Frontend Engineer

Job Brief:

At Courthouse News, we’re dedicated to delivering timely, insightful, and accessible legal news through innovative technology. As a Front End Engineer on our Technology Team, you'll help shape the user experience across our public-facing platforms and internal tools. Your work will directly impact the accessibility, usability, and performance of the digital products relied on by our readers, subscribers, and users.

You’ll collaborate closely with product managers and back-end engineers to craft responsive, efficient, and intuitive interfaces. While React is at the core of our front-end architecture, our ecosystem also includes headless CMS integration, PHP-based components, cloud functions, and API-driven workflows.

In this position, you’ll have the opportunity to:

• Drive the look, feel, and usability of impactful legal tech products.
• Work with modern front-end tools including React 18+, Redux Toolkit, Storybook, and SASS, as well as CMS technologies like Word Press (Gutenberg, Divi) and headless frameworks.
• Contribute to a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and user empathy.

Key Responsibilities:

• Build and maintain modern, responsive, and accessible front-end applications using React.js, Redux Toolkit, and React Router.
• Develop and customize CMS front ends using Word Press, including Divi Builder, Gutenberg, and custom plugins.
• Integrate with and build RESTful APIs, including custom Word Press APIs and headless CMS implementations.
• Collaborate with product designers and stakeholders to translate high-fidelity designs into well-crafted UI components.
• Participate in Agile workflows, including sprint planning, retrospectives, and backlog refinement.
• Use tools like React Query for data fetching and SASS/SCSS for styling.
• Work with Azure Functions and Firebase Cloud Messaging where front-end integrations require serverless support.
• Contribute to and document component libraries with Storybook.
• Conduct rigorous quality assurance testing and troubleshoot complex technical issues, including writing and maintaining UI tests with Ghost Inspector or similar tools.
• Use Swagger and Postman to test and document API integrations.
• Manage and collaborate through Git and Azure Dev Ops.
• Create and maintain comprehensive technical documentation to support development and cross-team collaboration.
• Uphold and promote best practices for coding standards, testing, and deployment.

Required Skills & Experience:

• 4+ years of professional experience building web applications using React.js and modern JavaScript (ES6+).
• Proficiency in HTML5, CSS3, SASS/SCSS, and mobile-first responsive design.
• Experience integrating with RESTful APIs and working in component-driven front-end environments.
• Familiarity with CMS platforms, particularly Word Press, including experience with themes, builders (Divi), and custom plugin development.
• Experience with Git-based version control and Agile workflows.
• Solid understanding of software development lifecycle and Agile methodologies.
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills, with a collaborative approach.
• A mindset focused on growth, continuous learning, and innovation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with Kendo
  
  UI React, Redux Toolkit, and React Query.
• Experience with custom Word Press development, headless CMS architectures, and Hugo.
• Exposure to cloud services including Azure Functions, Azure Dev Ops, and Firebase.
• Proficiency with API tools like Swagger, Postman, and transactional email platforms like Send Grid.
• Familiarity with front-end testing frameworks and component development tools (e.g., Ghost Inspector, Storybook).
• Exposure to MySQL, Node.js, and Elasticsearch in a collaborative team environment.
• Hands-on experience with analytics tools (e.g., Full Story, Heap, Datadog).
• Exposure to help desk software such as Zendesk or Freshdesk.

We are seeking candidates who are authorized to work in the United States and currently reside in the US. While we prefer candidates who can work onsite at our Pasadena, California office several days a week, remote work arrangements will also be considered.

*** When applying, please include a link to your current profile, e.g., Linkedin and/or professional portfolio. We review every application and will respond to all qualified applicants.