Lead Native App Developer

At AKQA (part of WPP) our Technology discipline sets the approach and standard for native app delivery and governance, helping deliver a world-class application through a mature agile methodology, and setting a high standard for delivery and governance so clients gain the greatest possible value from their investment.

As a Lead Native App Developer, you will bring deep native iOS and/or Android experience into a collaborative, multidisciplinary team. You’ll help build and evolve a world-class mobile application, balancing craft, quality, and pace, while supporting the team with clear thinking and practical guidance.

As part of AKQA, you’ll work in an innovative and inclusive culture, surrounded by some of the brightest minds in their fields. You’ll have the opportunity to learn and grow within a creative and technically advanced team, with access to ongoing personal and professional development. Our hybrid in-studio/WFH model supports balance and flexibility, and we’re committed to your career growth as well as your work/life balance.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

• Deliver native mobile development end-to-end across the full app life cycle.
• Define the work needed to implement solutions; assess and communicate feasibility and delivery impact.
• Estimate accurately, report progress clearly, and deliver to deadlines.
• Produce high-quality code that is performant, reliable, and maintainable.
• Partner with Experience Design to deliver high-fidelity, platform-appropriate UI that meets requirements.
• Integrate with external systems and APIs; optimise app and tool performance.
• Debug confidently, explain app flow to others, and triage/fix defects.
• Contribute to continuous improvement, grow new skills on the job, and share knowledge openly within the team.

QUALITIES & CHARACTERISTICS

• 5+ years building native apps with Swift and/or Kotlin.
• Strong grasp of common frameworks, libraries, and design patterns; solid iOS and/or Android SDK knowledge.
• Experience with RESTful APIs, multi-threading, and writing unit-tested, testable code.
• Comfortable with DevOps/continuous delivery and agile ways of working.
• Proven track record delivering high-quality iOS and/or Android applications.