Senior Software Engineer, Frontend

Vannevar

Location: United States
Job Type: full-time
Salary: $160,000 - $210,000
Posted: August 28, 2025

Job Description

Vannevar is a defense technology company building AI to deter our adversaries. In the 21st century, conflict moves at algorithmic speed and foresight equals firepower. Our agentic AI is purpose-built to compete with China—from cross-Strait conflict to gray zone coercion. Trained on the most mission-relevant datasets in defense, our technology models adversary behavior, simulates campaigns, and recommends the best course of action to decision makers. Our AI systems are some of the most trusted in the industry and actively used on the front lines of the Indo-Pacific to keep the peace and save lives.

Exceptional technology starts with exceptional people. Vannevar is a small agile team combining world-class engineers with veteran strategists who bring deep expertise in defense and tradecraft. We’re building a company defined by mission impact, user empathy, and disciplined growth. In just three years, we grew from $3M to $80M in ARR, achieved early profitability, and reached unicorn status—proving that disruption doesn’t require an ego, and staying power doesn’t mean standing still.

About the role

Vannevar is searching for an experienced frontend engineer to level up the design and implementation of multiple products within our software suite. You will build the applications our operators and partners use every day for mission critical work - from geospatial visualization and data analysis to novel use of agentic AI for operational planning and assessment, you will work side by side with designers, engineers, SMEs, and users in the field to turn ambiguous problems into fast, reliable, and useful UIs with real world impact.

In this role you will work in small cross-functional teams that embed with our customers across the globe in support of strategic competition efforts. You will serve as a technical expert on the team and influence frontend development across the broader organization.

What you’ll do

Design, build, and ship cutting edge defense tech applications and features using TypeScript, React, Tailwind, and Node.js
Partner with customers, mission owners, designers, and other engineers to understand user workflows and create the best possible solutions for their problems
Contribute improvements to core libraries and frontend tooling for the broader organization
Mentor and guide other engineers in the art of frontend development
Help define and shape the future of the product

What we look for

7+ years of professional experience in frontend software development
Expertise in TypeScript and React. You know how to write code and components that compose well and can be maintained by others in the future. You’re familiar with advanced topics like state management, performance optimization, approaches for integrating disparate applications into a single cohesive experience, etc.
Eye for design and attention to detail. You produce elegant, consumer-grade UIs that users can understand without specific training.
Customer obsession and keen product intuition. You think in workflows and end user experience, not just code.
Prior experience as a senior engineer or tech lead and demonstrated ability to mentor and guide more junior engineers.

Nice to have

Ability to work on backend APIs as needed to support frontend work. Familiarity with Node, Postgres, and OpenSearch is helpful.
Active Security clearance (or ability to obtain one) and willingness to travel onsite at least quarterly to perform user research and help debug issues.

What we offer

The salary range for this position is $160,000 - $210,000 + equity + 401K match. Within the range, individual pay is determined by experience, relevant education, and/or training.

We’re proud to offer competitive benefits that support our employees. Some key highlights of our benefits package include:

Health, dental, and vision insurance
100% remote first culture. You can work from anywhere in the US and all full time employees have WeWork access
Unlimited PTO including competitive vacation and holiday schedules
Lifestyle stipends - Monthly mental health, wellness & fitness stipend, in-home office setup stipend and family planning assistance
Salary top-up during military reserve duty
Fully paid parental leave
Child and pet care reimbursement during travel

Vannevar Labs is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status.

We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply, even if you don't feel like you're a perfect fit. If you're passionate about contributing to our mission, we'd love to hear from you!

IMPORTANT NOTICE
We are committed to protecting the privacy of all applicants. Official emails from the company will come from an @vannevarlabs.com domain. Under no circumstances will a legitimate representative from our company contact you to request passwords, financial information, or other sensitive personal data. Please be vigilant of potential scams.

🎯 Who is this job for?

Vannevar Labs, a fast-growing defense tech company building AI systems for mission-critical operations, is hiring a Senior Frontend Software Engineer (remote, US) to design and ship applications using TypeScript, React, Tailwind, and Node.js for workflows such as geospatial visualization, data analysis, and AI-driven planning; candidates should bring 7+ years’ frontend experience, deep expertise in React/TypeScript, strong UI/UX intuition, and prior leadership/mentorship background, with backend (Node, Postgres, OpenSearch) and security clearance as pluses; the role offers $160K–$210K salary + equity, 401K match, full health coverage, unlimited PTO, parental leave, lifestyle stipends, and a remote-first culture with WeWork access.

💬 Potential Interview Questions

What frontend technologies do you primarily work with?
I primarily work with TypeScript, React, and Tailwind to design and implement scalable, performant, and intuitive user interfaces.
How many years of experience do you have in frontend software development?
I have over 7 years of professional experience in frontend development, with a strong focus on building production-grade applications in React and TypeScript.
Can you describe your approach to creating user-friendly interfaces?
I combine technical precision with a strong eye for design, ensuring that my UIs are elegant, consumer-grade, and intuitive enough that users can operate them without training.
How do you approach performance optimization and state management in React?
I leverage advanced state management strategies, memoization, code-splitting, and other optimization techniques to ensure smooth performance and maintainable code in complex applications.
What is your experience collaborating with cross-functional teams and customers?
I work closely with designers, engineers, SMEs, and end users, embedding with customers when needed to deeply understand workflows and ensure that the final product directly addresses mission-critical problems.
Can you share an example of mentoring or leading other engineers?
I have served as a senior engineer and tech lead, mentoring junior developers through code reviews, pairing sessions, and architecture discussions, while also setting coding standards and frontend best practices.
Do you have experience contributing to core libraries or tooling?
Yes, I’ve contributed improvements to shared component libraries and frontend tooling, helping establish reusable patterns and accelerating development across teams.
Are you comfortable working across the stack when needed?
While my primary focus is frontend, I am comfortable working with backend APIs when required, and have experience with Node.js, Postgres, and related technologies to support frontend delivery.
Do you have experience with defense, security, or government-related projects?
I have worked on projects where security, compliance, and reliability were top priorities, and I am able to obtain clearance and travel onsite as needed to support mission-critical work.
Why do you want to work at Vannevar?
I’m inspired by Vannevar’s mission to build AI systems that deter adversaries and save lives. The opportunity to apply my frontend expertise to defense technology with real-world impact strongly aligns with my values and professional goals.

📋 Job Summary

Vannevar Labs is a defense technology company building agentic AI systems to strengthen U.S. and allied capabilities in strategic competition, with a focus on deterring adversaries like China. Their platforms leverage mission-relevant datasets to model adversary behavior, simulate campaigns, and recommend optimal courses of action, already supporting operators in the Indo-Pacific with real-world impact. Combining world-class engineers and veteran defense strategists, Vannevar has rapidly scaled from \$3M to \$80M ARR in just three years, reached profitability, and achieved unicorn status—all while staying mission-driven, user-focused, and disciplined in growth.