Frontend Developer

Since Clearleft was founded in 2005 we’ve been committed to building websites the right way. In the early days we were behind the adoption of Web Standards through books like CSS Mastery and DOM Scripting. More recently we’ve been championing responsive design and a more modular (and holistic) approach to front end development using pattern portfolios and styleguides.

This September we will be moving into a bigger studio near Brighton seafront and expanding our development capabilities, so we’re looking for two new client-side engineers to join our small but prestigious team.

This is a fantastic opportunity for anybody committed to improving web development practices and sharing their knowledge and experience with the wider tech community.

At its core you’ll need a deep practical understanding of the HTML and CSS specifications and the various ways they are interpreted by modern (and not so modern) browsers and devices. Because we work on some pretty complex projects – there are no brochureware sites here – you’ll be expected to write elegant, maintainable and extensible code. Code that is accessible, optimised for performance and meets the highest possible quality standards.

We really value people who take the initiative to experiment with new technologies and ways of working. We’re not burdened with a specific process or technology stack, and we expect everyone who works for us to keep an open mind to new approaches. We view development as a creative pursuit so you’ll be involved in as much of the design process as possible, from the initial client meeting to the final handover. So you may find yourself running a URL design workshop, prototyping a web app or working alongside a UI designer and designing in the browser.

All of our projects are built responsive by default, so you’ll need a thorough understanding of the responsive design workflow. This includes working closely with designers, programmers and UX people as part of a cross-functional team. No two projects are alike, and we make decisions about which way of working is most appropriate based on the unique constraints of each project, so you’ll need to be comfortable working in a very agile environment and making decisions about how best to tackle a given project or challenge.

You’ll be a dab hand at DOM scripting and really care about unobtrusive JavaScript and accessible ajax. As well as knowing how to write code using frameworks such as jQuery, you’ll need to have mastered no-framework Javascript. You will have an appreciation of databases and server-side development, although you probably won’t be expected to do any back-end development yourself (apart from maybe a bit of prototyping). Some knowledge of using the command line, and version control systems such as Git would be beneficial.

As an individual you’ll need to be passionate about the web and keen to share your knowledge with others. You are able to explain problems and ideas succinctly and are capable of justifying your opinions and estimating your time. You’ll be fun and personable to work with and play well with others.

We believe that a positive, creative culture is at the heart of our success, so we have put a lot of effort into creating an ideal workspace. We organise regular events such as movie nights, team training days (like sketching and letterpress printing) and company days out (like photography classes and trips to the Design Museum). Our new studio will reflect these principles with a flexible working environment, co-working and community event space, rooftop garden (with company vegetable patch) and the obligatory climbing wall. More importantly, on top of a workplace pension and annual bonus, we offer each member of the team a £1,000 no questions asked training budget – so if you’ve always wanted to go to An Event Apart or SxSW, now you can.

If this role sounds like your cup of tea, why don’t you drop us a copy of your CV, along with a cover letter and some examples of your work and we’ll be in touch soon.

Head of New Business and Customer Relationships

Clearleft is an internationally renowned digital design agency based in the heart of Brighton.

We’ve been fortunate to work with some amazing clients over the years, including Channel 4, WWF and eBay. As demand for our services continues to grow, we’re finding ourselves becoming overwhelmed by all the new business opportunities presented to us, and so we decided to create this exciting new role within the company.

We’re currently looking for a smart, knowledgable and charismatic individual with a strong background in the digital sector to join our team. You’ll be working alongside our MD and senior practitioners to follow up business leads, respond to RFPs, craft proposals and lead pitches. As such you’ll have exceptional written skills and be comfortable presenting your ideas to a wide range of stakeholders. You’ll also be responsible for maintaining relationships with existing clients and nurturing new ones, so the ability to build rapport is essential.

We are not looking for a professional salesperson. Instead we’re looking for somebody who loves and understands the digital landscape and wants to use their deep design and technology knowledge to help clients make the best decisions possible, whether that involves working with Clearleft or not. This means pre-qualification and client-agency fit are a big deal for us.

As one of the leading user experience design agencies in the country we’ll expect you to have a solid understanding of user-centred design and modern front-end development practices. You’ll be up on all the current industry trends and be able to talk eloquently about the pros and cons of responsive design, the benefits of agile development and the merits of the Lean start-up movement. Our ideal candidate would be deeply embedded in the UK digital scene and know many of the key players.

We think this role would be perfect for a mid-level practitioner (possibly with experience running their own small consultancy) looking to focus on the business side of the industry. It would also be perfect for a senior product manager, project manager, or account handler looking to use their domain knowledge in a more strategic way. As this is a new role we’re open to a wide range of candidates.

This is a salaried position, offering up to £40-50k depending on experience. We won’t be offering commission, but like all our staff you’ll benefit from a yearly bonus based on the performance of the whole company, as well as flexible working hours, an employee matched pension scheme and a £1,000 conference and training budget to spend as you see fit.