Lead Android Developer (SDK, MVVM) – Hybrid – Sussex

Lead Android Developer - Hybrid - Sussex Daily rate: £500 - £700 (inside IR35) Duration: 6 months Hybrid: 2 days per week on site (mandatory Tues, Wed) Start: ASAP My client is looking for a Lead Android Engineer to join on a freelance basis. You will be responsible for leading the design, development, and delivery of the mobile application on Android. This role combines hands-on engineering leadership with solution architecture responsibilities, ensuring scalable, secure, and high-performing mobile solutions. The individual will lead distributed teams, including offshore engineers, while collaborating closely with Product, Architecture, and Backend teams. The app supports key customer journeys including search and purchase, management, account access, and different experiences. This role plays a critical part in shaping the technical direction and delivering seamless digital customer experiences. Qualifications Strong experience in Android development using Kotlin, Java, Android SDK, and Jetpack Proven experience operating as a Technical Lead or senior engineer with architectural responsibilities Deep understanding of mobile architecture patterns (e.g. MVVM, Clean Architecture, modularisation) Experience designing and integrating with APIs, including REST and GraphQL (advantageous) Strong knowledge of software engineering best practices including TDD, CI/CD, and secure coding Experience building high-performance, scalable mobile applications with strong observability and logging Understanding of cloud-native and distributed system architectures Experience leading or working with offshore teams Strong problem-solving skills and ability to contribute to solution design and architecture Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience preferred *Rates depend on experience and client requirements