Junior Fullstack Engineer (React+Node.js)

We are looking for part-time (with up to 100% potential availability) contractors with a technology stack that might be considered for any projects in Softjourn that are looking for Junior Full-Stack Developers for temporary (or permanent) assignments.

There is no specific project to which we've related this search. Still, we may suggest some typical projects and opportunities as examples where the entrant might be involved. A Junior engineer will work in a team with Middle/Senior engineers, receive mentoring and code review feedback, and grow towards a Middle level.

Typical projects have the following traits:

• It has a RESTful Application Programming Interface system under maintenance, a Web application for customers, a Website for guests, Dashboard, and interactive front-end interfaces.
• It's using PostgreSQL, MongoDB or MySQL RDS as DBs.
• Project hosted on AWS.

Project technologies:

• back-end: Node.js, Express.js/NestJS, PostgreSQL, Redis, MongoDB
• front-end: React, React Router, Redux/Context API, TypeScript, CSS-in-JS solutions.
• tools: npm, Vite/Webpack, ESLint, Jest, React Testing Library, Git.

The ideal candidate is eager to learn, comfortable working on both client and server sides of applications at a basic level, and has a solid understanding of core JavaScript principles. Familiarity with AI-assisted development tools (e.g. GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude) would be advantageous.

Requirements:

• Commercial, freelance or pet-project experience with Node.js and Express.js (1+ year), understanding of the event loop, callbacks/Promises/async-await and basic error handling;
• Basic knowledge of NestJS (modules, controllers, services, DTO/validation) is a plus;
• Basic knowledge of relational databases (PostgreSQL or MySQL): writing SQL queries (SELECT, JOIN, GROUP BY), understanding of simple schema design, primary/foreign keys and indexes;
• Familiarity with the Redis caching concept;
• Ability to use Postman and read OpenAPI/Swagger documentation;
• Hands-on experience with any modern UI framework (1+ year);
• Basic understanding of state management (Context API, Redux is a plus);
• Good command of HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript (Flexbox, Grid, responsive layout), experience with Tailwind or another CSS framework / CSS-in-JS;
• Ability to turn a Figma design into a working UI;
• Experience with npm and a modern bundler/dev server (Vite or Webpack) at the user level;
• Good knowledge of JavaScript (ES6+): closures, scope, this, prototypes, array methods, destructuring, modules, async programming;
• Basic TypeScript: types vs interfaces, basic generics, union types, unknown vs any, ability to type props, API responses and simple functions;
• Experience building a small full-stack application (pet, educational or commercial) with any modern framework and a Node.js back-end will be a plus;
• Theoretical and basic practical knowledge of Web APIs: REST principles (HTTP methods, status codes, headers, statelessness) and GraphQL;
• Ability to implement simple CRUD endpoints and consume REST APIs from the front-end (fetch/axios), including loading and error states;
• Basic understanding of authentication (JWT, sessions) and third-party API integration;
• Basic knowledge of OOP and SOLID principles, clean code practices and naming conventions;
• Experience working with Git (branches, pull requests, merge conflicts) and following team coding standards (ESLint, Prettier);
• Basic experience writing unit tests (Vitest, Jest, React Testing Library) is a plus;
• Readiness to receive and apply code review feedback;
• Upper-Intermediate English level (B2) sufficient to read technical documentation, write clear messages and participate in daily team communication;
• Proactivity and eagerness to learn: ability to research a problem independently (docs, Stack Overflow, AI tools), ask questions in time and learn from feedback;
• Responsibility, attention to detail and ability to work in a team;
• Responsible use of AI assistants (GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude) for coding and learning: ability to understand, verify and explain the generated code;

Nice to have:

• Experience with AI-powered features using APIs (OpenAI, Claude) and AI-assisted workflows (Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code) beyond basic usage;
• Basic understanding of Docker and general awareness of cloud services (AWS/Azure/GCP);
• Awareness of CI/CD concepts (e.g. GitHub Actions);
• Basic knowledge of other web stacks: PHP/Laravel, Vue.js (theoretical knowledge is enough);
• Solid knowledge of GraphQL;
• Experience working with legacy code (reading, debugging, fixing bugs and making small changes in an unfamiliar codebase);
• Awareness of PWA basics and browser DevTools;
• Relevant education (IT-related degree, courses, bootcamp) or certificates, internship/trainee experience, open-source contributions or a public GitHub portfolio with pet projects;
• Awareness of basic web security (XSS, CSRF, SQL injection, OWASP Top 10);

Responsibilities:

• Develop UI features and components under the guidance of senior team members;
• Develop and maintain simple RESTful API endpoints using Node.js and NestJS/Express;
• Work with data models and queries in PostgreSQL or MySQL RDS;
• Fix bugs and implement small and medium-sized features in the existing and legacy codebase;
• Follow code quality standards, write clear documentation and unit tests for developed functionality;
• Take part in knowledge sharing sessions and team ceremonies;
• Use modern AI tools to improve productivity, following project and security rules;
• On demand, assist in code audits and fixing identified issues (e.g. static analysis findings, dependency vulnerabilities) under supervision;
• Collaborate closely with PM, UX/UI designers, BAs, QA and Senior/Middle engineers throughout project implementation;

About us:

Softjourn is a full-cycle consulting and software development company, with expert product teams experienced in Fintech, Media & Entertainment, with a special emphasis on Ticketing. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, with R&D offices in Ukraine, Poland, and Brazil, Softjourn is a global software development company with over 20 years of experience.

Softjourn has been honored as a veteran-friendly business by the Veteran Hub in Ukraine. We are committed to creating a supportive environment for veterans and implementing processes that address their needs. We highly value the unique skills and perspectives that military veterans bring to our company and are dedicated to assisting their transition to the workforce.

Softjourn Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity in all forms and are committed to maintaining a discrimination-free workplace that treats applicants and employees with dignity and respect. Our employment process is conducted without regard to race, color, religion, nationality or ethnic background, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other attributes protected by state, federal, and local law.

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