Senior Full Stack Developer; Node.js​/React​/Next.js

Senior Full Stack Developer (Node.js / React / Next.js)
Salary: £50,000 - £60,000 per annum
Location: Chester / Hybrid

The Opportunity

We are looking for an experienced Senior Full Stack Developer with strong Node.js expertise and a solid background in React and Next.js to join an established digital transformation team currently going from strength to strength and undergoing an exciting period of transformation.
This is a permanent opportunity for a senior engineer who wants genuine technical ownership and the opportunity to make a significant impact on a business-critical digital platform.

You'll join the team at an important stage of the programme, helping to modernise and refactor an existing business-facing management platform used to support complex operational and management workflows.
The role is highly hands-on, with a particular focus on Node.js backend development, API architecture and application modernisation, alongside contributing to a modern React/Next.js frontend.

You'll have the opportunity to influence technical decisions, improve performance and scalability, and help shape the long-term architecture of the platform.

About the Role

As a Senior Full Stack Developer, you'll take ownership of key areas across the backend and frontend, with a particular emphasis on Node.js and API development.
You'll work closely with other engineers, UX/UI specialists, product teams and stakeholders to deliver high-quality, scalable digital products.
You'll be comfortable working autonomously, making technical decisions and contributing from day one, while also being a collaborative member of a wider delivery team. This is a role suited to someone who enjoys working across the stack but has a strong backend bias and genuine depth in Node.js.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and contribute to the modernisation and refactoring of existing applications
• Design, develop and maintain robust Node.js backend services and APIs
• Develop and maintain OpenAPI-driven backend services
• Design and implement scalable API architectures and integrations
• Work with PostgreSQL and Prisma ORM to develop efficient data access and persistence layers
• Identify opportunities to improve backend performance, scalability, security and maintainability
• Contribute to the development of the frontend using React and Next.js
• Work with Next.js App Router, Server Components and Server Actions where appropriate
• Build and integrate APIs across the frontend and backend
• Implement and optimise client-side and server-side caching strategies
• Develop automated tests using technologies such as Playwright
• Work closely with other engineers to define technical approaches and maintain high engineering standards
• Contribute to technical architecture and make pragmatic engineering decisions
• Collaborate with UX/UI, product and delivery teams to translate requirements into scalable technical solutions
• Contribute to the refinement of user stories, requirements and delivery plans
• Participate in stakeholder discussions and technical presentations where required
• Support the continued evolution of engineering practices, standards and ways of working

Technology Environment

You'll be working across a modern technology stack including:

• Node.js - core backend technology
• React
• Next.js - App Router, Server Components and Server Actions
• Type Script
• OpenAPI-driven backend services
• PostgreSQL
• Prisma ORM
• Playwright
• Client-side and server-side caching
• Docker
• Azure Dev Ops
• Azure CI/CD pipelines

You'll Ideally Have

• Extensive commercial experience with Node.js and Type Script
• Strong experience designing and developing RESTful APIs and backend services
• Experience working with OpenAPI or API-first development
• Strong understanding of backend architecture, application design and software engineering principles
• Comme…