Senior Front End Developer – Javascript, HTML, CSS

We’re a visionary online technology and design company that’s looking to change the way products are designed and made. What’s different about Opendesk furniture is that it’s designed to be distributed as a digital file, downloaded and made locally through a network of digital fabricators – skilled makers with CNC-machining capabilities. Through this open source model we’re already selling locally-made furniture to a range of workspace customers, from startups and SMEs to established international brands like Nike, Google and General Electric. In doing so, we’re empowering a network of independent manufacturers, delivering high-quality, cost-effective end-products that are authentic, unique and better for people and planet.

To help fuel our growth, we’re now looking for a Senior Front End Developer to own and oversee our web development work, processes and technical architecture through the next phase of our growth. If you’re talented in web technologies: HTML5, CSS and JavaScript ES5/6 and can proficiently use frontend workflow tools, npm, grunt, bower, gulp etc, then read on!

We’ve already built the foundations of a tech platform to facilitate our model – allowing us to publish, host and distribute version-controlled CAD designs through our internal systems and APIs (via an open source schema we developed), and providing a front-end for customers to interact with us and request quotes for local manufacturing via our website.

What would I be working on?

This is a great opportunity to join us at the beginning of an exciting rework of our tech stack. You’ll be working with a passionate team of talented technical, design and product people to build the Opendesk platform that will scale with our company over the coming years.

As Senior Frontend Developer, you’ll take ownership of our web platform and work closely with our Lead Developer to make technical and architectural decisions. You’ll be heavily involved in design and UX as part of our agile, cross-functional team.

Our near-term priorities for our Product & Development teams are to:

• help simplify and systematise our business, bringing together online and offline components into a single unified framework
• ensure we have data on and visibility into all of our key flows and processes
• move more of our user interactions and experience online
• increase our velocity / capacity to develop new features by helping us to work in a more agile, data-driven and validated way
• facilitate the local making of more of our furniture through the development of suitable maker-facing tools

Interfaces we’re aiming to develop include:

• a quoting and fulfilment dashboard for makers
• a dashboard providing the customer’s view on the same process
• a project planning and visualisation environment for business customers
• an in-browser customisation tool based on parameterised design models to provide more choice to customers online

What would my responsibilities be?

As Senior Front End Developer you will inherit our existing front-end technical systems and be responsible for building on and improving/replacing them.

This inheritance includes:

• A marketing website developed using a Ruby-based CMS, deployed on AWS
• A publishing and file distribution system developed using the same Ruby CMS
• A dynamic client application developed using AngularJS

You’d also be expected to take an active involvement in our working culture with:

• An OKR system to agree roadmap and priorities
• Chat-based daily standup and weekly and monthly progress / prioritisation meetings
• A quarterly board reporting cycle and Trello, Slack and GitHub based collaboration

What experience and skills do I need?

You need to be an experienced web developer. This includes craft-skills in and practical experience with:

• web technologies: HTML5, CSS and JavaScript ES5/6
• frontend workflow tools, npm, grunt, bower, gulp etc.
• building scalable systems and making technical architecture decisions
• managing code and operational complexity & working knowledge of backend development
• developing responsive interfaces and design and UX
• web APIs and external web-service integrations, web frameworks and patterns
• techniques and tools to build mobile applications & website accessibility and performance
• content management systems

It would also be an advantage to have experience / an interest in:

• digital manufacturing (CNC-milling, 3D-printing), CAD software, modelling and parameterisation

We’re looking for someone who can:

• communicate and collaborate, self-manage and be highly productive
• synthesise requirements, write technical specifications, drive web design and architectural decisions
• keep focused on what’s important and make (and help us to make!) complex decisions

Where would I work?

Most of the Opendesk team are based out of our studio in East London (situated along a stretch of Hackney known as the ‘Maker Mile’). Alongside day-to-day work we use our space as a showroom for hosting customers, and for everything from hackathons to furniture prototyping. You’ll be based in London with us in the office – we feel this is important as you would need to be able to manage a team and work closely with others day to day, including the Lead Developer.

Who would I work with?

As a member of Opendesk you’ll be joining a growing team of passionate makers, designers, coders, content-creators and energetic doers. In addition, you’ll be joining a global community of Open Making advocates spanning almost every country in the world.

If you think this is the role for you, tell us more about yourself – don’t just include a CV. We’d like to see links to any work that you think might help us decide whether you’re the right person for us!