Front End Engineer in Livingston

Bright Ascension is a fast growing, innovative company changing the way that software is developed in the space industry. With customers across the world, ranging from universities and space agencies to commercial organisations and start-ups, our core technologies enable our customers to develop and operate space-based systems and services faster, more cost effectively and more reliably.

Innovation is at the heart of what we do and it is our team which drives that innovation; this is reflected in our commitment to employee ownership, which gives all of us a voice, and a stake, in our current and future success. With offices in Dundee, Edinburgh and Bristol we now have more than 50 members of staff and plans to expand significantly over the next 12 months. We are at a very exciting time in our ambitious growth plans and have fantastic opportunities for talented individuals to join our team.

We are looking for an experienced and motivated Frontend Engineer who possesses strong technical skills and a positive approach to their work. This role shares responsibility for building main user interfaces across our HELIX product suite. You will participate in the design process by engaging with our UX designers and backend teams to scope upcoming work. The role involves working alongside other Frontend Engineers to deliver these features and working with the Applications team to develop and release a portion of our products.

The ideal candidate will be skilled in the use of React, with a focus on creating flexible and reusable frontend code, supported by robust testing. This role works with an internal component library through to large product-agnostic screens. The backend engineers on our team will be using Java, and so knowledge of this language is a bonus.

Good time management, clear communication, and teamwork are pivotal for this role. The team works in an agile environment supporting a variety of projects, and so the ability to be resilient and flexible is very important.

We see this role as being full time, although this is negotiable. Ideally, we would like this role to be based in Edinburgh – hybrid to allow for regular interaction with the wider business and colleagues in other departments.

What you will do

• Development and testing of our frontend software according to best practices
• Collaborating with our team’s backend engineers to deliver high quality features
• Implementing bug fixes
• Engaging with other members of Product Engineering and UX Design teams to contribute to the SDLC of our products

Essential skills & experience

• Good knowledge of React.js and its core principles and best practices
• Experience of developing with Next.js or another SSR framework
• Experience with Typescript
• Experience with Node.js, Express.js
• Use of Redux/Zustand or other state management tools
• Use of version control systems such as git
• Interest in continuous improvement
• Development and debugging of high-quality code and adherence to best coding practices

Personal skills

• Enjoys problem solving, with an interest in learning new languages and/or frameworks
• Has a mature and supportive attitude to working alongside others
• Can cope well in situations where requirements change, or challenges arise
• Can provide clear communication in various contexts: inter-team meetings, code reviews, documentation and reports
• Understands UI/UX design concepts and processes
• Is consistently curious, is interested in learning new skills and is open to new ideas and ways of working

Desirable skills & experience

• Experience with Docker
• Good understanding of CI/CD tools
• Knowledge of best practices when working with APIs and third-party libraries
• Ability to work in a Linux environment using a range of standard development tools
• Knowledge of, or exposure to, space systems in either a commercial or academic context
• Desire to make a strong contribution to the business in terms of supporting team culture and values
• Experience of working in an agile environment
• Experience with Java application development (used by the backend developers on our team)

What we can offer you

• A competitive salary in the range of £35,000-£45,000 depending on experience, with regular reviews.
• A fantastic opportunity to join a growing, innovative, employee-centred business pushing boundaries in the space industry.
• Flexible hours and hybrid working, enabling you to create your ideal work life balance.
• 36 days paid holiday per annum.
• 6% employer pension contribution.
• Enhanced Company Sick Pay and Long-Term Sickness cover.
• A Health Cash Plan to cover costs such as dental, physio and optical.
• Life Assurance cover (x4 salary).
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay.
• Opportunities for international travel for exhibitions and trade shows.
• Investment in you and your skill development and the opportunity to attend relevant events and conferences to aid career / skill development.
• Company events and regular activities for social engagement and team building.
• An open, supportive, inclusive environment where you can explore your ideas and make a big difference to the product and business.

Our Values

We worked together to identify and shape the values that underpin everything we do, our actions, our vision and all things Bright Ascension.

• Passion & Innovation: Enjoy what you do and have fun. Be curious and be fearless. Unconventional ideas and passion are the paths to true innovation.
• Teamwork & Collaboration: Sharing knowledge helps the team thrive. Start a dialogue and win through teamwork. Success comes through collaboration and support.
• Respect & Integrity: Recognise differences and accept opinions. Integrity, respect and high standards create unbreakable trust and builds reputation.