A mobile app developer uses programming languages and development skills to create, test, and develop applications on mobile devices. They work in popular operating system environments like iOS and Android and often take into account UI and UX principles when creating applications.
A mobile app developer is able to create software for phones and tablets, and is familiar with the newest technologies in the mobile world. Mobile development requires staying in the mobile head space, meaning that it’s even more important than with other hardware contexts to optimize performance, battery, network, and memory management. A developer must be also aware of how to deal with device fragmentation, often working closely with a designer to achieve the best user experience (UX) results.
“Mobile app developer” is a very wide term, because it’s not limited to developers who write native code for platforms like Android and iOS. It can also include hybrid app developers working with frameworks such as Cordova or Ionic, and JavaScript and C# developers, who are using React Native and Xamarin to write mobile apps. These are distinct specializations, so it’s crucial to either specify what technology you intend to use in the app or make it clear that you are open to technology propositions.
Mobile App Developer - Job Description and Ad Template
Copy this template, and modify it as your own:
Company Introduction
{{ Write a short and catchy paragraph about your company. Make sure to provide information about the company’s culture, perks, and benefits. Mention office hours, remote working possibilities, and everything else that you think makes your company interesting. }}
Job Description
We are looking for a strong mobile app developer who welcomes both engineering and maintenance tasks. The primary focus will be to implement new user interfaces and features together with automated unit and integration tests.
You will be working with our candid and collaborative team, where your knowledge and advice about application architecture and the newest mobile technologies will be highly appreciated. The code you write will need to be cleanly organized and of the highest quality. You’ll also help ensure solid application performance and an excellent user experience.
Responsibilities
Developing new features and user interfaces from wireframe models
Ensuring the best performance and user experience of the application
Fixing bugs and performance problems
Writing clean, readable, and testable code
Cooperating with back-end developers, designers, and the rest of the team to deliver well-architected and high-quality solutions
{{Add any other relevant responsibilities here}}
Skills
Extensive knowledge about mobile app development. This includes the whole process, from the first line of code to publishing in the store(s)
Deep knowledge of {{ List here the mobile platforms on which the app runs, e.g., Android, iOS, etc. }}
Proficiency with writing automated tests in {{ JUnit, Espresso, Mocha, Jest, Enzyme, XCTest, etc. depending on the libraries you use to test }}
Familiarity with RESTful APIs and mobile libraries for networking, specifically {{ Retrofit, axios, Alamofire, etc. }}
Familiarity with the JSON format
Experience with profiling and debugging mobile applications
Strong knowledge of architectural patterns—MVP, MVC, MVVM, and Clean Architecture—and the ability to choose the best solution for the app
Familiarity with Git
Familiarity with push notifications
Understanding mobile app design guidelines on each platform and being aware of their differences
Proficiency in {{ Kotlin/Java/Swift/Objective-C/JavaScript/C#, whichever language you use in the app }}
{{ Make sure to mention any other frameworks, libraries, or other technologies or development patterns that are relevant to your project}}
{{ List any specific hardware or sensors, like GPS or Bluetooth, that the app will use }}
{{ List any integrations that will need to be done (Facebook, Firebase, etc.) }}
{{ List any education level or certification you may require}}
App developers are full-stack engineers who build and maintain applications across various devices—from working on back-end data collection and app architecture to implementing user interfaces. This guide to hiring App developers provides tips on defining skill requirements, creating job descriptions, and selecting interview questions so you can identify the best candidate.
BelgiumFreelance Mobile App Developer at Toptal Since January 26, 2017
Niels is a seasoned software architect and entrepreneur with over fifteen years of experience. He's a generalist with strong communication and business skills who speaks the language of customers as well as techies. He has extensive experience as a product architect in B2B hi-tech software as well as B2C web and mobile software. Niels enjoys designing and implementing simple solutions to complex problems.
PortugalFreelance Mobile App Developer at Toptal Since April 4, 2014
João is a passionate iOS and Android developer. With strong attention to detail, he has created many great apps and has delivered many projects for millions of users, both startups and big companies. João has worked extensively on back-end and API integrations. A positive attitude allows him to create on his own and in teams.
RomaniaFreelance Mobile App Developer at Toptal Since December 9, 2019
With over a decade of programming experience and over eight years as a business owner, Lorand knows the importance of excellent communication and understanding with a client. He's obsessed with high quality and attention to detail, and he strives to find the best solutions possible. He currently focuses on using Magento or TYPO3 in his projects.
United StatesFreelance Mobile App Developer at Toptal Since October 7, 2019
Chetan is an entrepreneur with nearly a decade of professional experience in software engineering. He has founded a mobile gaming company and released two games, one of which has over 6 million downloads on iOS and Android. Chetan was previously an engineer and researcher at a cutting-edge AI company, and the first engineering hire at a social mobile startup. He can fit easily into any project, delivering products that surprise and delight.
AustraliaFreelance Mobile App Developer at Toptal Since May 6, 2019
In a nutshell, Hugh delivers positive outcomes. When he encounters a problem, he identifies the essential dynamics, hypothesizes a remedy, monitors, and iterates. When the issues extend, impact, or involve others, he acts quickly, focusing on communication and the roadmap. Hugh has over 25 years of experience developing applications and solving problems across a breadth of technical and business domains.
United StatesFreelance Mobile App Developer at Toptal Since July 10, 2018
Andrew is a senior engineer and architect with proven expertise across the full stack. He is always ready to devise an optimal solution for a specific set of problems. He enjoys designing and planning ahead of a project and the implementation that follows, ensuring project requirements are met. Andrew is passionate about constructive feedback and ideas where appropriate. He adjusts well to a variety of programming languages and technologies to provide ideal, long-term platform solutions.
United StatesFreelance Mobile App Developer at Toptal Since June 29, 2017
From payments to maps to real-time updates, ambitious UI/UX, and those ubiquitous QR codes, Eric has built it for startups and enterprises. And he won't get stuck where many engineers make time-wasting mistakes: geospatial data, simple logins for everyone (you too, enterprise SSO), in-app search, time zones, email deliverability, user permissions, and other stuff you shouldn't have to worry about. Eric is proactive and happy to communicate at any level of technical (or non-technical) detail.
