Founding Frontend Engineer

Role OverviewNAVI is end-to-end production planning, from sales order to shop floor. We connect to a factory’s ERP, learn how it actually runs, and pair AI agents with mathematical optimization to plan the materials and schedule the floor in between. We started on the factory floor, solving problems we hit ourselves. This role is for graduating seniors who care about interfaces the way most engineers care about infrastructure. Our planners make high-stakes calls inside our UI every day. Confusing output does not just annoy, it hits a production floor. You work part-time through your final year and convert directly to a full-time Software Engineer offer in May at $80,000 to $120,000 base plus competitive equity. No re-interview, no separate return-offer process: the part-time work is the evaluation.We are a small team, in person in NYC, on hard problems, starting early. That is not for everyone and we respect it. Before you apply, be honest with yourself about whether you want to work this way. It is easy to be excited in an interview and burned out by month two. The trade is real: ownership from day one, and room to grow as the company does.First round is a technical interview. You write a small, smart Python script, no AI assistance. If that is not something you can do on your own, we would rather not spend the time, yours or ours.What You'll DoOwn the frontend end to end, from the data model to the pixels a planner stares at all day.Build dense, fast interfaces for real scheduling data: capacity and due-date views, scenario trees, constraint views that make tradeoffs legible.Sweat the details that prevent mistakes, not just display data: latency, clarity under pressure, and a sane state for every edge case and every pile of messy ERP data.Ship real production code from week one, not a side project parked in a corner.Have a real say in what we build and how it feels, working directly with the team.What We're Looking ForGraduating May 2027, available full-time immediately after.Genuine craft for UI and UX. You notice bad interfaces and cannot leave them alone.Strong JavaScript and TypeScript fundamentals, and real opinions about how frontend should be built.Creative and proactive. You find the problem worth solving instead of waiting to be handed one.Low ego. Strong opinions, held loosely, dropped the moment the evidence disagrees.Judgment about AI: you know when to let a model do the work, when to do it yourself, and how to tell the difference. (That is exactly why the interview is hands-on and AI-free.)Comfortable with ambiguity and messy, real-world factory data.Nice to HaveData visualization chops: canvas, SVG, D3, or WebGL.A portfolio or design background that shows taste, not just tutorials.Manufacturing, supply chain, ERP, or ops exposure.What We Offer$1,500 to $2,500 per month depending on hours committed.Direct continuation to a full-time offer in May: $70,000 to $100,000 base plus competitive equity.Stack: React, TypeScript, Next.js, Tailwind.We cannot sponsor or transfer work visas for this role. You must be authorized to work in the U.S. now and in the future without sponsorship.