Senior Full-Stack Engineer (Frontend-Leaning)

Department: Engineering

Reports To: Senior Engineering Manager / Director of Engineering

Location: Hybrid: MA, NC, NY

Classification: Full-Time, Exempt

Estimated Compensation: $145-170k

Focus: Own Frontend (Admin + App), Support Backend When Needed

About Knox

Knox runs the largest Federal managed cloud, building and operating secure cloud and AI environments that support the U.S. government’s most critical missions — from national security and public safety to essential public services. Our customers rely on Knox to deploy production systems that meet the highest standards for security, reliability, and compliance.

Work at Knox is high-impact and purpose-driven. The problems we solve are high-stakes, the expectations are high, and the results are visible. Speed, rigor, and trust matter here - because the environments we secure cannot fail. Your contributions are visible, your expertise is relied upon, and the impact of your work is immediate and measurable. We operate at federal scale, securing some of the most sensitive government environments in the country - because the systems we build must perform without fail.

The Role

You'll own KnoxAI's entire frontend experience across two Nuxt 3 applications: the Admin interface (for Knox employees managing customer assessments) and the App interface (for customers and federal agencies reviewing findings and compliance posture). Your work will transform complex compliance data into intuitive, actionable interfaces that guide users through the FedRAMP authorization process.

This role is perfect for a frontend specialist who wants full ownership of the user experience while occasionally diving into backend work to unblock features or improve API design. You'll work closely with the backend engineer and engineering manager to deliver a cohesive, polished product.

Responsibilities

Frontend Ownership

• Admin Application: Build and maintain administrative workflows for Knox employees:

• Customer/boundary management, team administration, user roles/permissions

• Agent configuration (AI models, knowledge bases, MCP tools)

• Compliance job orchestration, KSI evaluation dashboards

• Repository analysis results, findings management, POA&M tracking

• Settings, notifications, file management

• App Application: Build and maintain customer-facing interfaces:

• Compliance calendar (monthly reviews, CAB meetings, annual exercises)

• Real-time findings, resources, POA&Ms with search/filter/export

• Risk posture dashboards, KSI status visualizations

• Chat interface for AI-assisted compliance questions

• Demo mode (styled components matching _fe design system)

• Component Library: Build reusable shadcn-based components following design system patterns from _fe project (Next.js/React reference implementation)

• State Management: Architect Pinia stores for complex state (users, teams, findings, compliance data, chat threads)

• Forms & Validation: Implement VeeValidate + Zod schemas for all data entry with clear error messaging

• Data Tables: Build TanStack Table implementations with filtering, sorting, pagination, bulk actions, and Excel export

API Integration & Backend Support

• TypeScript Client Generation: Maintain OpenAPI-to-TypeScript pipeline using @hey-api/openapi-ts; provide feedback to backend on API usability

• Backend Collaboration: Propose API changes to improve frontend performance (e.g., aggregated endpoints, GraphQL consideration)

• NestJS Contributions (20-30%): Implement simple CRUD endpoints, add DTOs, extend controllers when unblocking frontend features

• Authentication Flows: Maintain AWS ALB + Cognito integration, Okta SAML flows, JWT parsing and user context management

UX & Performance

• Responsive Design: Ensure all interfaces work seamlessly on desktop, tablet, and mobile

• Performance Optimization: Lazy loading, code splitting, image optimization, debouncing, virtual scrolling for large lists

• Accessibility: Follow WCAG 2.1 AA standards (keyboard navigation, ARIA labels, color contrast)

• Error Handling: Graceful error states, retry mechanisms, offline indicators, loading skeletons

• Real-Time Updates: WebSocket integration for live compliance job progress and chat streaming

Testing & Documentation

• Component Testing: Vitest tests for all critical components, composables, and stores (>80% coverage)

• Integration Testing: Test user flows end-to-end with @nuxt/test-utils

• Visual Regression: Maintain screenshot tests for critical UI states

• Documentation: Write clear component usage docs, maintain Storybook (if adopted), document complex state flows

Required Qualifications

Frontend Expertise

• 5+ years frontend development with modern JavaScript frameworks (Vue 3, React, or Angular)

• Vue 3 Composition API + Nuxt 3 experience strongly preferred; must be comfortable with script setup, reactivity, and auto-imports

• TypeScript proficiency: Advanced types, generics, utility types, strict mode

• CSS mastery: Tailwind CSS, responsive design, Flexbox/Grid, animations, dark mode

• Component libraries: shadcn/ui, Radix UI, Headless UI, or similar design system implementations

• State management: Pinia, Vuex, Redux, Zustand—experience with complex state architectures

• Form libraries: VeeValidate, Formik, React Hook Form with schema validation (Zod, Yup)

Backend Familiarity

• Basic NestJS or Express knowledge: Comfortable adding controllers, DTOs, and simple CRUD logic

• REST API understanding: HTTP methods, status codes, request/response patterns, pagination strategies

• Database basics: SQL queries, Prisma schema comprehension, understanding of joins and indexes

• Authentication patterns: JWT, OAuth2, SAML flows, session management

Soft Skills & Mindset

• User empathy: Passionate about UX; understands how design decisions impact user workflows

• Ownership: Treats frontend as your domain—proactively identifies UI/UX issues and proposes solutions

• Collaborative: Works closely with backend engineer to influence API design; provides thoughtful code review feedback

• Pragmatic: Balances pixel-perfect design with "ship it" mentality; knows when good enough is better than perfect

Bonus/Preferred

• Design system experience: Built or maintained component libraries, design tokens, theme systems

• Compliance/GRC UI familiarity: Prior work in security, audit, or compliance software

• Data visualization: Experience with charting libraries (D3, Chart.js, Recharts, Unovis)

• Real-time features: WebSockets, Server-Sent Events, optimistic UI updates

• Bun runtime familiarity or enthusiasm for modern JavaScript tooling

• CI/CD: GitHub Actions, automated deployments, preview environments

• Figma/design collaboration: Ability to translate designs into code with high fidelity

If selected to move forward, you will be asked to provide:

• A short Loom video walking through a passion project, including what it does and a review of some of the code.

• Access to either a public or private repository so we can review your commits and overall code quality.

Ideally, the project should be built on (or close to) the stack outlined in the job descriptions.

Hiring Requirement: Due to the nature of our work with federal government clients and compliance with applicable regulations, this position requires U.S. citizenship. Dual citizenship is not permitted for this role. Candidates must be able to provide documentation verifying sole U.S. citizenship status as part of the background check process.

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of all required pre-employment screenings, including a background check, in accordance with applicable laws and government contract requirements.

Benefits & Perks

Knox offers a competitive employee benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life & Disability, unlimited PEO, and an employee funded 401k plan. Please note, benefits are subject to change.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.