Lead Frontend Developer

Frontend Lead Developer - React / Next.js Location: Leeds (Hybrid – 2 days per week onsite, Monday & Thursday) Salary: Up to £70,000 (DOE) The opportunity: We’re looking for a Frontend Lead Developer to join a growing engineering team building modern digital platforms that support a globally recognised education-focused organisation. This is a leadership role with a strong hands-on engineering focus, suited to someone who enjoys balancing technical delivery with mentoring and team leadership. The split is approximately 60% hands-on development and 40% leadership responsibilities, with two frontend developers reporting into the role. You’ll take ownership of frontend architecture, technical direction, and delivery across a suite of modern web applications and platforms, helping shape scalable, performant, and accessible user experiences used by audiences worldwide. You’ll join a collaborative engineering team where culture, teamwork, and continuous improvement are genuinely valued. The business has an ambitious digital roadmap and is investing heavily in platform capability, user experience, and long-term technical scalability. What you’ll be doing: As Frontend Lead Developer, you’ll lead frontend development across modern React / Next.js applications while mentoring developers and helping shape engineering standards and delivery practices. Key responsibilities include: Leading frontend development across web platforms and applications Owning frontend architecture and technical direction Building scalable, performant, and maintainable React / Next.js applications Collaborating closely with backend developers, UX, QA, and stakeholders Leading the delivery of new features and platform improvements Driving improvements around code quality, testing, accessibility, and performance Mentoring and supporting frontend developers through regular coaching and guidance Participating in sprint planning, technical discussions, and Agile ceremonies Supporting technical decision-making and long-term roadmap planning Contributing hands-on to development work on a daily basis Helping reduce technical debt and improve engineering processes  Core technology stack: React Next.js TypeScript Tailwind CSS Storybook Cypress Docker AWS Symfony / API Platform backend environment CI/CD pipelines Jira, Bitbucket, Slack  What we’re looking for: Essential experience: Strong commercial experience with React and Next.js Experience leading or mentoring developers within a team environment Experience building and maintaining complex frontend applications Strong understanding of modern frontend architecture and best practices Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams including UX and backend engineering Strong knowledge of performance optimisation, accessibility, and scalable frontend development Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills  Desirable / bonus experience: Experience working with AWS and cloud-based environments Exposure to Docker and modern development tooling Experience with automated testing frameworks and E2E testing Experience contributing to design systems or component libraries Background working within fast-paced product or platform environments About you: You’re a hands-on technical leader who enjoys building high-quality products You’re passionate about frontend engineering and modern web technologies You enjoy mentoring and helping developers grow You care about clean code, maintainability, and user experience You thrive in collaborative, close-knit team environments You’re proactive, adaptable, and comfortable balancing leadership with delivery You enjoy contributing ideas and helping shape technical direction within a growing engineering function