Front-End Developer (React, Animation, Three.js)

Front-End Developer (React, Animation, Three.js) | Build the User Interface Behind the Future of Automated Drone Response, If you're a front-end developer who enjoys creating polished, interactive and visually rich interfaces, and you want your work to have a meaningful real-world impact, SkyBound is a place where you will feel at home.

SkyBound develops technology that supports public safety and emergency response. Our platform automates drones so they can reach incidents more quickly, provide real-time situational awareness and ultimately help protect lives.

As we expand our engineering team, we are bringing all front-end development fully in-house. You will be joining at a point where the team is growing, the structure is taking shape and the foundations for long-term technical direction are being set. This is an opportunity to influence the visual language, interaction patterns and front-end architecture of a product used in critical, time-sensitive environments.

You will work directly with our CTO, contribute to key technical and design decisions and help define how users experience the next generation of autonomous technology.

Why This Position Is Well-Suited to Front-End Developers

You will not be spending your time polishing minor UI tickets or maintaining legacy code. Instead, you will be responsible for designing and building the core interface for a completely new product. This work relies on real-time visualisation, smooth interaction design and clear, intuitive user flows, all of which are central to the experience we are creating.

You'll work with:

• React as the foundation of the UI
• Three.js / WebGL for 3D visualisation and spatial interfaces
• Animation libraries (Framer Motion, GSAP, React Spring)
• Real-time data rendering
• Multi-screen synchronisation
• Opportunities to explore VR/AR for future interface concepts
• A component library you'll help design, build, and scale

What You'll Be Doing

• Building immersive, responsive UIs using React, animation libraries, and Three.js
• Creating real-time visualisations for drone telemetry, mapping, and situational awareness
• Designing front-end architecture for a next-generation platform
• Working closely with UI/UX to bring complex interactions to life
• Shaping our internal component library (as an npm package)
• Influencing visual direction, animation principles, and front-end tooling
• Leading front-end feature development
• Optimising rendering performance across devices
• Writing clean, maintainable, well-structured code
• Participating in code reviews and raising the bar for UI quality
• Troubleshooting complex front-end issues
• Exploring emerging tech (WebGL, XR, spatial interfaces) and bringing new ideas to the team

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys ownership, creativity, and building interfaces that feel as good as they look.

Do you have experience in UI?, * 5+ years of front-end experience

• Strong JavaScript fundamentals
• Deep experience with React
• Experience with animation libraries (Framer Motion, GSAP, React Spring, etc.)
• Experience with Three.js or other WebGL frameworks
• Strong understanding of UI performance and rendering optimisation
• Familiarity with REST APIs
• Git proficiency
• Experience with build tools (Webpack, Vite, Babel, etc.)
• Excellent problem-solving and communication skills

Nice to Have:

• TypeScript
• Real-time data visualisation experience
• GraphQL
• Cloud experience (AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Docker
• CI/CD pipelines
• Exposure to drones, robotics, or IoT
• Experience with VR/AR or spatial interfaces

• Competitive salary + benefits
• The chance to work on genuinely innovative drone technology
• Ownership of features end-to-end
• A modern front-end stack with room to explore 3D, animation, VR/AR, and IoT
• A small, ambitious team where your work has immediate impact
• Remote-first culture with occasional Southampton meetups
• A collaborative, supportive environment
• Real opportunities for growth and creative leadership

We welcome your application and look forward to discussing the role with you.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: £45,000.00-£75,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Flexitime
• On-site parking
• Work from home