Android Development Lead

Description :

Role : Android Development Lead

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.

Youll 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 :

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., Firebase, Sentry, Amplitude)