Frontend Software Engineer

As a Frontend Software Engineer at KAYAK, you will be responsible for developing user interfaces that cater to millions of travelers. Your main duties include taking full ownership of the UI from testing to troubleshooting, making architectural decisions, prototyping features, and collaborating with other teams to ensure our product stays cutting-edge in the travel industry.

To apply for the Frontend Software Engineer role at KAYAK, applicants should typically hold at least a Bachelor's degree in a technical field and have 3+ years of experience in web application development. Proficiency in React, Typescript, CSS, and HTML is crucial, along with the ability to write unit and integration tests. Additional experience in technologies like React Query or CSS preprocessors can make your application stand out.

At KAYAK, a Frontend Software Engineer will enjoy a collaborative and innovative work environment. With a focus on teamwork, diversity, and inclusion, employees are encouraged to experiment with new ideas and contribute to exciting projects. Flexible work options and a variety of employee benefits enhance the overall work culture, making it a fantastic place to grow your career.

KAYAK offers a wealth of benefits for Frontend Software Engineers, including flexible work-from-home options, generous health insurance, additional time off for birthdays, company-wide vacation weeks, free lunch and snacks, wellness activities like yoga, and paid time for volunteering. Additionally, you'll have access to professional development funds to support your career growth.

KAYAK is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion within the workplace. The company values different backgrounds and perspectives, believing they are key to innovation. KAYAK strives to create an open environment where everyone can be their authentic selves, ensuring that reasonable accommodations are available for individuals with disabilities throughout the job application and interview process.

When answering this question, be sure to highlight your specific role, the technologies you utilized, and the impact that your work had on the project. Discuss challenges faced and how you overcame them, focusing on collaboration with others and how you ensured the quality of your code.

In your response, outline various strategies you use to optimize performance, such as employing lazy loading for components, analyzing performance with tools like Lighthouse, and minimizing HTTP requests. Discuss your approach to balancing user experience with loading times.

Be specific about the testing frameworks you have experience with, such as Jest or Cypress. Highlight how you use them to ensure code quality and catch bugs early. Discuss any challenges you encountered while testing and how you improved your testing process.

When discussing collaboration, emphasize the importance of clear communication, code reviews, and pair programming. Explain how tools like Git and JIRA facilitate your team's collaboration and how you ensure everyone’s voice is heard during decision-making.

Describe a specific instance where you identified a complex bug, the steps you took to troubleshoot it, and the ultimate solution. Focus on your problem-solving skills and the resources or methods you used to resolve the issue efficiently.

Discuss how you actively engage with the developer community by attending conferences, participating in online forums, or following influential developers and publications. Mention specific resources, courses, or podcasts that you rely on to stay updated.

Explain the importance of code reviews in your development process and how you approach them. Discuss your own experience reviewing others' code, the feedback you provide, and how you handle receiving feedback on your own work.

Outline your strategies for addressing technical debt, such as identifying legacy code during reviews, prioritizing refactoring sessions, or implementing coding standards. Discuss how to involve the entire team in maintaining code quality over time.

Highlight the importance of open dialogue and respectful discussions. Explain how you would first listen to their perspective before presenting your own, aiming for a collaborative solution and being open to compromise if necessary.

Discuss your project management style, whether it's using agile methodologies or tools like Trello or Asana. Share how you prioritize tasks, maintain deadlines, and communicate progress with your team to ensure transparency.