Founding Frontend and Design Engineer

NOCTRA · FOUNDING FRONTEND AND DESIGN ENGINEERS The operator interface layer for defence AI Please read the full role description before applying. READ THIS FIRST This is defence work with real security requirements. Before anything else, applicants must meet the following. If you do not meet these, your application cannot be considered, and will be declined immediately. You are a citizen of, and resident in, an EEA or NATO verified country.You are eligible for, and willing to undergo, Norwegian security clearance.You are based in, or able to work remotely from within, an EEA or NATO country, and can reach Oslo when needed.You can work equity only in the first phase, until our pre seed round closes. We say this plainly out of respect for your time. Even though this is an interface role, the work sits on top of live defence data and tactical symbology, so these requirements still apply. ABOUT NOCTRA We build sovereign AI software for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance in the European Arctic and maritime theatres. Our customers are Norwegian, Nordic, and NATO aligned defence and security actors. We are pre seed, based in Oslo, and closing our first funding round now. Two platforms share a common AI core. IRONLIGHT is our real time tactical operations platform, edge deployed on offline capable hardware in degraded environments. ATLAS is our strategic analytical platform for civil authorities and critical infrastructure. The system is architecturally EU AI Act compliant, cryptographically audit tracked, and sovereign by structure. Recent engineering has delivered substantial backend infrastructure: C++ native modules with 49 to 280 times speedups on tracking hot paths, an MLOps stack with promote to prod gates, and a hash chained cryptographic audit ledger in production. What we need now is the operator facing layer, the interface through which humans actually see the system. THE ROLE We are hiring two founding team members for the interface layer. One is weighted toward design and information architecture, the other toward frontend engineering. Both work directly with the CTO, and both shape how future operators, analysts, and command staff experience the platform. What you would own: ATLAS HUD, the tactical operator display. Real time threat visualization, MIL STD 2525D symbology, sensor health, and the alert queue. It must be readable in ten seconds, high in information density, and defence grade in aesthetic. Nexus 3D, the spatial visualization layer. A WebGL based 3D map of the operational area with terrain, tracks, and sensor footprints, built in Three.js, deck.gl, or Cesium. The A.R.T.H.U.R. voice interface surface, the visual representation of our voice driven AI assistant: audio waveforms, transcript display, and voice command feedback. Real time data flow, meaning WebSocket integration with the pipeline, with live threat updates at pipeline frame rate. The design system, meaning the component library, typography, palette, and iconography for a defence grade context. WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR Two profile types are welcome. Design lead profile: a senior UX and UI designer with data visualization experience, for example from fintech, monitoring, defence, medical, or aviation. Deep Figma proficiency and design system experience. A strong understanding of information hierarchy in high tempo operator environments. Some frontend implementation ability in React and TypeScript is a strong plus. Frontend lead profile: a senior frontend engineer, ideally React and TypeScript, or Vue or Svelte if exceptional. Real time data experience with WebSocket and live state management. 3D visualization with Three.js, deck.gl, Cesium, or equivalent. The ability to turn a design brief into production grade implementation. For both roles: you ship quality over process, you take ownership without micromanagement, you are honest about what you can and cannot do, and you can work at founder pace when it is needed. Backgrounds we especially value: data heavy dashboards in the style of Grafana, Bloomberg, or tactical operator UIs; defence, aviation, medical, or trading system UI experience; cartographic or geospatial interfaces; and open source contributions to relevant libraries. HONEST ABOUT COMPENSATION In the first weeks, compensation is equity only. The exact amount is founding team equity, set according to the role and the scope of ownership you take on, with standard vesting. We cannot offer salary until the pre seed round closes. Once it does, everyone moves to market rate cash compensation. On commitment, we expect part time to start, as much as your life allows, transitioning toward full time as we approach pre seed close. The first three weeks are intense, because we have a hard deadline for the first deliverable. You must be in a life situation where you can carry a few weeks without cash income, and you must believe in what we are building. In exchange, you get founding team equity that no future hire will receive, and meaningful ownership if this company reaches even a fraction of its potential. If your life situation makes equity only impossible right now, tell us anyway, and we may be able to work something out on timing. WHAT YOU ACTUALLY GET Founding team equity, set according to the role and the scope you take on, with standard vesting. Direct daily collaboration with the CTO and founding team. Real ownership over the interface architecture, not ticket work. Your design and code shape the trajectory of a defence tech company from day one. A path to significant scope as we grow, toward roles like Head of Design, Design Lead of a product line, or VP of Engineering. Portfolio work you cannot get elsewhere, in defence AI operator interfaces. And cash compensation from pre seed close. TIMELINE The first hard deadline is three weeks from start, for our first operator facing deliverable. More work follows. This is not a one shot contract, it is a founding role. Expect an intense first month, stabilising to a sustainable pace once the first delivery lands. A FEW SCREENING QUESTIONS When you apply, please answer these directly. It helps us move fast for the right people. Are you a citizen of, and resident in, an EEA or NATO verified country? Which one?Are you eligible for, and willing to undergo, Norwegian security clearance?Where are you based, and can you work from within an EEA or NATO country, reaching Oslo when needed?Can you work equity only for the first few weeks, until our pre seed round closes? Are you currently employed, freelance, or between roles?Which profile do you lean toward: design lead, frontend lead, or hybrid?Your best portfolio piece: a link to something you built that you are most proud of, ideally with real time data, complex information, or defence adjacent context.Why defence tech, and why now? A few honest sentences. HOW TO APPLY Send a short message, and skip the standard cover letter. Answer the screening questions above, include your portfolio link, and tell us which profile you lean toward. Message via LinkedIn, or email cto@noctra.no