Frontend Engineering Lead
$160k - $190k USD
About Aclima
Aclima is a purpose-driven technology company pioneering a new way to diagnose the health of our air and track climate-changing pollution, block-by-block, and around the world. We combine leading-edge sensor technology with climate science and Artificial Intelligence to generate high-resolution maps of emissions. Our mission is to translate billions of scientific measurements into actionable environmental intelligence for governments, companies, and communities, catalyzing bold action for clean air and a healthier planet.
As one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential companies, Aclima has received numerous awards and accolades. Other awards include Fast Company’s 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World, #1 in Data Science, Inc. Magazine’s Best in Business, a Fast Company 2022 World Changing Idea, a WEF Technology Pioneer, and one of the top 100 companies in GovTech for 2023. Aclima is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area.
To learn more about Aclima, please visit https://aclima.earth.
About the Role
We are seeking a visionary and experienced Frontend Engineering Lead to spearhead the user experience and visualization of Aclima's core products, including our in-house analytics platform. This role is pivotal to our mission: taking massive datasets of hyperlocal air quality measurements and transforming them into clear, compelling, and intuitive geospatial visualizations that drive policy and community action.
You will join a talented team of Frontend, Full-Stack and Backend Engineers, with opportunities to set the technical strategy for our entire frontend stack, and be a hands-on architect and developer. Crucially, you will leverage the CARTO platform—its APIs, visualization libraries (like deck.gl), and spatial data infrastructure—to build the next generation of our interactive mapping and analytics applications.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Leadership & Architecture
Lead, manage, mentor, and grow a team of frontend engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and high performance.
Define the technical roadmap and architecture for our user-facing applications, emphasizing scalability and performance for large-scale geospatial data.
Serve as the primary technical expert on the integration and utilization of the CARTO platform (APIs, Builder, Analytics Toolbox) within Aclima's product suite.
Establish best practices for code quality, testing, deployment, and performance using modern technologies like React, TypeScript, and WebGL-based visualization frameworks.
Geospatial & Data Visualization Development
Design and implement highly performant, custom interactive map visualizations to display block-by-block air quality data, AI-modeled insights, and climate-changing emissions.
Expertly utilize and customize CARTO's visualization libraries (especially deck.gl and MapLibre GL JS) to render high-resolution data layers (e.g., heatmaps, aggregated zones) efficiently.
Partner closely with Data Science and AI/ML teams to translate complex model outputs (e.g., pollutant source identification, forecasts) into meaningful visual stories and actionable user workflows.
Ensure a seamless, highly-responsive user experience across all our data exploration and reporting tools.
Platform Integration & Strategy
Drive the strategic use of CARTO's spatial data capabilities to power our application frontend, optimizing data fetching and rendering of billions of sensor measurements.
Collaborate with Product and Design to translate community, government, and enterprise needs into intuitive interfaces that facilitate data-driven decision-making.
Required Skills & Experience
5+ years of professional experience in frontend engineering
With at least 2+ years in a Lead, Principal, or Staff role, including direct mentorship or technical management.
Expert proficiency with modern JavaScript frameworks, particularly React and TypeScript.
Experience with Python or other scripting languages used in data science pipelines.
Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure) and CI/CD pipelines.
Deep, hands-on experience with the CARTO Platform, including its APIs, integration patterns, and ecosystem tools.
Proven expertise in geospatial data visualization using high-performance libraries like deck.gl, MapLibre GL JS, or similar WebGL-based technologies.
Demonstrable experience building visualizations and user interfaces for data science, business intelligence, or AI/ML applications, specifically focused on data exploration and analysis.
Solid understanding of architectural patterns for large-scale data applications (state management, performance optimization, data throttling).
Desirable Skills (Bonus Points)
Experience visualizing time-series data or climate model outputs.
Familiarity with cloud data warehousing solutions (e.g., Google BigQuery, Snowflake) and how they integrate with geospatial platforms.
Experience in the environmental, public health, or climate technology domains.
Contributions to open-source geospatial or data visualization projects.
Advanced degree in Computer Science, GIS, or a related technical field.
To Apply
Please submit your resume. Be prepared to show off your track record of success and explain to us why you’re especially qualified.
Pay Transparency
The base salary range for this full-time exempt position, if located in the SF Bay Area is $160,000- $190,000+ equity + benefits. Compensation may vary for candidates in other California locations. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location, and are informed by current market data provided by Carta Total Comp, Pave, and Radford.
Compensation and Benefits
Aside from the fulfillment of working alongside world-class colleagues to make a positive impact in people’s lives, while improving planetary and public health, Aclima offers competitive compensation, equity potential, and excellent benefits. Benefits include medical/dental/vision/Life/AD&D/LTD, 401K, commuter and wellness credits, company events, and an extraordinary culture.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Aclima is committed to diversity in our organization and building an equitable and inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and experiences, and has proudly made the Kapor Capital Founders' Commitment. Aclima provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Aclima complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ people, veterans, and people with disabilities. Full-time position only. Out of area candidates will not be considered unless willing to relocate.
Why Join Aclima?
You will be joining a mission-driven Public Benefit Corporation at the intersection of climate action, technology, and social equity. This is an unparalleled opportunity to build visually stunning and technically sophisticated products that directly contribute to making air pollution visible and driving measurable change for communities worldwide. If you are passionate about using your technical leadership and visualization expertise to solve one of the planet's most critical challenges, we want to talk to you.
Help us transform hyperlocal air quality data into planetary impact.