JavaScript developer job description template, guide & more
Here at Gun.io, we know that hiring JavaScript developers can be tricky. Top developers are in high demand, and you’re competing against global companies.
But there’s some good news! A compelling JavaScript developer job description can help you attract the very best talent.
Nubelson Fernandes | Unsplash
To do this, you must say what you want and avoid writing fluff. Being direct can help you attract the right candidates. This is particularly important when seeking a more senior JavaScript developer. You also need to craft a job description that matches your specific needs.
Begin your JavaScript developer job description with a summary of your company’s values and vision. Next, give details of the role and its impact on your company’s success. After this, outline the roles’ objectives, responsibilities, qualifications, and any differentiators with bullet points. Remember: you’re trying to inspire top JavaScript developers to apply.
Understanding and articulating your business’s needs in your job description is also essential. For example, will the developer focus on front-end development, or will they concentrate on the back-end with Node.js? And do they need to know any specific frameworks?
Don’t worry if this sounds overwhelming. This guide will provide you with a JavaScript developer job description template that you can edit to suit your needs. We’ll also offer guidance on writing the perfect job description and tips for hiring the best talent.
From our experience, you can attract skilled developers with a comprehensive job description.
Let’s go!
JavaScript Developer Job Description Template
This JavaScript developer job description will do three things:
- It will introduce candidates to your company’s culture and values
- It will help candidates understand what the role will entail
- It will get candidates excited about the possibility of working for your company!
You’re welcome to copy and edit this template as you see fit.
Okay, so let’s start with a detail that’s easy to overlook: The job title.
Job Title
Think of your job title like a newspaper headline. It’s the first thing candidates see before reading your JavaScript developer job description, so it must capture their attention. After all, you want to attract the right candidates and get them to click through.
So how do you do this?
You want to keep the title short, but there’s a line. Make it too short, and you won’t capture a candidate’s attention. For example, a broad title like “JavaScript Developer” won’t stand out on a job board.
Instead, you should thread in qualifiers. Qualifiers can be things like seniority level and the type of JavaScript developer you’re looking for (front-end, back-end, full-stack). Other technical qualifiers can also help, like required languages or frameworks. So too can non-technical qualifiers, such as whether the role is full-time, part-time, or freelance. The role’s location (remote or office-based) is also worth mentioning.
An example of a good job title is “Junior JavaScript Developer – Web Design – Front-End (Remote)”. It details the seniority level, type of development work, and location.
Now that you’ve got your job title, it’s time to start crafting your JavaScript developer job description.
About the Company
You want to make a strong first impression with your job description. One way to do this is by talking about your company in a way that gets candidates excited about what you do. Paint your company in its best light and highlight what makes it a great workplace.
This section can highlight key information about your company’s culture, size, mission, goals, and perks. These include benefits, office hours, or remote working possibilities. Anything that makes your company stand out.
Unlike most companies, we also try to inject humor into our job descriptions when recruiting at Gun.io. We’ll let you judge whether that’s working for us! (See below.)
Here’s one we made earlier:
About Gun.io
Gun.io is a technology company that connects great companies and proven software engineers who are the world’s best-hired guns. Our mission is to create joy through connection, collaboration, and achievement for the world’s professional class.
We believe that the current system for hiring and being hired as a software engineer isn’t working. For hirers, the process is long and time-intensive, typically requiring a developer from their team to pause their other work and manage technical vetting. On the other side, job seekers must wade through recruiter spam, repetitive interviews, code tests, and cryptic job descriptions just to answer the question: is this a job I want and would be good at?
Gun.io’s vetting and matching are designed and run by a team of developers passionate about fixing technical hiring. Each job posted to the Gun.io platform is vetted by a senior developer, and each new job seeker who joins the platform has a 1-1 conversation with a member of the team so we can personally pitch them to clients they’d love.
We believe in excellence, taking risks, and speaking the truth, and we take a talent-first approach to everything we do. Our fully-remote team is highly collaborative and indulgently nerdy. You’ll love working with Gun.io if:
- You’re passionate about making talent and opportunity more accessible for all, especially those outside of the Silicon Valley bubble.
- You have exceptional follow-through and organizational skills, and value teammates with the same.
- You love chasing big ideas, pitching them to stakeholders, and taking the initiative to implement and test them.
- You consider yourself to be a linchpin, not a cog.
- You’re very nerdy about something. Star Wars, a particular subreddit, Web3, backyard chickens, famous guitar history, anything.
- Career growth and financial success are core motivations for you.
- You thrive in remote office environments.
- You’re looking for a team culture that is curious, respectful, supportive, and at least once a day, hilarious.
About this Role
You’re hiring a JavaScript developer (or three), and they know what a JavaScript job entails. They’ve done it before. But what does a JavaScript role mean for you?
You want to get to the point. State what you’re looking for and what tasks a successful applicant will do when they join your company. One or two sentences should do the trick.
Here’s a sample:
To help drive our mission, our Programming team is looking for a Junior JavaScript developer. This developer will combine design and programming skills to create interactive elements for client websites.
JavaScript Developer Responsibilities
This section is arguably the most important part of the job description.
You want to be clear about the responsibilities associated with the role, so list them all. Be concise and clarify what you expect from a candidate if they join your company.
Here’s how it might look:
- Create modern and responsive layouts based on messaging provided by the creative team
- Develop new user-facing features and enhance existing ones
- Build reusable code for future use
- Optimize applications for maximum speed and scalability
- Write, modify, and debug web applications using Node.js, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS
- Design, code, and manage automated test scripts
- Document development processes, conduct peer reviews, and give actionable feedback
- Collaborate with other team members and stakeholders
- Analyze code, requirements, system risks, and software reliability
- {{Add other relevant responsibilities}}
Required Skills for JavaScript Developers
Alright, it’s time for the nitty-gritty details: What can your prospective JavaScript developer expect to do on the job?
This section lists all the academic and professional qualifications a candidate needs to apply for this role. It also includes mandatory technical skills.
Try not to go over the top here. For example, only include skills or years of experience if it’s a dealbreaker. Also, be realistic. Most candidates don’t have 20+ years of experience, so asking for this will significantly reduce your talent pool.
Here’s a sample:
- 3+ years of experience in web technologies, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
- Strong understanding of JavaScript fundamentals, including DOM and browser APIs
- Experience with JavaScript libraries and frameworks, including React, Angular, Vue, jQuery, and more
- Proficiency in handling client-side single-page applications
- Experience with responsive design for desktop/mobile and knowledge of the latest CSS conventions and preprocessors
- Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills
- {{Mention any framework, library, or technology related to your development stack}}
- {{List the education level or certification you require}}
Desired Skills for JavaScript Developers
This is an optional section. You can list any additional skills/requirements that would be desirable for candidates to have.
Here’s a sample:
- Portfolio on GitHub or another platform
- Experience working in an agile environment with remote teams
- Familiarity with front-end build tools and code versioning tools, such as Git, Mercurial, or SVN
- Unit/integration testing experience
- Full-stack web development experience
- Knowledge of Jamstack frameworks, such as Nuxt.js, Next.js, or Gatsby.js
- Ability to devise clean, sharp, and responsive layouts
- Excellent debugging and optimization skills
- Leadership and project management experience
Benefits of this Role for JavaScript Developers
It’s time to seal the deal! In this section of your JavaScript developer job description, you can list the additional benefits/perks a candidate will receive by joining your company.
Here’s a sample:
- {{Career & growth opportunities}}
- {{Attractive salary}}
- {{Medical Insurance}}
- {{Remote working opportunities}}
- {{Incentives}}
Tips for Writing a JavaScript Developer Job Description
Now that we’ve reviewed the JavaScript developer job description template, here are a few more tips.
1. Think about their experience
Junior JavaScript developers can assist your company with ongoing projects, like debugging code and building new features.
Meanwhile, Senior JavaScript developers may be capable of handling complex tasks for your business, such as leading teams and consulting on crucial technical matters. However, they’ll command higher salaries than their junior counterparts.
The scope of your project and budget are important considerations before you start writing your job description.
2. Treat it like a resume
Treat your job description like a resume by putting the most crucial and relevant information at the top. While we suggest following the order of sections outlined above, feel free to use the template as a guide.
You may decide not to include every detail we discuss – and that’s okay. For example, skipping the “About the Company” section makes sense if you’re hiring for Instagram. Just remember this: a short job description can be just as off-putting as one that’s too long!
3. Use text formatting to make your job description easy to read
When a potential candidate clicks on your job title, you want to keep their interest. To this end, presenting a visually appealing and easily scannable document rather than large blocks of text can help.
Use different size headings and bullet points to break up text and highlight critical information in bold. Also, consider linking to relevant pages on your website where appropriate.
4. Include a specific instruction
In your job description, slip in a specific instruction for applicants to follow when applying. For example, instruct them to include the job ID in the subject line.
This little trick can weed out candidates who didn’t read the job description carefully, which can be helpful if you receive many applications.
5. End your JavaScript developer job description with a strong call to action
Your job description aims to sell the job to the candidate, and you want to convert job seekers into applicants. That’s why you should use a strong call-to-action (CTA) and the end of your listing. Entice the reader to apply now by giving them a simple next step.
Speaking of call to action…
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Whether you’re looking for some temporary help or your next full time developer, let Gun.io help you find the right person for the job.