Front-end Engineer chez Mellon Foundation

Mellon Foundation

Front-End Engineer

The Mellon Foundation (“Foundation”) is a not-for-profit, grant making organization that believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and we believe that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom to be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. The Foundation makes grants in four core program areas - Higher Learning, Arts and Culture, Public Knowledge, and Humanities in Place - and through its signature Presidential Initiatives. The Foundation seeks a Front-end Engineer for our IT team. 

Position Summary:

The Foundation seeks a front-end engineer who will work closely as part of a multidisciplinary team to imagine and implement digital projects that bring our mission to life in new ways and drive the continued digital evolution of the Foundation. 

Reporting to the Director, Enterprise Architecture and Engineering, the front-end engineer is a core member of the digital team. The engineer collaborates with colleagues across IT, as well as with visual designers, content strategists, digital producers, and other Foundation stakeholders to conceive, develop, and execute top-flight digital and design projects.

The position requires deep appreciation for design and development of content-rich digital products combined with tactical knowledge, including accessibility and privacy considerations for public websites. The successful candidate is a creative thinker, expert in user interface with a strong portfolio of work across web and mobile that demonstrates responsive design that is also pixel perfect.

Position Description:

Responsibilities may include, but will not be limited to the following:

• In collaboration with colleagues in Communications, develop and deliver content-rich user experiences that extend Mellon’s storytelling into the digital medium in compelling, creative, and beautiful ways:
  1. Develop pages and applications for mellon.org and other internal and external Mellon properties
  2. Develop digital experiences that support Mellon’s storytelling (like interactive content and graphics)
  3. Create email marketing templates and special-use pages as required by the Foundation’s engagement strategy.
• Produce high-quality, scalable, and reusable code following best practices and Mellon’s internal standards.
• Work in close collaboration with creative teams to translate content and brand strategy into innovative interactive experiences.
• Contribute digital thought leadership to the content strategy and tactical discussion of user experience advancements. 
• Gather and refine specifications and requirements based on technical requirements or UX/UI design. 
• Debug errors, troubleshoot issues, and perform routine performance optimizations.
• Ensure on-site search engine optimization (SEO) of code and metadata.
• Ensure cross-browser and cross-device consistency through responsive design practices and comprehensive QA.
• Work with back-end engineers to integrate UI components with APIs and databases.
• Remain current in, and provide counsel regarding, emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience) in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related discipline with a focus on UI/UX.
• 6+ years of experience developing, testing, deploying, and maintaining websites and digital products in fast-paced or mission-driven environments.
• Deep appreciation for design-led products and storytelling through interactive web experiences.
• Proven ability to deliver pixel-perfect implementations that faithfully reflect high-fidelity design mockups.
• Demonstrated expertise in responsive design, adaptive layouts, and cross-browser compatibility.
• Strong understanding of accessibility standards, including WCAG, WAI-ARIA, and screen reader compatibility.
• Experience with:
  1. Design systems and reusable component libraries.
  2. Storybook for documentation and testing of UI components.
  3. Design tools like Figma, Photoshop, and Illustrator.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with an emphasis on cross-functional collaboration.
• ·       Expert in React and Next.js, with deep knowledge of:
  1. App Router, SSR/SSG strategies, and middleware architecture.
  2. Performance optimization techniques for Netlify, including edge functions and platform-specific tuning.
• Strong proficiency in:
  1. TypeScript, semantic HTML5, CSS/SASS modules, and the DOM.
  2. Modern CSS methodologies, responsive frameworks, and modular styling best practices.
• 3+ years integrating content from headless CMS platforms, Contentful experience a plus.
• Strong command of Git, GitHub, CI/CD pipelines, and version-control best practices.
• Skilled in debugging, troubleshooting, and performance profiling throughout the stack.
• Familiar with performance metrics and optimization tools like Core Web Vitals, Lighthouse, WebPageTest, and Chrome DevTools.
• Familiar with observability and analytics tools, and performance benchmarking techniques.
• High attention to detail with a focus on writing clean, maintainable, and scalable code.
• Experienced in agile development workflows, sprint planning, and code reviews.
• Experience working in a not-for-profit environment a plus.

The Mellon Foundation is committed to building an inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect. Employment opportunities are based on individual qualifications, merit, and organizational need, without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We welcome applications from qualified individuals of all backgrounds.

Mellon is committed to access and inclusion for our applicants. If you have accessibility requests to support your participation in the hiring process, please let us know at your earliest convenience. 

Mellon offers a generous total reward package that includes base salary and a comprehensive benefits program, as well as an excellent working environment. Mellon is committed to providing compensation that is competitive and equitable within the philanthropic sector. The estimated annual salary range for this role is $165,000 - $175,000. The amount of pay offered will be determined by several factors, including but not limited to qualifications, unique skills, credentials, or experience that is expected to impact the candidate’s contribution to the role. We will also consider market data as well as the Foundation’s internal pay equity framework. 

Please note that Mellon maintains a hybrid work schedule, with three days per week in person at the Foundation’s Manhattan offices.

Candidates should apply by submitting a cover letter describing fit for the position and a resume by October 27, 2025. Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.

The Foundation will consider each complete application carefully but only contact those individuals it believes are most qualified for the position.