Zunaib Imtiaz
Frontend Architect · AI Pipeline Engineer
“I build the layer between human intent and machine execution.”
I don't just build features.
I build the foundations other engineers build on.
I have been building software for over seven years, working with teams across the UK, US and Pakistan. Frontend architecture is where I live, but over time that has stretched further, into AI pipelines, developer tooling, and anything else where I can see a problem worth solving.
I have a compulsion to make things. Outside of client work I build open source tools and publish npm packages, not because it is required but because sitting on an idea that could exist feels worse than just building it. AI has accelerated that instinct: it is how I prototype ideas before they are half-formed, ship open source tools faster, and move through UI work that used to take days. When a new model drops I weigh it against what I already use before I commit to it, but when it earns its place it goes straight into the workflow.
I work best when I am close to product and design. Not because I blur the lines, but because the sharpest engineering decisions come from actually understanding the person on the other end. After seven years that has not changed; if anything it has become the part I care about most.
Certifications · 2026
Google AI Professional Certificate
Google · March 2026
Google Prompting Essentials
Google · Feb 2026
Emperia Brand Experiences
Led the UI for 20+ virtual brand experiences: global luxury, retail, hospitality, and art, built for some of the world's most recognisable names.
Walmart Realm
A network of 3D interactive ecommerce shops, each one auto-deployed from an in-house UGC tool and powered by a custom recommendation engine.
Emperia Creator Tools
From fully manual space deployments to a microservices-driven, JSON-configurable platform with a live UI editor.
AI Product Placement Pipeline
Eliminated Unreal Engine re-renders from every product update. AI synthesizes the panorama directly.
AIROKIT
50+ production-grade React components. One monorepo. Zero regression.
OVERSIGHT
High-volume telemetry. Distributed load-balanced architecture. Real-time.
Bundle Size Guardian
Audits your JS/TS imports for bloat. Claude rewrites them to lighter alternatives.
Five steps. Every project.
Understand
Before writing a line, I get close to the problem. That means working with product and design to question whether the feature should exist at all, and what the person on the other end actually needs.
Architect
I design the system before I design the solution. The right constraints, component boundaries, data flow, API surfaces, chosen early make the right implementation almost inevitable.
Build
Precise, typed, and built to be used by others. Whether it is a component library, an AI pipeline, or a distributed service, I build for the engineer who comes after me, not just the ticket in front of me.
Accelerate
AI goes where it earns its place: prototyping ideas before they are fully formed, compressing repetitive work, and helping me move faster on UI and tooling without cutting corners on quality.
Ship & Evolve
Production is the starting line. I monitor, optimise, and iterate based on what real users do, not what was assumed in planning. The work is never finished, just ready for the next version of the problem.
Available for project-based and retainer engagements.
Frontend Architecture
I audit your existing frontend, identify architectural debt, and design the system that replaces it. The output is not a recommendations deck; it is working code, typed component APIs, and a phased migration path your team can execute without stopping product delivery.
AI Pipeline Engineering
I design and build full AI pipelines from scratch: input handling, LLM routing, output synthesis, and delivery to your product surface. I have reduced a 48-hour manual process to under two seconds in production. I know where these pipelines fail under load and how to build them so they do not.
LLM Product Integration
You have a product. You want it to be smarter. I design the prompt system, the tool use layer, and the frontend UI that makes the AI feel native, not bolted on. That includes streaming responses, error handling, hallucination mitigation, and cost monitoring from day one.
Component Library Design
I build your component library from the design token layer up: base components, composition patterns, Storybook documentation, and CI-enforced visual regression testing. Delivered as a publishable npm package your teams consume as a versioned dependency.
Fractional Technical Leadership
For teams that need senior engineering judgment without a full-time hire. I establish code standards, run architecture reviews, mentor engineers, and own the frontend technical roadmap alongside your product team, available ten to twenty hours per week.
Performance Audit
A deep-dive performance review of your React or Next.js application. I identify the twenty percent of issues causing eighty percent of your performance problems and deliver a prioritized fix list with working code patches, not just a Lighthouse report.
Technical Consulting
A focused consulting engagement for teams at a decision point: new architecture, AI strategy, technology selection, or a codebase that has become hard to change. I give you a direct technical opinion grounded in what actually ships in production. If something is not worth building, I will say so.
Code Review & Mentoring
I embed in your code review workflow and pair with your engineers on the problems worth pairing on. Not just comments on PRs, but a structured engagement with a clear goal: leaving your team permanently stronger. I set review culture, not just a checklist.
Not sure which engagement fits?
Send me a one-liner about what you're building. I'll tell you honestly if I can help.
Click any card to expand methodology
Frontend Systems Architecture
Designing component systems that scale across teams, not just screens.
AI Pipeline Engineering
Production AI pipelines: computer vision, image synthesis, and LLM tooling built to replace real manual workflows.
Distributed SaaS Architecture
Event-driven, multi-tenant, real-time. Built to survive production.
Performance Engineering
Bundle budgets, GPU compositing, sub-second LCP. Measurable or it doesn't count.
Engineering Leadership
Setting standards, mentoring engineers, owning the architecture across teams.
Zunaib was a foundational member of Emperia and one of the key people who helped build the company from the ground up. I had the pleasure of working with him for four years and saw him grow from an individual contributor into a capable team lead. He consistently aimed for perfection while balancing time constraints, ensuring projects were delivered on schedule without compromising quality. As the leader of the front-end department, he set standards, established best practices, and created processes that elevated the entire team. Beyond his technical and leadership skills, his long-term commitment made a huge impact. Sticking with the team through the formative years, he helped shape the culture and stability of the company. Zunaib is the kind of professional who combines skill, vision, and dedication in a way that few can match.
Simonas Holcmann
CTO · Emperia
Context
Managed Zunaib directly at Emperia
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Let's build something that matters.
I'm based in Lahore, PKT (UTC+5). Typically responds within 24 hours. Remote-first, open to senior engineering and AI architecture roles.