Frontend Developer

Company Description

ZuluChain is dedicated to empowering underserved communities in Africa by providing access to financial tools for global market participation, regardless of access to smartphones or bank accounts. With over 350 million adults in Sub-Saharan Africa lacking formal financial services due to geographic, logistical, and economic barriers, ZuluChain offers innovative solutions. By integrating digital identity, instant payments, and trade coordination, our platform enables users to participate in cooperative networks and receive automated payments seamlessly, even through basic feature phones. ZuluChain’s mission is to eliminate intermediaries and provide inclusive, efficient financial solutions to marginalized communities.

Role Description

This is a part-time, remote role for a Frontend Developer. We are seeking a curious, driven Frontend Developer to join us at the pre-seed stage as a part-time founding engineer. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of a company building financial infrastructure for Africa's unbanked. The selected candidate will work on designing and implementing user interfaces that are accessible and user-friendly, optimizing for performance on multiple devices and browsers.

Responsibilities include creating responsive web applications, collaborating with design and back-end team, and ensuring seamless integration with backend functionalities.

What we offer:

• Equity only at this stage — we're pre-seed and can't offer salary yet
• Founding engineer role — you'll own frontend architecture from day one
• Part-time commitment — ideal if you're exploring startups alongside other work
• Direct collaboration with the founder — no layers, real ownership
• Shape the future — your ideas and decisions will directly influence what we build and how

Why join now:

• Be part of something from the beginning - Your equity stake will be meaningful
• Build for 350 million underserved users - Your work has real impact
• Learn blockchain, fintech, and African market dynamics hands-on
• Grow with the company - This role can evolve as we scale

We're looking for someone who's excited by ambiguity, asks great questions, and wants to help build something from the ground up. In this role, you will design and implement user-facing features, optimize web applications for maximum speed and scalability, and ensure seamless user experiences across various devices and platforms.

You will build and maintain critical interfaces including:

• Trade Coordination Dashboard — Real-time visibility into trade flows, escrow status, and dispute resolution
• Wallet & Transaction UI — Zulu Dollar balance, transaction history, and payment flows
• Identity Verification (KYC) Flows — Integration with Smile Identity for secure user onboarding
• Admin Operations Tools — Internal dashboards for monitoring, compliance, and support

You'll design for low-bandwidth environments with a mobile-first approach tailored to African markets, including multi-language support. While most of our users interact via USSD on feature phones, your web interfaces will serve cooperatives, buyers, and administrators who manage the platform's core operations.

Requirements

• Expertise in Front-End Development, including proficiency in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• React and Next.js proficiency — our primary frontend framework.
• Mobile-first and responsive design — experience optimizing for low-bandwidth environments and diverse devices.
• Strong understanding of Back-End Web Development and its integration with frontend technologies.
• Experience with Tailwind CSS or similar utility-first CSS frameworks
• Ability to collaborate in an Agile development environment
• Experience with version control systems (e.g., Git) and CI/CD pipelines
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent hands-on experience
• Curiosity and initiative — we're early-stage; we need someone who asks questions, explores ideas, and helps shape what we build

Preferred Qualifications

• Blockchain/Web3 experience — familiarity with wallet integrations, transaction flows, and decentralized applications
• USSD awareness or African market experience — understanding of feature phone users and SMS-based interactions
• Fintech or payments experience — exposure to transaction-heavy interfaces and financial data visualization

What We Offer

• Equity compensation — we're pre-seed and can only offer equity at this stage
• Part-time flexibility — ideal for exploring a startup opportunity alongside other commitments
• Mission-driven impact — your work directly improves farmer incomes and financial inclusion across Africa
• Founding engineer ownership — own the frontend architecture and shape how we build
• Direct founder collaboration — work closely with founder and founding team, no corporate layers
• Learning & growth — gain deep expertise in blockchain, fintech, and African market dynamics
• Shape the future — your curiosity, ideas, and decisions will directly influence our product and direction