Lead Android Development

- Location: Hybrid – Gurugram - Department: Technology / Engineering - Experience Level: 8+ Years - Employment Type: Full-Time About the Role We are looking for a highly experienced and motivated Android Development Lead to join our mobile team. In this role, you will be responsible for building and optimizing our Android client, ensuring seamless real-time communication, low-latency performance, and top-tier user experience. You’ll play a key role in bringing core messaging features to life — from real-time chat to encrypted group conversations and rich media handling. This is a hands-on role that offers the opportunity to shape the architecture, engineering practices, and product features of a high-scale messaging app used by millions of users worldwide. Key Responsibilities 1. Architecture & App Development - Design and implement scalable, maintainable Android architecture using Kotlin and modern Jetpack libraries. - Develop high-performance, real-time messaging features: chat screens, typing indicators, read receipts, presence, and delivery statuses. - Build advanced media handling: support for image, video, audio sharing, background upload/download, in-app playback, etc. - Integrate with real-time backends using WebSockets, Firebase, or custom protocols. - Ensure offline support, message synchronization, and data consistency across sessions/devices. 2. Security & Privacy - Collaborate with backend/security teams to implement end-to-end encryption, secure local storage, and key management using Android Keystore. - Handle authentication flows, session management, and token security. 3. Performance Optimization - Continuously monitor and optimize app performance (memory, battery, network usage). - Use tools like Android Profiler, LeakCanary, StrictMode, and Systrace for performance tuning. - Ensure seamless UX even under poor network conditions with proper error handling and retry strategies. 4. Testing & Deployment - Write comprehensive unit, integration, and UI tests using JUnit, Espresso, and MockK. - Contribute to CI/CD pipelines for Android app releases. - Participate in code reviews, automated testing, and linting. 5. Collaboration & Documentation - Work closely with product managers, designers, and other engineers to define product requirements and implementation strategies. - Provide technical mentorship to junior Android developers. - Document key modules, APIs, and system behavior. Required Qualifications - 8+ years of professional Android development experience. - Strong command of Kotlin and in-depth knowledge of Android SDK, architecture components, and Jetpack libraries. - Experience building and maintaining large-scale consumer apps, preferably in real-time messaging or communication domains. - Deep understanding of WebSockets, background services, network handling, and multithreading with coroutines. - Experience with REST APIs, Retrofit/OkHttp, and JSON parsing. - Proficiency in Jetpack libraries: ViewModel, LiveData/StateFlow, Room, WorkManager, Navigation. - Familiar with secure data storage, Keystore, and app security best practices. - Strong knowledge of app lifecycle, background execution limits, Doze mode, and battery optimization. Preferred Qualifications - Prior experience in messaging apps, chat SDKs, or real-time communication. - Experience with XMPP, MQTT, or custom protocol integration. - Knowledge of Jetpack Compose and declarative UI. - Experience with FCM (Firebase Cloud Messaging) and custom notification handling. - Exposure to WebRTC, voice/video SDKs, or related media technologies. - Understanding of analytics, crash reporting tools, and feature flag systems (e.g., Firebase, Sentry, Amplitude).