Software Engineer, Front-End Lead
Salient
Location
SF Headquarters
Employment Type
Full time
Location Type
On-site
Department
Engineering
Compensation
- $200K – $265K • Offers Equity
Salient is one of the fastest-growing AI startups in consumer finance. In less than two years, we’ve achieved product-market fit, scaled to 8-figure ARR, and emerged as one of the undisputed leaders in financial voice AI.
A few fast facts:
Backed by YC and raised the largest Series A for a B2B startup from a16z
Reached product-market fit in <2 years and scaled to 8-digit ARR
25-person team building a speech AI agent that handles millions of real customer calls per day, and fully deployed in production across major financial institutions (not just PoCs)
We’re on a mission to pass the Turing test for conversational speech in a telephony setting
In-person office culture in San Francisco, CA
About the Role
We’re hiring a Front-End Lead Engineer to own and scale the architecture behind the interfaces our customers rely on every day. You’ll lead front-end development, guide technical decisions, and build elegant, performant experiences that simplify complex operations.
This is a hands-on role that combines deep technical execution with leadership across design, product, and engineering.
What You’ll Do
Lead front-end architecture and development for major product areas
Design and implement high-quality, responsive interfaces using React + TypeScript
Define technical direction and best practices for front-end performance, testing, and accessibility
Partner with our engineering team and customers to turn complex workflows into intuitive user experiences
Build and evolve a shared component library and design system
Mentor other engineers through code reviews, technical design, and hands-on collaboration
Work closely with backend leads to shape API contracts and integration standards
Contribute to engineering culture, process, and hiring as we scale the team
What You’ll Bring
7+ years of professional experience building production-grade web applications
Deep expertise in React, TypeScript, and modern front-end tooling
Strong understanding of performance optimization, scalability, and maintainable architecture
Experience leading technical initiatives and mentoring other engineers
Familiarity with data visualization libraries (Chart.js, D3, etc.)
Customer-obsessed mindset - you actively engage with users, understand their workflows, and translate their pain points into product improvements
Strong sense of ownership and bias for action - you move quickly, make pragmatic trade-offs, and care deeply about delivering value to real customers
Thrives in an environment where product feedback comes directly from production users and enterprise partners
Excellent communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally
Located in (or willing to relocate to) San Francisco, CA
As an early-stage company building at the frontier of AI, we work with high intensity and commitment. While schedules can vary by role/team, many weeks will demand extra focus, flexibility and time particularly during major launches and high impact sprints. We're seeking those who are aligned to and able to commit to that expectation which includes 4 days per week in our San Francisco Office.
Compensation Range: $200K - $265K