Lead Front End Developer

Role: Lead Front End Developer Location: Des Moines Iowa - Candidate can work Remotely from State of Iowa Note: The Position needs the candidate to be a Resident of State of Iowa. The client requires a dedicated Front-End Tech Lead to support and lead the development of Staff MIUI screens within IWD. This is a senior, lead-level role with responsibility for technical direction, engineering standards, accessibility compliance, and CI/CD improvement. The position combines expert-level front-end engineering with formal accessibility certification, and provides both hands-on development and team leadership. Key Responsibilities - Serve as technical lead for the front-end codebase (Angular, SASS, HTML), setting architecture, direction, and coding standards. - Develop, review, and maintain high-quality front-end code for Staff MIUI screens. - Implement and enforce the U.S. Web Design System and State Design System across the project. - Own accessibility strategy and ensure compliance with WCAG 2.2 AA, Section 508, Title I, and Title II requirements. - Perform accessibility validation using automated testing tools, screen readers (JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver), and manual keyboard/tabbing navigation. - Lead code reviews, design reviews, and mentor front-end developers. - Improve and maintain front-end CI/CD processes and pipelines. - Identify architectural gaps and define the front-end technical roadmap. - Collaborate with Java backend teams to integrate APIs and services (no Java development required). - Produce technical documentation, decision records, and process documentation. - Apply secure development practices aligned with government security and sensitive data handling requirements. Required Qualifications - Proven experience as a Front-End Tech Lead or senior-level front-end engineer. - Expert knowledge of Angular, SASS, HTML. - Experience implementing a design system; USWDS experience strongly preferred. - Formal accessibility certification (CPACC, WAS, or equivalent). - Hands-on accessibility testing experience using automated tools, screen readers, and manual navigation. - Strong understanding of CI/CD and front-end deployment workflows. - Ability to work effectively with Java backend teams. - Demonstrated leadership skills, mentoring ability, and experience driving engineering best practices. - Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including documentation. - Understanding of government security and sensitive data handling requirements. Preferred Qualifications - Experience with Section 508 and Title I/Title II accessibility compliance. - Prior work in government or public-sector environments. - Experience defining engineering standards and leading process improvements. - Familiarity with enterprise-scale front-end architectures and component libraries. - Experience writing technical documentation, runbooks, or engineering process guides.