Senior Front-End Developer (Contract) - Next.js & Headless Craft CMS Expert

Metajive is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Front-End Developer with deep expertise in Craft CMS, modern JavaScript frameworks (Next.js, React), and a passion for creating exceptional user experiences. This role focuses on architecting client-facing applications, transforming complex designs and back-end data into fast, robust, and engaging interfaces.

Your primary focus will be on Next.js development and seamless integration with our headless Craft CMS.

This is a contractor/freelancer role for a 3-month project, with potential opportunities for future collaboration.

Responsibilities:

• Develop high-performance, responsive, and accessible user interfaces using Next.js and React.
• Architect and implement seamless data consumption from headless CMS APIs, emphasizing Craft CMS and GraphQL integration.
• Collaborate with back-end developers (managing the PHP/Craft CMS API) to define API contracts and ensure optimal front-end performance.
• Translate UI/UX designs and wireframes into high-quality code (HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript/TypeScript).
• Implement and maintain state management solutions for complex application logic.
• Optimize front-end assets and code for maximum speed and scalability, focusing on Core Web Vitals and Lighthouse scores.
• Contribute to setting up and maintaining front-end testing frameworks and CI/CD pipelines.
• Troubleshoot and resolve front-end issues, bugs, and performance bottlenecks across various browsers and devices.

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of professional experience in front-end development.
• Deep expertise in modern JavaScript (ES6+), HTML5, and CSS3/Sass/Tailwind.
• Expert-level proficiency with Next.js and the broader React ecosystem (including Hooks, Context API, or Redux/Zustand).
• Significant, hands-on experience integrating front-end applications with headless CMS platforms, specifically with Craft CMS.
• GraphQL experience is a must, including proficiency in consuming and querying complex schemas.
• Strong understanding of static site generation (SSG) and server-side rendering (SSR) principles in Next.js.
• Proficiency in version control systems (Git) and collaborative development workflows.
• Familiarity with consuming RESTful APIs.
• Strong problem-solving, analytical, and proactive communication skills.

Bonus Points:

• Experience with front-end testing frameworks (e.g., Jest, React Testing Library, Cypress).
• Familiarity with serverless functions (e.g., AWS Lambda, Vercel Functions).
• Experience with deployment to platforms like Vercel or Netlify.
• Working knowledge of modern authentication patterns (e.g., OAuth, JWT).
• A security-first mindset in development practices.

Equal Opportunity Employer: Metajive provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.