Front-end - UI/Accessibility Engineer

UI/Accessibility Expert - Front-End Tech Lead (814297)

Des Moines, IA

Contract – Remote 

The client has asked that only local candidates be submitted to this position. 

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.