UI Developer (React)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UI Developer (React)

Company: Blink UX

Location: San Diego, CA

Job Type: Contract

Category: Front-End Development / UI Engineering

Date Posted: September 17, 2026

Experience Level: Mid to Senior Level (5+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (3-5 days per week onsite)

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on enhancing and maintaining an enterprise e-commerce platform's user interface, leveraging modern front-end technologies.

• The position involves translating complex design concepts and business requirements into highly functional, responsive, and accessible web interfaces.

• A significant aspect of the role is contributing to and maintaining a scalable design system and reusable component library, including AEM components.

• The UI Developer will be responsible for debugging, optimizing performance, and ensuring cross-browser compatibility for a critical client-facing application.

📝 Enhancement Note: This is a contract role embedded within a client's team, indicating a need for adaptability and strong client-facing collaboration skills, typical for embedded operations and development roles. The focus on AEM suggests a need for familiarity with content management systems in a digital product context.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Maintain, update, and enhance existing UIs for a client's e-commerce platform, utilizing React and Adobe Experience Manager (AEM).

• Debug and resolve front-end issues, ensuring optimal performance, scalability, and consistent cross-browser compatibility across various devices and screen sizes.

• Analyze functional and technical design documents, along with UI wireframes, to accurately implement new features and enhancements.

• Translate intricate design concepts and business requirements into polished, user-friendly, and functional interfaces that align with brand standards.

• Develop and contribute to a scalable design system by building reusable components, including the creation of new AEM components as required.

• Effectively manage edge cases, error states, and dynamic data scenarios to ensure a robust and seamless user experience.

• Collaborate closely with UX designers and other engineers to clarify requirements, discuss implementation strategies, and ensure cohesive product development.

• Create comprehensive documentation for UI components and maintain style guides to ensure consistency and facilitate future development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a blend of maintenance, improvement, and new feature development within an existing platform, requiring a pragmatic approach to code quality and efficiency. The mention of "edge cases, error states, and dynamic data scenarios" points to a need for robust error handling and data management in the UI layer.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Web Design, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience, is typically expected for roles requiring this level of technical expertise and experience.

Experience: Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in a UI Developer or Front-End Engineer role, with a strong track record of delivering complex web applications.

Required Skills:

• Extensive JavaScript expertise, including modern ES6+ features and best practices.

• Proven proficiency with modern JavaScript frameworks and libraries, particularly React.

• Deep understanding of responsive design principles and their application across various devices and screen sizes.

• Strong knowledge of cross-browser compatibility issues and strategies for resolution.

• Familiarity and hands-on experience with version control systems, specifically Git.

• Experience working with UI development tools such as Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD for design handoffs and prototyping.

• Hands-on experience developing with or maintaining content within Adobe Experience Manager (AEM).

• Demonstrated experience in building, maintaining, and contributing to design systems or reusable component libraries.

• Solid understanding of accessibility standards, including WCAG guidelines, and their practical implementation.

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in a team environment.

• Strong problem-solving abilities and effective debugging skills. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with state management libraries like Redux or Context API within React applications.

• Familiarity with front-end build tools and module bundlers (e.g., Webpack, Babel).

• Knowledge of performance optimization techniques for web applications.

• Experience with A/B testing frameworks or methodologies.

• Familiarity with Agile/Scrum development methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 5+ years of experience, combined with specific tool and framework proficiencies, positions this as a mid-to-senior level role. The emphasis on AEM and design systems suggests that candidates with experience in enterprise-level content management and component-driven development will be highly valued.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase at least 2-3 projects demonstrating complex UI development using React, highlighting problem-solving and implementation details.

• Include examples of responsive design implementation across different devices and screen resolutions.

• Present projects that demonstrate contributions to or creation of reusable component libraries or design systems, detailing the benefits and structure.

• Provide evidence of experience with accessibility best practices (WCAG) in actual project implementations.

• If possible, include examples of work involving content management systems or integrations, similar to AEM. Process Documentation:

• Be prepared to discuss your process for translating wireframes and design specifications into functional code, including your approach to collaboration with designers.

• Detail your debugging methodology and how you ensure cross-browser compatibility and performance optimization.

• Explain your approach to building and maintaining reusable components and contributing to design systems, including documentation practices.

• Be ready to articulate your understanding and application of accessibility standards in your development workflow.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UI Developer role, particularly in an embedded context, the portfolio is crucial for demonstrating practical application of skills. The emphasis on AEM, design systems, and accessibility suggests a need for portfolio pieces that highlight structured, scalable, and user-centric development practices.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $115,000 - $135,000 per year. This range is estimated based on the provided data and common market rates for a UI Developer with 5+ years of experience in San Diego, CA, for a contract role of this nature.

Benefits: As a contract role, benefits may vary. Typically, contractors may receive benefits through a third-party agency or have access to client-provided perks. Common benefits for contract roles can include:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance (often through a staffing agency).

• Paid time off (accrual may vary).

• Potential for contract extension or conversion to full-time employment.

• Access to client company facilities and potentially team events.

Working Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week. The role requires 3-5 days onsite in San Diego, CA, indicating a structured work schedule with potential for some flexibility depending on client team norms.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is derived directly from the input data. The benefits are inferred based on standard practices for contract roles in the US tech industry. The hybrid work arrangement with specific onsite requirements is noted for clarity.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Product Design / UX Consulting. Blink UX operates as a design firm that partners with clients to craft innovative products and experiences. They serve a diverse range of clients, including major tech companies like Amazon, Google, and NASA.

Company Size: Blink UX is a mid-sized firm, likely employing between 50-200 employees, with a global presence including studios in Seattle, Boston, San Diego, San Francisco, New York City, and Bengaluru. The embedded practice suggests an extension of this culture into client environments.

Founded: Blink UX was founded in 2000. This long history suggests a mature organization with established processes and a deep understanding of the design and product development landscape.

Team Structure:

• The UI Developer will be part of Blink's Embedded practice, meaning they will work directly within a client's team structure.

• This typically involves integration into the client's product development or engineering department, reporting to a client-side manager or lead.

• Collaboration will be highly cross-functional, involving UX designers, product managers, back-end engineers, and potentially QA testers within the client organization. Methodology:

• Blink UX emphasizes strategy, research, and design to create transformative products.

• As an embedded UI Developer, you will likely adhere to the client's established development methodologies, which could include Agile, Scrum, or Kanban.

• The focus will be on user-centered design principles, data-driven decision-making (informed by UX research), and iterative development.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture description is synthesized from the provided company description, highlighting Blink's role as a design firm and the nature of its embedded practice. The age of the company is noted to imply stability and experience.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Mid to Senior level UI Developer. It requires significant independent contribution, problem-solving, and the ability to mentor or guide less experienced team members implicitly through best practices and collaboration. The focus is on execution and improvement within an established project.

Reporting Structure: The UI Developer will report to a manager or lead within the client's organization, likely within their product development or engineering team. This structure emphasizes direct contribution to client projects under client leadership.

Operations Impact: While not directly in "operations" as in RevOps or SalesOps, this role's impact is critical to the "operations" of the client's e-commerce platform. By ensuring a high-quality, performant, and user-friendly interface, the UI Developer directly influences customer experience, conversion rates, and overall platform usability, which are key operational metrics for an e-commerce business.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in React, AEM, accessibility, and potentially other front-end technologies or specialized areas like performance optimization.

• Project Exposure: Gain experience working on large-scale enterprise e-commerce platforms, understanding complex business logic and user flows.

• Client Relationship Building: Develop strong client-facing communication and collaboration skills, which are valuable for future consulting or leadership roles.

• Potential for Extension/Conversion: Contract roles can sometimes lead to extensions or direct employment with the client, offering a pathway to full-time opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Operations Impact" section re-frames the role's contribution through an operational lens, connecting UI/UX quality to business outcomes like conversion rates, which is a key metric for any "operations" function. The growth opportunities are tailored to a contract, embedded development role.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work environment, requiring 3-5 days per week onsite at the client's location in San Diego, CA. This suggests a traditional office setting for a portion of the week, interspersed with remote workdays.

Office Location(s): San Diego, CA. Specific details about the client's office location within San Diego would need to be confirmed, but it implies a professional office space conducive to collaboration.

Workspace Context:

• The onsite days will likely involve working within the client's established office space, potentially alongside other UI developers, UX designers, and engineers.

• Access to standard office amenities and IT infrastructure will be provided by the client.

• Opportunities for in-person collaboration, whiteboard sessions, and spontaneous discussions with team members will be available during onsite days.

Work Schedule: The role is structured around approximately 40 hours per week. While the exact daily schedule may offer some flexibility, the hybrid nature and client-embedded context suggest alignment with the client's core working hours and team meetings.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section details the hybrid nature of the role and its implications for daily work, emphasizing the blend of in-office and remote collaboration within a client's established environment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with a Blink UX recruiter to assess basic qualifications, interest, and fit for the embedded role.

• Technical Interview: Likely involves a technical discussion with a hiring manager or senior engineer from the client team. This may include live coding challenges, deep dives into React/JavaScript concepts, and scenario-based questions related to debugging and performance.

• Portfolio Review: A dedicated session to walk through selected projects from your portfolio. Be prepared to discuss your design choices, technical implementation, challenges faced, and the outcomes achieved.

• Client Team/Hiring Manager Interview: A final interview to assess cultural fit, communication style, and overall suitability for working within the client's specific team environment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best demonstrate your proficiency in React, responsive design, accessibility, and AEM (if applicable). Prioritize projects with clear problem statements and measurable results.

• Showcase Your Process: For each project, explain your thought process, the technical decisions you made, and how you overcame challenges. Use diagrams or code snippets where appropriate.

• Highlight Collaboration: If possible, showcase projects where you collaborated with designers or other engineers, explaining your role and contribution to the team's success.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the impact of your work (e.g., improved load times, increased conversion rates, reduction in bugs).

• Prepare for AEM Questions: Be ready to discuss your experience with AEM, including component development, content authoring workflows, and any integration aspects.

Challenge Preparation:

• React Fundamentals: Review core React concepts like component lifecycle, state management, hooks, context API, and performance optimization techniques.

• JavaScript Proficiency: Brush up on modern JavaScript features, asynchronous programming, and common design patterns.

• Responsive Design & Accessibility: Be prepared to discuss best practices and common pitfalls in implementing responsive layouts and adhering to WCAG standards.

• Problem-Solving Scenarios: Practice breaking down complex UI problems and articulating your approach to solving them clearly and logically.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides actionable advice tailored to a UI Developer role, emphasizing the importance of a strong portfolio and preparation for technical and collaborative assessments. The focus on AEM and client-embedded context is integrated.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• React: The core JavaScript library for building user interfaces. Proficiency in modern React practices (Hooks, functional components) is essential.

• JavaScript (ES6+): Essential for all front-end development.

• Adobe Experience Manager (AEM): A content management system used for building enterprise-level websites and applications. Experience with AEM component development and integration is key.

• Git: Standard version control system for code management and collaboration.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed, experience with front-end analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) or debugging tools for performance analysis would be beneficial.

• Familiarity with browser developer tools for inspecting elements, debugging JavaScript, and analyzing network requests. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to this UI Developer role. The focus is on the client-facing application interface rather than CRM or back-end automation systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section highlights the critical tools and technologies mentioned in the job description, particularly React and AEM, and positions them within the context of front-end development workflows.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A strong focus on creating exceptional user experiences, aligning with Blink UX's core mission.

• Collaboration: Emphasis on working effectively within a team, both with Blink UX colleagues and client-side personnel.

• Quality & Craftsmanship: Commitment to building high-quality, maintainable, and performant code.

• Adaptability: Willingness to adapt to client needs, evolving priorities, and different development environments.

• Problem-Solving: A proactive approach to identifying and resolving technical challenges.

Collaboration Style:

• The role requires a highly collaborative style, involving close partnerships with UX designers, product managers, and other engineers within the client's organization.

• Open communication, active listening, and a willingness to provide and receive constructive feedback are crucial for success in an embedded team.

• Participating actively in team meetings, design reviews, and code reviews will be standard practice.

📝 Enhancement Note: These values and collaboration styles are inferred based on the nature of Blink UX's business as a design firm and the requirements of an embedded role within a client's team.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Client Environments: Adapting to a new client's specific tools, processes, and team dynamics can be challenging.

• Legacy Code & Technical Debt: Working with existing codebases may involve dealing with legacy systems or technical debt that needs to be managed or refactored.

• Balancing Design & Technical Constraints: Translating ideal design concepts into functional code while adhering to technical limitations and project timelines.

• Rapidly Shifting Priorities: In an embedded role, client priorities can change quickly, requiring flexibility and the ability to reprioritize tasks efficiently.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into AEM: Opportunity to gain significant hands-on experience with Adobe Experience Manager in an enterprise context.

• Advanced React Techniques: Potential to learn and apply advanced React patterns, state management solutions, and performance optimization strategies.

• Cross-Functional Learning: Exposure to the broader product development lifecycle and insights into how UI development integrates with UX research, product management, and back-end engineering.

• Industry Best Practices: Observing and adopting best practices from both Blink UX and their sophisticated client partners.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges and growth opportunities are framed from the perspective of an embedded contract developer, focusing on adaptation, skill development within specific technologies, and navigating client relationships.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex UI challenge you faced in a previous React project and how you approached solving it. What was the outcome?" (Focus on problem-solving process and technical execution.)

• "How do you ensure your UI code is accessible and compliant with WCAG standards? Can you provide examples?" (Assess understanding of accessibility principles and practical application.)

• "Walk me through your process for translating a Figma or Sketch design into a responsive, functional React component." (Evaluate design-to-code workflow and attention to detail.)

• "Tell me about your experience with Adobe Experience Manager. What types of components have you built or maintained?" (Gauge specific AEM proficiency.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do you approach collaborating with UX designers and back-end engineers?" (Assess communication and teamwork skills.)

• "Describe a time you had to adapt to a change in project priorities. How did you handle it?" (Evaluate flexibility and adaptability.)

• "What interests you about working on an embedded contract role with Blink UX for this specific client?" (Understand motivation and fit.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Storytelling: Frame your portfolio projects as stories, highlighting the problem, your solution, the technologies used, and the impact achieved.

• Technical Depth: Be prepared to discuss the technical nuances of your implementations, including architectural decisions, state management, and performance optimizations.

• Visual Aids: Use live demos or annotated screenshots/recordings of your projects to illustrate key features and functionalities.

• Client Context: If possible, tailor your examples to the e-commerce domain or enterprise-level applications, demonstrating an understanding of the client's business.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview questions and preparation tips are designed to cover technical depth, collaborative skills, and specific experience relevant to the UI Developer role, with a particular emphasis on React and AEM.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UI Developer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on jobs.lever.co.

• Tailor your resume: Highlight your 5+ years of experience in UI development, specifically mentioning your proficiency in React, JavaScript, AEM, responsive design, and accessibility. Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Prepare your portfolio: Ensure your portfolio is up-to-date and showcases relevant React projects, design system contributions, and any AEM experience. Be ready to articulate your process and impact for each piece.

• Research Blink UX and their clients: Understand Blink's approach to design and research, and familiarize yourself with the types of clients they serve. This will help you articulate your interest and fit.

• Practice your technical explanations: Be ready to discuss your approach to common UI development challenges, debugging, and performance optimization in detail.

⚠️ 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.