Lead Mobile Engineer
Role details
Job location
Tech stack
Job description
- The process includes a technical interview focusing on TypeScript and React Native, followed by a values-based assessment.
- Intended to be a straightforward three-stage process to maintain candidate engagement.
Pain Points and Challenges
- The app is central to the product, requiring a seamless user experience as it is the primary touchpoint for customers.
- Current mobile developer is leaving temporarily, creating an urgent need to fill the role.
Work Arrangement
- Preference for five days a week in-office, though flexibility is being considered to attract quality candidates.
Additional Preferences
- Open to candidates from high-growth startups, big tech, and those with founder experience.
- Excitement about the agricultural tech space is a plus, but not required., We are looking for a Lead Mobile Engineer with 5+ years of experience to own and scale the React Native application that serves as the primary touchpoint for ranchers to manage their cattle operations. You'll be our first hire in Austin and a forward-deployed engineer who doesn't just write code: you'll join calls with ranchers, ideate features, and deeply understand customer pain points. This is a high-ownership role at an early-stage company replacing physical fencing with a humane, ear-tag-based virtual fencing system launching Q1 2027. You'll take the existing well-architected MVP and scale it as Drover deploys thousands of units into the field. What will you be doing? Own and scale the React Native / Expo mobile app that ranchers use daily to move cattle, draw virtual fences, and monitor herd wellbeing Act as a forward-deployed engineer: joining customer calls, gathering feedback directly from ranchers, and ideating features alongside the founding team Design data flows, offline/sync behavior, and mapping experiences (Mapbox) that keep the app performant in remote field conditions
Requirements
5+ years of experience in mobile engineering Work experience React Native experience at 2+ companies (React/TypeScript experience can partially substitute, but must have some React Native experience) High- growth startup or Big Tech experience (ideally both 0- to- 1 building and performance optimization at scale with strong engineering culture) Shipped and maintained apps on both App Store and Play Store Hard skills Strong TypeScript proficiency independent of React Native (must write TypeScript without AI assistance in technical interview) Mobile app performance optimization (animations, rendering, memory management) Experience with mapping/geolocation (e. g. , Mapbox) or BLE/NFC hardware integration Soft skills Strong communication skills used to engage directly with customers: join rancher calls, gather feedback, ideate features without strict PRDs Miscellaneous Must be in Austin or willing to relocate: role is in- person 5 days/week (relocation budget available) Traits to avoid Over- reliance on AI: cannot write or discuss code without AI tools Contractor/consulting- heavy background seeking another short- term engagement Only native mobile experience (Swift/Kotlin) with no React or web- based framework experience Role Requirements
- Position: Lead Mobile Engineer, primarily responsible for taking ownership of the mobile app.
- Must be willing to work mostly in-person in Austin to help build office culture.
Candidate Requirements
- At least 5+ years of mobile app development experience, preferably with React Native.
- Experience in React and TypeScript is crucial; iOS/Android experience is less relevant.
Timeline and Urgency
- Looking to hire urgently to overlap with a current team member leaving for studies in September.
- Plan to launch product in Q1 2027, necessitating immediate hiring to prepare., * Looking for candidates with both startup experience and strong engineering culture from larger tech companies.
- Should be eager to engage with customers and excited about the product's impact on agriculture.