About this role.
Ruby Labs seeks a Lead Android Developer to own the technical direction of their Android platform. This hands-on role involves setting engineering standards, mentoring a team, and driving architectural decisions. The ideal candidate has 8+ years of Android experience, with expertise in Kotlin, coroutines, and Google Play Billing at scale. Responsibilities include defining the technical roadmap, optimizing CI/CD, ensuring performance, and collaborating with product and design leadership. The company offers a remote work environment with unlimited PTO and a flexible contractor agreement.
Role DNA
A quick view of the complexity, pace, ownership and collaboration implied by the job description.
Job Complexity
5/5Pace & Pressure
4/5Autonomy Level
5/5Communication Load
5/5Salary analysis
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Core skills
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Cover letter sample
I am excited to apply for the Lead Android Developer position at Ruby Labs. With over 8 years of Android development experience and 4 years leading teams, I have a strong track record of delivering scalable, high-performance applications. My expertise in Kotlin, coroutines, and Google Play Billing aligns perfectly with your requirements. I am particularly drawn to Ruby Labs' innovative products and remote-first culture. I look forward to contributing to your team and driving technical excellence.
Sample interview questions
I would assess the current architecture and identify modules that can be separated based on features or layers. Using Gradle's build caching and parallel module compilation, I would create a multi-module structure with clear API contracts. I would also implement CI/CD to trigger builds only for changed modules, and use Gradle build scans to detect bottlenecks.
I have implemented Play Billing with real-time developer notifications (RTDN) and server-side entitlement verification. I use a server-to-server validation with Google's API and handle offline scenarios with local caching. For fraud prevention, I monitor for unusual purchase patterns and use obfuscation to protect API keys.
I focus on startup optimization through Baseline Profiles, lazy initialization, and reducing work on the main thread. I use tools like Macrobenchmark to measure and set performance budgets. For jank, I analyze frame timings, optimize RecyclerViews, and use Compose's recomposition optimizations.
I paired them on a complex feature, explaining the architecture and design patterns. I conducted code reviews with constructive feedback and encouraged them to ask questions. I also set up weekly knowledge-sharing sessions where they presented their work, boosting their confidence and ownership.
I have integrated AI-driven features like smart recommendations using on-device ML with TensorFlow Lite. For development, I champions use of GitHub Copilot and other AI tools to accelerate coding, writing tests, and generating documentation. I also advocate for automating repetitive tasks with AI.
About us
Ruby Labs is a leading tech company that creates and operates innovative consumer products. We offer a diverse range of opportunities across the health, education, and entertainment industries. Our innovative teams are driving the future of consumer-led products, and we’re always looking for passionate individuals to join us. Learn more about our story at: https://rubylabs.com/about-us/
About the role
As a Lead Android Engineer, you will own the technical direction of our Android platform, set engineering standards, and mentor a team of engineers while remaining hands-on with the codebase. You will drive architecture decisions, ensure scalability and performance, and partner with product and cross-functional leadership to shape the mobile roadmap.
Key Responsibilities
Define and own the technical vision, architecture, and long-term roadmap for the Android platform.
Lead, mentor, and grow a team of Android engineers; set coding standards and review practices.
Make high-impact architectural decisions and drive modularization/scalability across the codebase.
Own CI/CD strategy, release management, and deployment reliability.
Partner with product and design leadership to translate business goals into technical execution.
Establish observability, performance budgets, and quality gates.
Remain hands-on: contribute to critical features and complex problem-solving.
Qualifications
8+ years of Android development experience, including 2+ years in a lead or tech-lead capacity.
Proven track record shipping and scaling B2C subscription-based apps at significant user volume.
Deep expertise in Kotlin, coroutines/Flow, and advanced language features; ability to set idiomatic standards across a team.
Mastery of Google Play Billing at scale, subscription monetization architecture, entitlement validation, RTDN pipelines, paywall experimentation, and pricing/offer strategy.
Strong architectural leadership: large-scale multi-module Gradle architectures, build optimization, design systems, and cross-team API contracts.
Experience owning CI/CD at scale (GitHub Actions, Bitrise, Gitlab CI), automated release trains, staged rollouts, and signing/key management.
Deep performance engineering: startup optimization, Baseline Profiles, memory/jank diagnosis, and R8/ProGuard optimization.
Comprehensive testing strategy ownership: unit, UI (Compose/Espresso), and integration testing with meaningful coverage goals.
Experience integrating AI-driven product features and championing AI-assisted development practices across a team.
Strong technical leadership, mentorship, stakeholder communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Location
Ruby Labs operates within the CET (Central European Time) zone. Applicants from any country are welcome to apply for the position as long as they are located within approximately ± 4 hours of CET. This ensures optimal collaboration and communication during working hours.
Benefits
Discover the perks of being part of our vibrant team! We offer:
Remote Work Environment: Embrace the freedom to work from anywhere, anytime, promoting a healthy work-life balance.
Unlimited PTO: Enjoy unlimited paid time off to recharge and prioritize your well-being, without counting days.
Paid National Holidays: Celebrate and relax on national holidays with paid time off to unwind and recharge.
Company-provided MacBook: Experience seamless productivity with top-notch Apple MacBooks provided to all employees who need them.
Flexible Independent Contractor Agreement: Unlock the benefits of flexibility, autonomy, and entrepreneurial opportunities. Benefit from tax advantages, networking opportunities, reduced employment obligations, and the freedom to work from anywhere. Read more about it here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nkrN76JlZkbKj9WSOhlT1_mni_CZeDkHdwfIjPXVwvk/preview?tab=t.0#heading=h.ndsdl4wapxtt
Be part of our fast-growing team and seize this excellent opportunity for personal and professional growth!
Interview Process
After submitting your application, we conduct a thorough review which typically takes 3 to 5 days, but may occasionally take longer due to the volume of applications received. If we see a potential fit, we proceed with the following steps:
Recruiter Screening (40 minutes)
Technical Interview (90 minutes)
Technical Interview (60 minutes)
Final Interview (60 minutes)
Life at Ruby Labs
At Ruby Labs, we move fast, aim high, and expect the same from our team. We’re not here to play small—we’re here to build, grow, and win. That means we look for people who are ambitious, driven, and ready to give their best every single day.
This is a place for individuals who thrive under pressure, embrace challenges, and see opportunity in every obstacle. If you’re hungry to achieve, motivated by impact, and want to grow at the speed of your own ambition, Ruby Labs offers the platform to make it happen.
Here, effort is matched with reward. We recognize those who go all in and deliver results, and we create space for people who want more—more responsibility, more growth, and more success.
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