About this role.
DuckDuckGo is hiring a senior Android engineer to build secure, privacy-focused native Android applications on its remote-first Functional Team. The role requires 7+ years of Android experience, work on at least two large native Android apps, and strong Kotlin expertise. Core work includes privacy features such as Privacy Pro support, autofill improvements, and phishing and malware protection. The engineer will own projects end to end, collaborate cross-functionally on UX decisions, and contribute within a high-trust, asynchronous environment. The role includes a full-time 40-hour weekly commitment and periodic travel for company and team meetups.
Role DNA
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Job Complexity
5/5Pace & Pressure
4/5Autonomy Level
5/5Communication Load
5/5Salary analysis
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Core skills
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Sample interview questions
I would begin by clarifying user and privacy requirements, threat models, success metrics, and platform constraints with product, design, and security partners. I would propose a modular Kotlin architecture, define data-handling boundaries, build a test plan covering functional and privacy cases, and instrument only privacy-appropriate metrics. After rollout, I would monitor quality signals, gather qualitative feedback, and lead a retrospective to improve both the feature and delivery process.
I first reproduce the issue and inspect lifecycle behavior, heap data, retained objects, and allocation patterns using Android Studio tooling and targeted logging. Common safeguards include avoiding long-lived references to Activities or Views, correctly cancelling coroutine work, unregistering listeners, using lifecycle-aware components, and reviewing singleton usage. I add regression coverage where possible and validate the fix with repeatable profiling scenarios.
I keep UI state updates on the main thread and move blocking I/O, expensive computation, and data transformations to appropriate coroutine dispatchers. I use structured concurrency, lifecycle-aware scopes, cancellation, immutable state where practical, and explicit error handling to avoid race conditions and orphaned work. I also profile slow paths and verify that asynchronous operations do not expose sensitive data or create inconsistent UI state.
I would combine product metrics such as completion rate, error rate, latency, and retention with usability feedback, support themes, and session observations. If evidence showed users abandoning a flow, I would identify the most likely friction points, prototype a focused improvement, and use staged release measurement to validate impact. I would communicate both the numerical results and the user context so the team can make a balanced decision.
I make the decision criteria explicit, including user impact, privacy and security implications, implementation cost, maintainability, delivery risk, and alternatives considered. I present concise evidence, invite challenges early, and adjust when new information changes the trade-offs. Once a decision is made, I document the rationale and next steps so the team can execute consistently and revisit it later if outcomes differ from expectations.
Hi, we’re DuckDuckGo, the online protection company and remote-first team of 300+ on a mission to raise the standard of trust online. Founded in 2008 and profitable since 2014, annual revenue now exceeds $100m USD and millions use our browser on on Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android, our search engine, and the DuckDuckGo subscription. We also offer private, useful, and optional AI, including Duck.ai, which lets you chat privately with ChatGPT, Claude, and other AIs, all in one place. Our culture of trust, inclusivity, and empowered project management underpins everything we do, where each team member takes full ownership of their projects, from scoping and execution to postmortem. If you’re seeking end-to-end ownership of your work, you’ve come to the right place!
Your team and role
Working on the Android Functional Team, you’ll build secure, privacy-focused applications for Android devices, using Kotlin, Maestro and Graphite, and work on related projects. Recent projects include:
Privacy Pro support
Improving autofill
Phishing & Malware Protection
About You
Extensive Android engineering background (7+ years) with experience working on at least two large native Android applications.
Solid experience programming in Kotlin.
Deep understanding of MV concepts, mobile threading, and memory management and how they apply to mobile applications.
A fundamental understanding of complex data structures and algorithms.
Ability to leverage both quantitative and qualitative data and collaborate with a cross-functional team to develop effective UX solutions.
Creative problem-solving and risk-taking. You like to take the initiative to push projects forward but know when to involve others.
Excellent communication skills. You can validate your decisions and communicate them clearly.
Compensation
$178,500 USD annually and stock options. Compensation is transparent across the organization, and all team members within the same professional level and global region receive the same compensation.
Eligibility for company-sponsored health benefits is limited to team members based in the United States. This program does not extend to team members located in other countries, such as Canada or the UK.
Our Team Member Support Guide explains how we prioritize your wellbeing including paid parental leave, office setup, and co-working allowances.
Hiring Process
Hiring works best when it’s a two-way street. Learn how we help you get to know DuckDuckGo, envision your future role here, and find out more about how we hire.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
DuckDuckGo provides equal work opportunities to all team members and applicants, and it prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, caste, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by our policies or federal, state, or local laws.
We want to ensure that our hiring process is accessible. If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process because of a medical condition or disability, please send an email to careers@duckduckgo.com to let us know the nature of your request.
Please note that:
You’ll be required to attend meetings on camera via video conferencing
Expect to travel at least two times a year: once for our all-hands meetup and again for a team retreat (each around 4-5 days). While extenuating circumstances may impact attendance, everyone is strongly encouraged to attend.
While we offer a flexible work arrangement with no core hours, expect an average full-time commitment of 40 hours per week.
A successful candidate must pass a background check as a condition of joining the team.
By applying for this role, you confirm that all information submitted is accurate and complete. You further acknowledge that providing false or fraudulent information during the application process is cause for denial of an offer, revocation of any existing offer, or other adverse action, up to and including termination after the start of your commencement of work.
Disclosure Statement: Use of AI in Hiring Process
As part of our commitment to enhancing our recruitment process, we utilize artificial intelligence (AI) technology to assist in reviewing and summarizing job applications and test projects, including those tools integrated into our recruitment vendor platforms. We use AI to flag potentially fraudulent applications, analyze and summarize applicants’ experience, interviews, and project performance, and help streamline our selection process.
Key Principles:
Data Privacy: All information provided in your application will be handled in accordance with our Recruiting Privacy Policy. We ensure that your personal information is protected and used solely for recruitment purposes.
Human Oversight and Accountability: The AI technology is designed to support our hiring team by providing insights and summaries of applications and evaluations of test projects against scoring rubrics. All final evaluations and hiring decisions, however, will be made by our hiring team, who will consider the AI’s input alongside other factors.
Transparency: We believe in transparency regarding our hiring practices. If you have any questions about how AI is used in our recruitment process, please feel free to reach out to us.
By submitting your application, you acknowledge and consent to the use of AI technology in our review process. If you would like to request an alternative selection process, please contact us as at careers@duckduckgo.com. Thank you for your interest in joining DuckDuckGo!
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