Frontend Developer (Ecommerce / Headless Shopify) in Portsmouth

Imaginaire is a boutique ecommerce agency based in Nottingham, specialising in ecommerce design and development, SEO, and PPC services. Focused on Shopify and Shopify Plus platforms, we help brands across the UK create tailored, high-quality headless ecommerce solutions.

We're looking for a mid-level/senior frontend developer to join our ecommerce delivery team after strong growth in the department. This role is frontend-led. Most of the work you do will be across headless Shopify projects (using SanityCMS and Next.js) to turn high-quality designs into fast, reliable, production-ready builds. You'll also work alongside existing backend systems built in Laravel / PHP and a small number of legacy WordPress sites. We're not expecting you to be a backend specialist, but we would expect you to be comfortable reading and navigating PHP/Laravel codebases. This is a hands-on role, not a people management/operations role by default. You'll be working in a small team where collaboration is encouraged. We actively use AI tools to improve efficiency across development and delivery, and we're looking for someone comfortable working this way.

What You'll Be Working On

• Building custom Shopify storefronts (native Shopify and headless)
• Frontend development using JavaScript and Next.js
• Translating Figma designs into accessible, high-quality UIs
• Working with Shopify APIs and frontend integrations
• Collaborating with backend systems built in Laravel/PHP
• Making small, safe backend changes where required
• Supporting and improving existing ecommerce builds
• Participating in code reviews and technical discussions
• Working within clear quality assurance standards

What We're Looking For

This role will suit someone who:

• Is a strong, senior frontend developer
• Enjoys working close to the UI and customer experience
• Is comfortable in modern JavaScript/Typescript frameworks (React / Next.js)
• Can deliver production-ready work independently
• Is pragmatic and commercially aware
• Communicates clearly in a remote-first environment
• Is happy being hands-on rather than managing people

Required Experience

We're not expecting you to be an expert in everything below — we're looking for strong frontend depth with solid working knowledge across the rest.

• Strong commercial experience with JavaScript/Typescript
• Solid experience Next.js
• Experience building and customising Shopify storefronts
• Experience integrating frontends with APIs
• Ability to work confidently from design files (e.g. Figma prototypes)
• Experience collaborating via GitHub and pull requests
• Agency experience
• Familiarity with SanityCMS or other headless CMS platforms

Backend Expectations

We're not expecting you to be a backend specialist, but you do need to:

• Be comfortable reading and making changes to PHP/Laravel code if necessary
• Make small, safe changes when required
• Know when to escalate/collaborate on more complex backend issues

Nice To Haves (not essential)

• Experience with Shopify headless builds
• Experience building Shopify Apps
• Experience working alongside Laravel-based systems
• Experience working with Wordpress and, in particular, the Roots/Sage stack

Growth & Progression

We've always built our structure to allow people to progress without necessarily going into people management, we value deep expertise and efficiency. As the team grows, there may be opportunities to:

• Take ownership of more complex frontend builds
• Influence UI, UX, performance and frontend standards
• Mentor less experienced developers
• Deepen expertise in ecommerce and headless architectures

This role is designed for developers who want to grow in their craft and the responsibilities around it. To encourage this, every employee at Imaginaire receives a growth budget each year to allow attendance of industry conferences, training and books to help them build their expertise. Progression here is about depth, ownership and impact rather than titles.

Why Join Imaginaire

• Remote-first working with a UK-based team
• Flexitime by default with core hours of 11am-2pm
• Workcation policy allowing you to work remotely abroad for up to 4 weeks
• Interesting ecommerce projects for established brands
• Clear expectations and autonomy in your work
• A culture that values quality, pragmatism and calm delivery

Salary

We pride ourselves on offering competitive salaries that are aligned to experience and capabilities.

Hiring Process

We will review each application and ask qualified candidates to complete a short questionnaire outlining their skills and experience before shortlisting and holding first interviews. In the event of multiple strong candidates, we will hold second interviews and make a final decision from there. We aim to keep the process efficient and respectful of candidates' time.