Senior Front-End Engineer in Bristol

We started Cognito because traditional textbooks were dry, revision sites were fragmented, and private tutors were inaccessible to most students. Today, over 1 million students use our platform to master GCSE and A-Level sciences and maths, completing hundreds of millions of questions. We have grown from a YouTube channel (now 40+ million views annually) into a comprehensive learning platform with 100,000+ monthly active users. However, we are just getting started. We are expanding internationally, building a mobile app, and developing AI features that will make personalised education accessible to every student.

You would join as our Senior Front-End Engineer (Tech Lead) - a hands-on role where you will write code most of the time while leading our small front-end team and shaping how we build.

What you will actually do

This is a hands-on technical leadership role - you will spend roughly 70-80% of your time writing code, with the rest on leading our front-end team and making architectural decisions.

• Building (the majority of your time):
  • Build core platform features using React and TypeScript: Duolingo-style gamification, AI marking interfaces, progress tracking, and other high-impact student-facing experiences.
  • Translate Figma designs into pixel-perfect, accessible implementations.
  • Shape our testing practices - work with the team to establish pragmatic patterns for what is worth testing and how.
• Leading:
  • Own technical direction for the front-end - you will be the go-to person for architectural decisions, patterns, and standards.
  • Lead our front-end team - currently two developers, with a React Native mobile developer likely joining soon. It is a small team, so the coordination overhead is light.
  • Lead sprint planning for front-end work: prioritisation, estimation sanity-checks, and keeping tickets on track.
  • Mentor and unblock other engineers through code reviews, pair programming, and potentially 1:1s.

You will have significant autonomy and a direct line to the CEO and Head of Engineering. There is also flexibility in how much leadership responsibility you take on - we can shape the role based on how much of the coordination side appeals to you.

Requirements

• Technical skills:
  • Strong React and TypeScript skills - you are comfortable building complex, performant web applications.
  • Familiarity with back-end concepts - you do not need to be a back-end expert, but you understand how APIs, databases, and server-side logic work well enough to make informed architectural decisions across the stack (we use GraphQL/Apollo Server and MongoDB).
  • AI-native approach to development - you actively use tools like Cursor, Claude, etc. to accelerate your work.
• Leadership skills:
  • You have led or significantly influenced a front-end codebase before - setting patterns, making architectural calls, improving standards.
  • You are comfortable giving direct feedback and helping less experienced engineers grow.
  • You enjoy staying close to the code - you are drawn to the technical IC track rather than pure people management.

What makes someone a good Tech Lead here:

• You can take a rough concept and ship it without constant direction.
• You think about user impact and product outcomes, not just completing tickets.
• You are pragmatic - you know when to push for quality and when to ship fast.
• You can context-switch between deep coding work and helping others without losing momentum.

You must be based in the UK with the right to work - we are unable to offer visa sponsorship.

How we work

• Fully remote across the UK - typical hours 9am-5:30pm with flexibility around what works for you.
• AI-forward - We expect you to use AI tools throughout your workflow. It is part of how we stay fast and competitive.
• Fast-paced but sustainable - We ship quickly and iterate based on real student feedback, but we are not a burnout culture.
• Light on process - No unnecessary meetings or bureaucracy. Short ad-hoc calls when needed, daily standups, and focus on shipping.
• Direct impact - Your work will be used by hundreds of thousands of students. You will see the difference you are making.
• You will work closely with the Head of Engineering, other frontend engineers, product designer, and CEO. As a relatively small team, you will play a pivotal role in helping shape technical direction as we grow.

Benefits

• Salary: Competitive salary with regular reviews.
• Holiday: 25 days + bank holidays.
• Equipment: We will provide whatever you need to do your best work.
• Flexibility: Typical hours 9am-5:30pm, but flexible around what works for you.
• Growth: Room to grow into more formal technical leadership as we scale.
• Modern work culture: No unnecessary meetings or bureaucracy, focused on building things that matter.

How to apply

To apply for this role, please complete the application form. We will aim to review applications and get back to you within two weeks, not counting the Christmas break (22nd December - 5th January).

Our hiring process:

• Application review - We will review your CV, work examples, and application responses.
• Initial conversation - Either a 10-15 minute screening call or a short video about a project you have worked on.
• First interview - Conversation with the team to discuss your experience and approach.
• Next steps - Depending on how things go, this might include additional interviews or a paid technical assessment. The exact process will vary depending on the candidate and how conversations develop - we prefer to keep things flexible rather than rigidly structured.