• Accessibility Leadership: Develop deep knowledge in advanced accessibility techniques, auditing, and advocating for inclusive design and development practices.

• Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Hone skills in leading technical initiatives, mentoring junior engineers, and influencing engineering culture.

• AI in Development: Explore and implement AI-assisted tools to enhance developer productivity, code quality, and documentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section outlines potential challenges specific to design system engineering roles within large companies and connects them to concrete learning and development opportunities that align with career progression in this specialized field.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Design System Strategy: "How would you approach establishing or scaling a design system in a company with multiple product teams and varying levels of frontend maturity? What are the key considerations for adoption and governance?" (Focus on phased rollout, communication, tooling, and metrics for success.)

• Component API Design: "Describe your process for designing a reusable UI component API. What factors do you prioritize, and how do you ensure it's both flexible and easy for other developers to use?" (Highlight principles like separation of concerns, clear naming, consistency, and extensibility.)

• Accessibility Implementation: "Walk me through how you would ensure a complex component, like a modal or a date picker, is fully accessible according to WCAG guidelines. What tools and techniques would you use?" (Emphasize semantic HTML, ARIA roles, keyboard navigation, focus management, and testing with screen readers.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• Chewy's Customer Focus: "How would you ensure that the design system and its components contribute to Chewy's customer-centric mission?" (Connect design system quality and consistency directly to user experience and brand perception.)

• Team Collaboration: "Describe a time you had to collaborate closely with Product Designers to bring a new component to life. What were the challenges, and how did you ensure alignment?" (Focus on communication, iterative feedback, and shared understanding.)

• Technical Influence: "Tell me about a time you successfully influenced engineering standards or practices across a team or organization. What was your approach?" (Demonstrate leadership, persuasive communication, and data-backed arguments.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: For each portfolio piece, frame it as a problem, your solution, and the outcome. Emphasize the why behind your technical decisions.

• Focus on Impact: Quantify the benefits of your work whenever possible (e.g., "reduced development time by X%", "improved accessibility score by Y%", "achieved Z% adoption rate").

• Showcase Technical Depth: Be prepared to dive deep into the technical implementation details of your projects, explaining architectural choices, API design, and how you handled complex challenges.

• Highlight Collaboration: For projects involving design systems, explicitly mention your collaboration with designers and other engineers, and how you managed feedback and trade-offs.

• Accessibility First: Ensure your portfolio clearly demonstrates your commitment to and proficiency in building accessible components.

📝 Enhancement Note: This preparation guide is highly specific to the role of a UX Engineer focusing on design systems. It anticipates questions related to technical strategy, collaboration, and the practical application of skills, with specific advice on how to leverage portfolio examples effectively.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the application link provided on the Chewy careers portal.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and portfolio to highlight your most relevant experience in React, TypeScript, design systems, component architecture, and web accessibility. Select 2-3 key projects that best showcase these skills and their impact.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly states your years of experience and lists specific technologies and tools you've mastered. Quantify achievements and responsibilities where possible, using keywords from the job description like "design systems," "component library," "React," "TypeScript," and "accessibility."

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your experience with design system development, component API design, and accessibility standards. Prepare to walk through your portfolio projects, focusing on your technical contributions, problem-solving approach, and the impact of your work.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Chewy's mission, customer focus, and recent product developments. Understand their position in the e-commerce pet supply market and how a strong design system contributes to their brand and user experience goals.

⚠️ 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.