Lead React UI Developer

Lead React UI Developer

WHIPPANY NJ or Cary NC -3 days office is must

Duration 10 months

Client is seeking a hands-on Lead React UI Developer to lead the modernization of our MIM Digital Portal and elevate the overall experience and security of how clients do business with MetLife. This role combines strong front-end engineering depth with technical leadership, guiding the design and delivery of responsive, accessible user interfaces that integrate with modern REST APIs and enterprise authentication/authorization.

The ideal candidate has led the implementation of React applications in production within a large organization and is comfortable driving delivery in an Agile model with automated CI/CD pipelines. You will partner closely with product owners, UX, backend engineers, and platform teams to shape technical solutions, mentor developers, enforce engineering standards, and ensure releases are reliable, secure, scalable, and maintainable.

You will define and evolve component-based UI architecture, lead integration with REST/JSON services, and champion front-end engineering standards across the portal, including code quality, security, accessibility, performance, and maintainability. This role is expected to provide technical direction, unblock delivery teams, and influence the front-end roadmap.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the design, development, and enhancement of React-based user interfaces for an external-facing portal, integrating with REST/JSON APIs.
• Define reusable components, shared UI patterns, and front-end architecture decisions to improve maintainability, scalability, and consistency across applications.
• Lead front-end integration with enterprise authentication/authorization (e.g., SSO/OIDC/OAuth) and establish secure patterns for handling tokens, session state, and protected user journeys.
• Drive cross-team collaboration across cloud and on-premises environments, partnering with platform and backend teams to resolve integration issues and reduce delivery risk.
• Provide technical leadership across the SDLC in an Agile team, including refinement, estimation, solution design, development, code reviews, release readiness, and hands-on support for complex implementation work.
• Set and enforce front-end engineering standards for accessibility (WCAG), performance, secure coding, observability, and maintainable development practices.
• Own and improve CI/CD practices (e.g., Azure DevOps/GitHub Actions) by strengthening build and test automation, resolving pipeline issues, and supporting reliable deployments.
• Partner with UX, product, and engineering stakeholders to translate requirements into scalable solutions, while mentoring developers and promoting high-quality delivery practices.

Supervisory Responsibilities: This role may provide technical leadership, mentoring, and day-to-day guidance to developers and project contributors, but does not require direct people management.

Essential Business Experience and Technical Skills:

• 5 or more years of professional software development experience, including significant experience leading modern web UI initiatives.
• Deep hands-on experience building React applications with modern JavaScript/TypeScript, including components, hooks, state management, and architectural decision-making.
• Experience selecting and applying modern React frameworks, libraries, and tooling to support maintainable, high-performing enterprise applications, including React Compiler, Vite, linting, etc.
• Strong understanding of software design principles, including SOLID and domain-driven design, with the ability to apply them in technical leadership decisions.
• Proven experience integrating UI applications with enterprise authentication/authorization (SSO, OAuth2/OIDC) and driving secure web engineering practices.
• Strong experience consuming REST APIs ( handling errors, and managing configuration across environments (dev/test/prod) with accountability for solution reliability.
• Experience establishing automated testing and quality practices (e.g., Jest, React Testing Library, Cypress/Playwright), leading code reviews, and promoting engineering best practices.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence technical direction and collaborate effectively with stakeholders at multiple levels.
• Experience leading software delivery in an Agile environment (Scrum/Kanban), including backlog refinement, estimation, sprint ceremonies, and iterative release practices.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience leading delivery of customer-facing web applications in a regulated enterprise environment; financial services experience is a plus.
• Experience improving CI/CD and source control practices in an enterprise environment (e.g., Azure DevOps, GitHub), including pull requests, branch strategies, and automated build/test pipelines.
• Experience using AI-assisted development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Claude, Cursor) thoughtfully to improve productivity while maintaining strong engineering judgment and code quality.