Frontend Engineer - Design Systems

📋 Description

• • Join Perplexity, a pioneering company at the forefront of revolutionizing online search and user interaction through cutting-edge AI products. We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Frontend Engineer with a strong focus on Design Systems to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our AI-powered platform.
• • In this critical role, you will be instrumental in developing and enhancing the user interaction layer that underpins all of Perplexity's innovative features. This involves not only the creation of robust, reusable standard components but also the development of foundational, primitive pieces of generative UI, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in AI-driven interfaces.
• • You will work closely with our dedicated design systems team, collaborating to ensure a cohesive, high-quality user experience across the entire Perplexity ecosystem. Your contributions will directly impact the building blocks of our frontend, ensuring they are scalable, maintainable, and performant.
• • A core aspect of this position involves a deep dive into the components that form the very foundation of Perplexity's frontend architecture. You will be responsible for not just building these components but also actively improving them, ensuring they meet the highest standards of quality, efficiency, and developer experience.
• • We expect you to possess a forward-thinking mindset, constantly evaluating and identifying opportunities to elevate the interaction quality of our products. This includes a keen eye for the 'fit and finish' of UI elements, ensuring a polished and intuitive user experience, as well as a strategic approach to enhancing team velocity through well-crafted and easily adoptable design system elements.
• • Your work will involve leveraging and advancing our tech stack, which includes modern and powerful tools such as Tailwind CSS for efficient styling, React for dynamic user interfaces, and TypeScript for robust, type-safe code. A deep understanding of CSS at scale and its application within a component-based framework is essential.
• • You will be a key contributor to building foundations that empower other engineers and designers to build upon seamlessly. This requires a strong understanding of software architecture principles and the ability to anticipate future needs and scalability requirements.
• • The role demands experience with highly interactive React applications, where performance, responsiveness, and maintainability are paramount. Proficiency in working with strongly typed code is crucial for ensuring the reliability and robustness of our frontend applications.
• • A strong understanding of design principles and UI patterns as they apply to large-scale applications is a must. You should be able to translate complex design concepts into practical, implementable frontend solutions.
• • We are looking for individuals who are passionate about prototyping, experimentation, and the creation of accessible user experiences. This means a commitment to inclusive design practices and a proactive approach to ensuring our products are usable by everyone.
• • An extreme ownership mindset is highly valued. We want engineers who take pride in their work, meticulously attend to the small details, and are driven to see features through from conception to successful deployment.
• • With approximately 4 years of industry experience, you will bring a wealth of knowledge and practical application to the team. You will be expected to think critically and make sound decisions, qualities that are directly transferable and essential for influencing our AI development.
• • As AI is central to Perplexity's mission, a fundamental understanding and expectation of using AI effectively in your work is integrated into every role. During the interview process, we aim to understand your thought process and decision-making capabilities, which are crucial for our AI development. To ensure an authentic assessment of your skills and approach, please refrain from using AI tools during the interview process unless explicitly permitted.
• • This is an opportunity to work on a product that is fundamentally changing how people access and process information, making a tangible impact on a global scale. You will be part of a dynamic and collaborative team that is passionate about innovation and excellence.