Full Stack Application Engineer I

Do you have a strong work ethic and the desire to join an organization that invests in its people through cross-training and development? ClarkDietrich fosters a work-life balance and offers competitive compensation and benefits. Join the ClarkDietrich team by applying to the Full Stack App Engineer I position.

Position Summary

The Full Stack Application Engineer I will support the design, development, testing, and implementation of internal software applications, user interfaces, workflow tools, and application features.

This is a junior-level, hands-on technical role intended for an individual who has working knowledge of full-stack application development and a general understanding of software, data, cloud, automation, user experience, and AI-assisted development practices. The role requires close supervision, clear technical direction, and regular guidance from the Technical Manager or designated senior technical contributors.

The Full Stack Application Engineer I will assist with frontend development, backend development, UI planning, requirements gathering, documentation, testing, and implementation support. A key expectation of this role is the ability to work hands-on with spec-driven AI-assisted development, using clear requirements, user stories, prompts, acceptance criteria, and technical guidance to accelerate application development while maintaining code quality and team standards.

This position is not expected to independently own system architecture, make major technical decisions, or directly solve business problems without guidance. Instead, the role will help translate assigned requirements and technical direction into usable application components, documented workflows, and maintainable software.

Key Responsibilities

Full Stack Application Development

• Assist with the development, testing, and maintenance of web-based applications and internal software tools.
• Build and update frontend user interfaces based on approved designs, wireframes, requirements, specifications, and technical direction.
• Support backend development tasks, including application logic, APIs, database interactions, and integrations.
• Implement assigned features, enhancements, bug fixes, and workflow improvements under the guidance of the Technical Manager.
• Participate in the transition of prototypes or early-stage applications into more stable and maintainable solutions.

Spec-Driven AI-Assisted Development

• Use AI-assisted development tools to support hands-on coding, prototyping, debugging, documentation, testing, and refactoring.
• Work from clear specifications, user stories, acceptance criteria, workflow descriptions, and technical requirements.
• Help convert requirements and UI plans into structured development prompts, implementation steps, and testable outputs.
• Review, validate, and refine AI-generated code to ensure it follows team standards, security expectations, and maintainable software practices.
• Use AI tools responsibly as development accelerators while maintaining ownership of understanding, testing, and quality of assigned work.
• Document assumptions, prompts, generated outputs, technical decisions, and areas requiring review by the Technical Manager or senior contributors.

User Interface and User Experience Support

• Assist with UI planning, screen layout, workflow mapping, and user interaction design.
• Help convert user needs, process requirements, and technical direction into clear interface concepts.
• Create or update wireframes, mockups, forms, screens, and user flow documentation as assigned.
• Support usability reviews and help identify areas where applications can be clearer, simpler, or easier to use.
• Collaborate with developers, technical leads, and business contributors to improve the usability of internal applications.

Requirements Gathering and Planning Support

• Assist the Technical Manager and project contributors with gathering, organizing, and documenting requirements.
• Participate in meetings with internal stakeholders when needed to listen, take notes, clarify details, and document requested functionality.
• Help translate business process notes into user stories, feature lists, workflow diagrams, acceptance criteria, and implementation tasks.
• Maintain clear documentation of requirements, assumptions, open questions, decisions, and follow-up items.
• Support project planning by helping organize tasks, priorities, dependencies, and progress updates.

Data, Automation, and Integration Support

• Assist with basic data handling, data validation, and application data flow documentation.
• Support integrations between frontend interfaces, backend services, databases, and cloud-based components.
• Help test automated workflows and identify issues in data movement, user input, output generation, or system behavior.
• Work with structured and semi-structured data as needed for application features and reporting.
• Follow established standards for data quality, traceability, and maintainability.

Testing, Documentation, and Deployment Support

• Test assigned features and help verify that applications behave as expected.
• Document bugs, usability issues, missing requirements, and technical questions.
• Assist with user acceptance testing, release preparation, and post-release support.
• Maintain documentation for screens, workflows, features, configuration steps, and known limitations.
• Follow team practices for version control, code reviews, issue tracking, testing, and deployment support.

Collaboration and Technical Execution

• Work under close direction from the Technical Manager or assigned senior contributors.
• Ask clarifying questions early and communicate blockers, risks, and uncertainties clearly.
• Collaborate with software developers, engineers, interns, product contributors, and IT stakeholders as needed.
• Provide regular status updates on assigned tasks and documentation.
• Continue developing technical depth in frontend, backend, data, cloud, AI-assisted development, and application engineering practices.

Required Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent experience in computer science, software engineering, information systems, engineering, or a related technical field.
• Foundational experience with full-stack application development.
• Working knowledge of frontend technologies such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, TypeScript, React, or similar frameworks.
• Basic experience with backend development, APIs, databases, and application logic.
• Hands-on experience or strong working familiarity with AI-assisted development tools for coding, prototyping, debugging, documentation, or testing.
• Ability to work from specifications, requirements, user stories, acceptance criteria, and technical direction.
• Ability to understand requirements and convert them into application screens, features, and documented workflows.
• Familiarity with software development practices such as version control, testing, issue tracking, code review, and documentation.
• Strong attention to detail and willingness to learn through feedback and close supervision.
• Good communication, organization, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with spec-driven development, prompt-based development workflows, AI coding assistants, or rapid AI-assisted prototyping.
• Experience with UI planning, wireframes, workflow diagrams, forms, dashboards, or internal business applications.
• Familiarity with cloud services, preferably AWS or similar platforms.
• Exposure to databases, APIs, authentication, application deployment, and basic integration patterns.
• Exposure to AI-enabled applications, automation tools, document processing, or data-driven workflows.
• Experience supporting requirements gathering, user stories, acceptance criteria, testing, or project documentation.
• Familiarity with low-code, no-code, or rapid prototyping tools is a plus.
• Experience working with engineering, construction, manufacturing, or knowledge-intensive business processes is a plus.

Key Success Outcomes

Within the first 3 to 6 months, the Full Stack Application Engineer I will be expected to:

• Deliver assigned frontend, backend, UI, documentation, and testing tasks under technical supervision.
• Use spec-driven AI-assisted development methods to accelerate implementation while maintaining quality and accountability.
• Support the development of usable internal applications and workflow tools.
• Help organize requirements, user feedback, UI concepts, acceptance criteria, and implementation details.
• Improve the clarity, usability, and maintainability of assigned application components.
• Communicate progress, blockers, and open questions consistently.
• Demonstrate growth in full-stack development, application testing, documentation, AI-assisted development, and technical execution.

Reporting and Collaboration

This role reports to the Technical Manager within the software development or digital technology function. The position is primarily responsible for junior-level hands-on development, UI support, requirements documentation, testing, and implementation assistance.

Business priorities, technical direction, architecture decisions, and final solution ownership will be coordinated through the Technical Manager or designated leadership.