Frontend Developer

Company Description

Hundreds of millions of adults in Sub-Saharan Africa are locked out of formal financial systems, no bank account, no smartphone, no way to access global markets. People lose a large share of their income to intermediaries and wait months for payment.

ZuluChain is changing that. We’re building digital financial infrastructure that works for the people who need it most. Our platform combines blockchain-based digital identity, a USD-pegged stablecoin, and smart contract trade escrow, all accessible via USSD on a basic feature phone. No smartphone required.

We’re pre-seed with a validated testnet and pilot launch in Kenya planned for this year. This is a founding engineer opportunity — you’ll own the frontend from day one.

Role Description

You won’t be polishing someone else’s design system. You’ll be creating interfaces that real cooperatives, buyers, and administrators use daily to manage trade flows, track escrow payments, and verify user identities. Specific projects include:

• Trade Coordination Dashboard — Real-time visibility into trade batches, escrow status, quality verification, and dispute resolution.
• Wallet & Transaction UI — Stablecoin balances, transaction history, payment flows for cooperatives and buyers.
• KYC & Identity Verification Flows — Integration with Smile Identity for biometric onboarding.
• Admin & Compliance Tools — Internal dashboards for monitoring, AML compliance, and support operations.

All of it designed for low-bandwidth African markets — mobile-first, fast-loading, and accessible.

Requirements

• 5+ years of frontend development experience
• Strong proficiency in React and Next.js
• Tailwind CSS or similar utility-first frameworks
• Mobile-first and responsive design sensibility, experience optimizing for low-bandwidth and diverse devices
• Solid understanding of REST API integration and frontend-backend handoffs
• Git, CI/CD, and agile workflows
• Curiosity and initiative - We’re early stage, we need someone who asks questions and shapes what we build
• Degree in CS, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience

Bonus if you have:

• Web3/blockchain experience (wallet integrations, transaction flows, dApps)
• Fintech or payments experience
• Familiarity with African markets or USSD-based systems
• Experience designing for users with low digital literacy

What You’ll Get

• Equity stake — meaningful founding engineer equity (no salary at this stage, pre-seed)
• Part-time flexibility — 15-20 hours/week, ideal if you’re exploring startups alongside other work
• Founding engineer role — you own frontend architecture, direct collaboration with the founder
• Real impact — your work directly increases financial inclusion across Africa
• Growth path — this evolves into a full-time leadership role as we raise and scale

Our Stack

React · Next.js · Tailwind CSS · PostgreSQL · Polygon PoS · AWS · Africa’s Talking (USSD) · Smile Identity (KYC)

If building a financially inclusive solution for the marginalized excites you, and you’re keen to use your skills to make a real difference, we’d love to hear from you.

Don’t meet every single requirement? If you’re curious, eager to learn, and excited to grow with us, we still encourage you to apply.

Click “Apply” to submit your application.