Tech Lead React.js / Next.js — Join the Rebellion 🚀
Sydney | 5 days in the office | Big Wave Digital
A long time ago… in a tech scale-up not so far away…
A product is evolving. Fast.
Not just scaling. Transforming.
AI is being embedded into how users interact, how decisions are made, and how the experience adapts in real time.
And the frontend? That’s where it all comes to life.
The Mission
This is where you step in.
You will lead the customer experience layer. The systems users interact with every single day.
- The portal
- The journeys
- The interactions that determine whether users stay, engage, and come back
This is a high-visibility, high-impact remit. What you build is what customers experience daily.
The AI Angle
This is not AI bolted on at the edges.
This is:
- AI influencing user journeys
- AI shaping interactions and decisions
- AI becoming part of the frontend experience itself
If you have been thinking about how AI changes interfaces, what intelligent UX actually looks like, and how to make AI feel seamless rather than gimmicky — you will have real space to explore that here.
Your Role in the Rebellion
You lead with frontend craft, but you are not limited to it.
You will:
- Set the standard in React.js and Next.js across the squad
- Build fast, responsive, accessible experiences that hold up in real-world conditions
- Work closely with Product and UX to ensure what ships matches intent
- Bring AI-driven features to life in the frontend experience
- Cross into backend when needed — APIs, data shaping, getting things done
- Improve performance, accessibility, and experience quality as a baseline
- Identify and fix the subtle issues: latency, layout shift, rendering performance
- Raise the bar across the team through mentorship and code reviews
“Use the Force, Luke.” Your instincts. Your experience. Your ability to see what others miss.
“Stay on target.” Performance, quality, and experience are non-negotiable.
“That’s no moon… it’s a space station.” This is bigger than a typical Tech Lead role.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” If that is your current role, it might be time.
“Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.” This team needs someone who can truly lead from the front.
“The Force will be with you. Always.” You will be surrounded by strong engineers and a team that values craft.
What You Will Own
- The frontend quality bar across core customer-facing systems
- The way AI integrates into real user experiences
- Performance, accessibility, and responsiveness at scale
- Translating product and UX thinking into experiences that actually feel right
- Core Web Vitals as a baseline expectation, not an afterthought
- Contributing across the stack when needed
- Uplifting engineering standards across the squad
The Kind of Tech Lead This Suits
You:
- Are exceptional in React.js and Next.js
- Care deeply about performance, UX, and frontend craft
- Understand accessibility properly — WCAG, semantic HTML
- Can move across frontend and backend when needed
- Work with designers as partners, not handoffs
- Are increasingly curious about how AI changes product experiences
You do not just build features. You shape how products feel and behave.
The Environment
This is a tech scale-up. Fast. Collaborative. High standards.
Sydney | 5 days in the office.
You will be in the room where decisions happen.
Why Join the Rebellion
- Own high-impact customer-facing systems
- Help define how AI becomes part of the product experience
- Work with strong engineers who care about quality
- Be trusted to lead, influence, and shape direction
This is where frontend leadership meets AI evolution.
About Big Wave Digital 🌊
This role is exclusively represented by Big Wave Digital.
We have spent over two decades placing top tech talent into some of Sydney’s most exciting businesses. Frontend. Mobile. AI. Engineering leadership.
We do not just fill roles. We build teams.
And if you are hiring… your business could be next.
📩 Reach out directly: keiran@bigwavedigital.com.au
Join the rebellion. Stay on target. Build something that matters.