Engagement Model

• Type: Independent contractor / service engagement
• Contract: Time & Material (T&M) or capped monthly retainer (as agreed)
• Workload: Part‑time, demand‑driven
• Release Pattern: Support for -up to six releases per year, with ongoing maintenance in between
• Working Model: Remote

Role Overview

We are looking for an experienced Android Developer who can operate independently and take clear ownership of an existing Android application. The primary focus of the role is maintenance, stability, and release readiness, including critical bug fixing, dependency and SDK management, and early preparation for platform or library deprecations.

The developer will also be responsible for CI setup and maintenance, as well as UI automation testing using the company’s device farm. In addition, the role explicitly includes proposing simplification and long‑term maintainability improvements to reduce operational and technical complexity.

This is a staff augmentation role but the candidate is expected to work autonomously and proactively with the support of IT and experienced coworkers.

Key Responsibilities

1. Application Maintenance & Bug Fixing

• Maintain an existing Android application with a strong focus on:
• Stability
• Reliability
• Production readiness
• Investigate, prioritize, and fix critical and high‑impact bugs, especially around release periods
• Provide timely fixes to unblock scheduled releases

2. Dependency & Platform Management

• Keep Android SDK, Gradle, and third‑party libraries up to date where feasible
• Proactively monitor:
• Android platform changes
• Upcoming deprecations
• Java/Kotlin tech stack
• Breaking changes in key dependencies
• Prepare mitigation strategies early, avoiding last‑minute upgrade risks
• Ensure the project does not accumulate long‑term dependency or platform drift

3. Release Preparation Support

• Support the application through approximately two major releases per year
• Ensure:
• Build stability
• Compatibility with target Android versions
• Adequate test coverage before releases
• Participate in release readiness checks and post‑release follow‑ups

4. CI & Build Automation

• Design, maintain, and improve CI pipelines for the Android project
• Ensure CI supports:
• Reliable builds
• Automated testing
• Release‑ready artifacts
• Troubleshoot build and pipeline issues independently

5. UI Automation & Device Farm Testing

• Implement and maintain UI automation tests (e.g. Espresso or equivalent)
• Integrate UI tests into CI using the company’s device farm
• Ensure coverage across relevant Android versions and device profiles
• Maintain test stability and minimize flaky tests

6. Simplification & Maintainability Improvements

• Proactively identify opportunities to:
• Simplify architecture
• Reduce unnecessary complexity
• Improve long‑term maintainability
• Documentation
• Suggest pragmatic improvements rather than large rewrites
• Clearly communicate trade‑offs, risks, and expected benefits

Required Technical Skills

Core Android Skills

• Strong experience with Android native application development
• Proficiency in Kotlin (Java acceptable where applicable)
• Solid understanding of Android:
• Lifecycle
• App architecture
• Performance and stability considerations

Maintenance & Modernization

• Proven experience maintaining production Android applications
• Experience with:
• Dependency upgrades
• SDK version alignment
• Handling deprecations responsibly

CI / Automation

• Experience setting up and maintaining CI pipelines for Android projects
• Familiarity with:
• Gradle build system
• Automated test execution in CI
• Hands‑on experience with UI automation testing
• Experience using device farms (internal or external) is highly preferred

Nice‑to‑Have Skills

• Experience with:
• Modular Android projects
• Static analysis or quality gates
• Familiarity with:
• Play Store release processes
• Crash reporting and monitoring tools

Soft Skills & Working Style

• Ability to operate autonomously and take ownership
• Proactive mindset toward risk prevention and maintenance
• Clear communication of findings, risks, and recommendations
• Comfortable working with limited oversight and clear outcomes

Engagement Expectations (Summary)

• Independent Android developer,
• Company providing tools, and office space if needed
• Part‑time, 8 hours per week, long‑term maintenance focus,
• High involvement around up to six releases per year
• Ownership of:
• Stability
• Dependency health
• CI and UI automation
• Continuous improvement through simplification and early preparation

Onboarding documentation available