Lead Mobile Engineer

SUMMARY:
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POSITION INFO:

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Lead Mobile Engineer based in Cape Town to take ownership of our client’s consumer mobile ecosystem. You will be responsible for overseeing current mobile delivery, evaluating the existing mobile codebase, and leading the strategic transition from a vendor-managed development model to a high-performing in-house engineering team.

The successful candidate will serve as the technical authority for mobile development, designing and building the next generation of the mobile platform using modern cross-platform technologies such as Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP), Flutter, or similar frameworks. This role requires strong leadership, deep mobile development expertise, and the ability to ensure seamless integration with backend services and secure payment gateways.

Key Responsibilities

1. Mobile Architecture & Development

• Take ownership of the mobile ecosystem across Android and iOS platforms, ensuring high-quality architecture and performance
  • Review and maintain the existing Kotlin codebase, acting as the final gatekeeper for code quality, security, and scalability
  • Design and implement modern mobile solutions, including cross-platform strategies using frameworks such as Kotlin Multiplatform, Flutter, or React Native
  • Lead the development of secure integrations with backend services, RESTful APIs, and third-party payment gateways

2. Engineering Leadership & Vendor Transition

• Lead the transition of mobile development from an external vendor to an internal engineering team
  • Partner with HR and leadership to recruit, mentor, and build a high-performing mobile engineering team
  • Establish engineering standards, development processes, and best practices to support long-term scalability

3. Release Management & DevOps

• Manage the full mobile release lifecycle for both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store
  • Implement and maintain CI/CD pipelines and automated build processes using Azure DevOps or similar tools
  • Ensure stable deployments, performance monitoring, and continuous improvements to the mobile platform

4. Product Quality & User Experience

• Take overall ownership of the quality, stability, and performance of the mobile applications
  • Collaborate with product and UX teams to ensure intuitive, accessible, and engaging mobile experiences
  • Stay up to date with emerging mobile technologies and contribute to the overall mobile strategy

Requirements & Qualifications

Must-Have Skills:

• 10+ years of professional experience in mobile application development and 2+ years’ experience in a Leadership role.
  • Expert-level proficiency in Android development using Kotlin
  • Proven experience launching and maintaining applications on both Android and iOS platforms
  • Strong experience integrating RESTful APIs and third-party SDKs
  • Hands-on experience implementing secure payment gateway integrations
  • Experience managing or collaborating with external vendors or offshore development teams
  • Strong understanding of scalable mobile architecture and development best practices
  • Experience with CI/CD pipelines and build management using Azure DevOps
  • Experience working with cloud platforms such as AWS
  • Strong leadership, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities

Highly Desirable Skills:

• Hands-on experience with cross-platform frameworks such as Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP), Flutter, or React Native
  • Experience building and scaling consumer-facing mobile applications
  • Knowledge of mobile security best practices and secure coding standards
  • Familiarity with Agile development methodologies and collaborative engineering environments
  • Strong communication and stakeholder management skills

Education

• Bachelor’s degree, higher certificate, or diploma in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field

Additional Information

• Employment Type: Full-Time
  • Location: Cape Town (Hybrid)
  • Salary: Negotiable/ Market Related
  • Must be located in Cape Town