MOBILE ENGINEERING LEAD - APPS ENGINEERING

As Technology Lead - Apps Engineering, you will be responsible for the full software development lifecycle and live service operations across iOS, Android, cross-platform applications and kiosk systems. Acting as the senior technical authority in this domain, you will shape architecture, set engineering standards and foster a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.

You will work in close partnership with the Ecommerce Technology Lead and other digital leaders to create seamless, multi-channel guest journeys across web, app and in-park touchpoints.

This role combines strategic leadership with deep hands-on technical expertise. You will remain close to the code, guiding architectural decisions, reviewing complex implementations and solving critical technical challenges., Mobile & Kiosk Platform Strategy and Leadership

• Own and deliver the strategic technical roadmap for all Merlin mobile applications and kiosk platforms.
• Act as the final authority on architecture, design, scalability, performance and security decisions.
• Establish and govern engineering standards across the mobile SDLC, including CI/CD, release management and quality assurance.
• Evaluate and introduce new technologies, tools, and vendors to enhance capability and innovation.

Operational & Engineering Management

• Lead multiple agile engineering squads across the full lifecycle from concept to deployment, optimisation and live service.
• Act as the senior escalation point for incidents, service recovery and root-cause remediation.
• Implement robust monitoring, analytics, crash reporting and performance management practices.
• Ensure smooth and timely app store submissions and kiosk deployments.
• Define and report on SLAs and KPIs, holding teams accountable for stability, guest impact and business performance.
• Manage technical relationships with Apple App Store, Google Play and kiosk vendors.

Collaboration and Integration

• Partner with Ecommerce Technology, Data Engineering, Infrastructure, Cloud and Security teams to ensure cohesive digital platforms.
• Translate business requirements into technically sound, deliverable backlogs alongside Product and UX/UI teams.
• Enable integration with park systems including ticketing, photography and access control via APIs.

Team Leadership and Development

• Build, mentor, and lead high-performing mobile and kiosk engineering squads.
• Drive capability development, workforce planning and succession within the domain.
• Foster a culture of engineering excellence, innovation and agile maturity.
• Set clear objectives and measurable outcomes aligned to product and organisational goals.

Technical Delivery & Governance

• Maintain hands-on expertise in native mobile development (Swift, SwiftUI, Kotlin, Jetpack Compose) and React Native.
• Champion agile and DevOps practices to improve flow, predictability and time-to-market.
• Own technical quality, codebase health and technical debt management.
• Manage the engineering budget, balancing investment, risk and delivery outcomes.
• Communicate technical strategy, risks and value clearly to senior stakeholders.

Security, Compliance and Risk

• Ensure mobile and kiosk platforms meet the highest standards of security, compliance and governance.
• Lead vulnerability management, technical risk assessment and remediation processes.

Do you have experience in iOS?, You are a strong hands-on engineer and an inspiring technical leader. You combine deep native mobile expertise with the ability to define long-term strategy and build high-performing teams., * Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.

• 5+ years' deep hands-on experience in native mobile development across iOS (Swift, SwiftUI) and Android (Kotlin, Jetpack Compose).
• Significant commercial experience with React Native or similar cross-platform frameworks.
• Experience leading mobile engineering teams in a technical leadership capacity.
• Proven expertise across the full mobile SDLC, including publishing and lifecycle management via Apple App Store and Google Play Console.
• Strong knowledge of agile methodologies and DevOps practices.
• Experience with modern mobile architectures (MVVM, Clean Architecture) and state management.
• Integration experience with APIs, cloud platforms (AWS or Azure) and identity solutions.
• Strong understanding of mobile security, performance optimisation and accessibility standards.
• Experience with kiosk, IoT, or embedded systems is desirable.
• Relevant certifications such as AWS or Agile leadership are advantageous.

Key Skills and Competencies:

• Expert-level technical proficiency and architectural capability.
• Strong delivery focus with agile leadership experience.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Collaborative approach across engineering, product and design.
• Analytical, proactive problem-solving mindset.
• Passion for emerging mobile technologies and continuous learning., Soulfully Curious - Open-minded, inquisitive and always seeking better ways to solve complex challenges.

Results Focused - Accountable, goal-oriented and committed to delivering measurable outcomes.

Extraordinary Teammates - Collaborative, supportive and enterprise-minded.