Front-end Engineer

<p>The opportunity</p>

<p>Do you care as much about how a product feels to use as you do about the code behind it?</p>

<p>First Table is looking for a Front-end Engineer to build and improve the customer-facing experiences our diners use every day, from discovering somewhere new to making a booking.</p>

<p>This is a hands-on engineering role for someone who enjoys working at pace, has a strong eye for UI and design, and takes pride in turning an idea or design into a polished experience for customers. You’ll work across our React and Next.js web platform, with the opportunity to contribute to our React Native mobile app as well.</p>

<p>You don’t need to arrive with experience across every part of our stack. We’re particularly interested in strong front-end engineers who bring great React fundamentals, customer and design thinking, and the ability to learn and adapt quickly.</p>

<p>We’re open to an experienced intermediate or Senior Front-end Engineer. For us, it’s less about title and more about your capability, ownership and the quality of what you ship.</p>

<p><br></p>

<p>About us</p>

<p>At First Table, our vision is simple: to be the first place diners go to book a table.</p>

<p>Proudly established in Queenstown, New Zealand - where our head office is based - we've been leading the charge in the hospitality tech industry for over a decade, with operations spanning New Zealand, Australia, and the UK.</p>

<p>First Table is a dining discovery platform that connects diners to restaurants through their love of food. Through our clever tech, we help restaurants get their night off to a great start and give diners a compelling reason to try somewhere new. It’s a win-win situation. From early bird offers to last table reservations, we make discovering and booking great dining experiences fast, easy, and rewarding.</p>

<p>At the heart of everything we do are our values: Win-Win-Win, Own It and Grow Together. These guide how we show up for each other, our restaurant partners, and our diners and they’re a big part of what makes First Table a great place to work.</p>

<p>Learn more about our story here:<br><a href="http://www.firsttable.co.nz/our-story" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.firsttable.co.nz/our-story</a></p>

<p><br></p>

<p>About the role</p>

<p>As a Front-end Engineer, you’ll build and improve customer-facing experiences across the First Table product, working closely with Product, Design, Analytics and Engineering.</p>

<p>Our web platform is built with React, TypeScript and Next.js, alongside our React Native / Expo mobile application. While experience across both web and mobile would be great, it’s not essential. If you’re a strong web engineer who is excited about developing your skills across React Native, we’d still love to hear from you.</p>

<p>You’ll be joining a team that values pace, pragmatism and customer experience. We want someone who doesn’t just ask “does it work?”, but also cares about whether it looks right, feels intuitive and creates a great experience for the diner.</p>

<p><br></p>

<p>What you’ll be doing</p>

<ul>

<li>Build and improve customer-facing features across the First Table diner and booking experience.</li>

<li>Develop responsive, performant and accessible experiences using React, TypeScript and Next.js.</li>

<li>Turn designs into polished experiences with a strong eye for UI quality and usability.</li>

<li>Work closely with Product and Design to contribute ideas, solve problems and ship improvements quickly.</li>

<li>Contribute across our React Native / Expo mobile app as your experience develops.</li>

<li>Build reusable components and work with APIs, GraphQL and our wider application architecture.</li>

<li>Use analytics, experimentation and AI tools to understand performance, iterate and improve how we build and ship.</li>

</ul>

<p><br></p>

<p>What we’re looking for</p>

<p>You’re a front-end engineer who enjoys building products for real customers and takes pride in the quality of what ends up on screen.</p>

<ul>

<li>Strong commercial experience with React and TypeScript. React Native / Expo experience is a bonus, along with exposure to GraphQL, analytics or design systems</li>

<li>Experience with modern front-end frameworks, ideally Next.js.</li>

<li>Experience building customer-facing digital products and a genuine interest in user experience.</li>

<li>Strong front-end fundamentals across responsive design, performance and accessibility.</li>

<li>A good eye for UI and the ability to translate designs into polished customer experiences.</li>

<li>Experience working with APIs and modern application architecture.</li>

<li>A proactive approach - you contribute, ask questions and help move work forward rather than waiting for everything to be perfectly defined.</li>

<li>Strong communication and collaboration across Engineering, Product and Design.</li>

<li>&nbsp;Experience in B2C, marketplace, ecommerce or fast-paced customer-facing environments would also be valuable.&nbsp;</li>

</ul>

<p><br></p>

<p>Why you'll love working with us</p>

<p>A high trust and flexible working environment: Hybrid from Auckland or Queenstown, you’ll be enabled to work the way that best suits you, in a high-trust, independent working environment.</p>

<p>Build things customers actually use: Work on highly visible experiences used by diners every day, with a clear connection between what you build and the experience our customers have.</p>

<p>Make an impact quickly: Join a team that values pace, pragmatism and getting great work into customers’ hands rather than getting caught up in unnecessary process.</p>

<p>Interesting product challenges: Work across a high-volume, two-sided marketplace with challenges spanning discovery, bookings, customer behaviour, conversion and retention.</p>

<p>Work with an experienced team: Partner closely with our Product, Design and Engineering teams while having the space to contribute ideas, take ownership and make things happen.</p>

<p>Grow across web and mobile: Build on your existing front-end strengths with the opportunity to contribute across both our web and mobile products.</p>

<p>AI-enabled ways of working: Be part of a team actively exploring how AI can help us build, test and learn faster, while keeping strong engineering judgement at the centre of what we ship.</p>

<p>Shape the future: Have a genuine influence on the experiences First Table creates as we continue to grow across multiple international markets.</p>

<p>Beloved consumer brand: Contribute to a product that diners and restaurants already love, making a visible difference across NZ, AU, and the UK.</p>

<p>Perks: Free First Table bookings, regular team recognition and social events, and the chance to work with a purpose-led, award-winning brand.</p>

<p><br></p>

<p>What’s next?</p>

<p>For more insights into our culture, the role and what we are looking for, we encourage you to check out our candidate page. <a href="https://app.birdeey.com/first-table/front-end-engineer" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://app.birdeey.com/first-table/front-end-engineer</a></p>

<p>Submit your application with your CV and a brief cover letter telling us why First Table and this opportunity appeal to you.</p>

<p>We’d particularly love to hear about a customer-facing feature or product you’ve personally helped take from an idea or design through to something customers could use.</p>

<p>We’ll be reviewing and progressing applications as they come in, so don’t wait to apply.</p>