Design Engineer
Frontend Engineer ยท Senior ยท Full Time
Opens Replit's application page
Role
What you'll do.
Replit is seeking a Senior Design Engineer to bridge design and engineering on their agentic software creation platform. This role involves architecting front-end solutions, implementing their design system (Replit UI), and creating seamless user experiences for millions of users worldwide. The position requires 8+ years of front-end development experience with expert-level skills in HTML, CSS, JavaScript/TypeScript, and React.
Responsibilities
- UI Architecture: Architect and implement complex UI components and systems that balance aesthetics with technical performance
- Design System Leadership: Lead the technical implementation and evolution of Replit's design system (Replit UI)
- Prototype Development: Create interactive prototypes to explore new interaction models and validate design concepts
- Design Implementation: Collaborate closely with product designers to bring designs to life with pixel-perfect precision
- Best Practices Establishment: Establish best practices for front-end development and component architecture
- Technical Mentorship: Mentor engineers on design principles and implementation techniques
- Workflow Optimization: Develop tools and processes to improve design-to-development workflow
- Design Review Participation: Contribute to design reviews with a focus on technical feasibility and implementation
- Accessibility Champion: Champion accessible, responsive, and performant user interfaces across the platform
Qualifications
What we look for.
Technical
Front-end Development
8+ years of experience in front-end development with a strong design sensibility
Core Web Technologies
Expert-level knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript/TypeScript
Modern Framework Experience
Deep experience with modern front-end frameworks with React preferred
Design Systems Knowledge
Strong understanding of design systems and component-based architecture
UI Animation Skills
Experience implementing complex UI animations and interactions
Design-to-Code Translation
Proven ability to translate design concepts into production-ready code
Education
Formal Education
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Design, or related field preferred but not required with equivalent experience
Experience
Senior-Level Experience
8+ years of professional front-end development experience
Design Collaboration
Strong communication skills to effectively collaborate with both design and engineering teams
Accessibility Implementation
Experience with accessibility standards and best practices in web development
Skills
Required
JavaScript/TypeScript
Expert-level proficiency in modern JavaScript and TypeScript for complex application development
HTML/CSS
Expert-level knowledge of semantic HTML and advanced CSS including animations and responsive design
React
Deep experience with React framework and modern component-based architecture patterns
Design Systems
Strong understanding of design system principles, component libraries, and design tokens
UI/UX Implementation
Ability to implement pixel-perfect designs with attention to user experience details
Front-end Architecture
Experience architecting scalable front-end solutions and component systems
Cross-team Collaboration
Strong communication skills for effective collaboration between design and engineering teams
Accessibility Standards
Knowledge of WCAG guidelines and inclusive design implementation practices
Preferred
Replit Platform
Nice to haveActive user of Replit platform with passion for accessible software creation
Developer Tools
Nice to haveExperience building design tools or developer productivity tools
AI/ML Integration
Nice to haveBackground or interest in working with AI and machine learning technologies
Open Source Contributions
Nice to haveContributions to design systems, UI libraries, or related open-source projects
Animation Libraries
Nice to haveExperience with advanced animation libraries like Framer Motion, GSAP, or Lottie
Performance Optimization
Nice to haveKnowledge of front-end performance optimization techniques and tools
Tech stack
Languages
Frameworks
Tools
Other
Compensation
Pay and benefits.
BaseยทUSD 180,000 โ 290,000
EquityยทStock options
Benefits
Competitive Salary & Equity
Market-competitive base salary with equity compensation
401(k) Program
Retirement savings plan with 4% company match
Health Insurance
Comprehensive health, dental, vision and life insurance coverage
Disability Coverage
Short-term and long-term disability insurance protection
Parental Leave
Paid parental, medical, and caregiver leave policies
Commuter Benefits
Support for commuting expenses and transportation
Wellness Stipend
Monthly stipend for health and wellness expenses
Work Environment
Autonomous work environment with flexibility
Office Setup
Reimbursement for in-office setup and equipment
Flexible Time Off
Flexible time off policy plus company holidays
Team Events
Quarterly team gatherings and social events
Office Amenities
Full range of amenities available in the Foster City office
Process
Interview steps.
- 01
Initial Screening
Phone or video call with recruiter to discuss background, interest in Replit, and basic qualifications
- 02
Technical Portfolio Review
In-depth review of design engineering portfolio, GitHub projects, and discussion of technical implementation choices
- 03
Design System Challenge
Take-home or live coding exercise focused on building reusable UI components with design system principles
- 04
Cross-functional Interview
Panel interview with design and engineering team members to assess collaboration and communication skills
- 05
Technical Deep Dive
Detailed technical interview covering front-end architecture, performance optimization, and accessibility implementation
- 06
Final Interview
Meeting with engineering leadership to discuss vision alignment, growth potential, and cultural fit at Replit
Full posting
Original listing.
Replit is the agentic software creation platform that enables anyone to build applications using natural language. With millions of users worldwide, Replit is democratizing software development by removing traditional barriers to application creation.
About the role:ย
We're seeking a Design Engineer to bridge the gap between design and engineering at Replit. In this role, you'll help shape our design system implementation, architect front-end solutions, and ensure seamless user experiences across our platform. You'll be instrumental in creating the technical foundation that allows us to enable anyone with an idea to create apps.
You will:
Architect and implement complex UI components and systems that balance aesthetics with technical performance
Lead the technical implementation and evolution of our design system (Replit UI)
Create prototypes to explore new interaction models and validate design concepts
Collaborate closely with product designers to bring designs to life with pixel-perfect precision
Establish best practices for front-end development and component architecture
Mentor engineers on design principles and implementation techniques
Develop tools and processes to improve design-to-development workflow
Contribute to design reviews with a focus on technical feasibility and implementation
Champion accessible, responsive, and performant user interfaces
Required Skills & Experience
8+ years of experience in front-end development with a strong design sensibility
Expert-level knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript/TypeScript
Deep experience with modern front-end frameworks (React preferred)
Strong understanding of design systems and component-based architecture
Experience implementing complex UI animations and interactions
Proven ability to translate design concepts into production-ready code
Strong communication skills to effectively collaborate with both design and engineering teams
Experience with accessibility standards and best practices
Bonus Qualifications
Active Replit user and passionate about making software creation more accessible
Experience building design tools or developer tools
Background or interest working with AI
Open-source contributions to design systems or UI libraries
This is a full-time role that can be held from our Foster City, CA office. The hybrid role has an in-office requirement of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Full-Time Employee Benefits Include:
๐ฐ Competitive Salary & Equity
๐น 401(k) Program with a 4% match
โ๏ธ Health, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance
๐ฉผ Short Term and Long Term Disability
๐ผ Paid Parental, Medical, Caregiver Leave
๐ Commuter Benefits
๐ฑ Monthly Wellness Stipend
๐งโ๐ป Autonomous Work Environment
๐ฅ In Office Set-Up Reimbursement
๐ Flexible Time Off (FTO) + Holidays
๐ Quarterly Team Gatherings
โ In Office Amenities
Want to learn more about what we are up to?
Interviewing + Culture at Replit
To achieve our mission of making programming more accessible around the world, we need our team to be representative of the world. We welcome your unique perspective and experiences in shaping this product. We encourage people from all kinds of backgrounds to apply, including and especially candidates from underrepresented and non-traditional backgrounds.
Redirects to Replit's application page.
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