Hello, I'm Arno van Staden.
I ship fast, scalable web products and AI-powered features, taking full ownership from idea to production.
Open to Work.
Berlin | Remote (Germany/EU)
About
Senior Frontend Engineer with a strong focus on TypeScript and React, experienced in building and scaling production web applications used by thousands of users. Comfortable taking ownership, working closely with product and design, and turning ambiguous requirements into fast, reliable, user-friendly interfaces.
I’ve been hooked on computers since the Windows 98 and dial-up days, and I still approach development with the same curiosity—constantly tinkering, experimenting, and improving. I often reach for code to solve everyday problems (yes, even building small web apps to avoid forgetting birthdays), because I genuinely enjoy finding simple, elegant solutions.
Outside of work, you’ll find me travelling, lifting at the gym, reading sci-fi, gaming, or providing unpaid tech support to my mom. I thrive in collaborative teams that value ownership, constructive debate, and attention to detail, and I’m happiest building products people actually love to use.
Years
Experience
- English - Native
- Afrikaans - Native
- German - B1
Skills
TypeScript
React
Next.js
Node.js
HTML
CSS
SASS
JavaScript
React Query
REST
GraphQL
SQL
Jest
Playwright
Storybook
Express.js
Git
Vercel
AWS
Google Cloud
Firebase
Supabase
MongoDB
Docker
Experience
Senior Frontend Engineer
- AI Feature Development & Delivery Ownership
Owned frontend delivery of AI-powered features, working closely with Design, Product, and AI engineers to plan, coordinate, and ship scalable, user-friendly solutions.
- UI Library & Design System Migration (Owner)
Led the migration of applications to Zendesk’s shared UI library and design system, improving consistency, accessibility, and long-term maintainability post-acquisition.
- Testing & Quality Enablement
Introduced and scaled frontend testing practices, including unit and end-to-end tests, helping establish quality standards and increase confidence in releases.
- Mentorship & Technical Leadership
Mentored junior engineers through code reviews and pairing, contributing to higher code quality, shared ownership, and overall team growth.
Senior Frontend Engineer
- Technical & Product Leadership
Took ownership of frontend technical decisions, prioritization, and backlog planning, effectively operating at the intersection of engineering and product.
- Platform Impact & Direction
Helped shape Tandem’s web platform by improving core functionality, maintainability, and user experience across customer-facing products.
Frontend Engineer
- Website & Web App Overhaul
Led the refactor and redesign of the public website and web app, supporting thousands of daily users with a modern, scalable frontend stack.
- Admin Tools & Internal Systems
Rebuilt internal admin tooling into a user-friendly full-stack application, improving usability and efficiency for internal teams.
- Cross-Functional Delivery & Prototyping
Collaborated closely with product, design, and marketing to prototype MVPs and deliver web-based solutions for new ideas and niche use cases.
Fullstack Engineer
- End-to-End Product Development
Delivered full-stack websites and applications from concept to launch, ensuring responsive, cross-browser experiences and solid backend integration.
- High-Volume Client Work
Built and shipped 45+ websites and applications using modern frontend technologies including React, Next.js, and TypeScript.
- Repeat Client Engagements
Delivered consistent, high-quality work for 40+ clients, resulting in long-term partnerships and repeat engagements.
English Teacher
I travelled throughout South-East Asia, obtaining my TEFL certificate, and teaching English as a second language to Vietnamese students.