Android Native Developer

Android Native Developer (Contract / Freelance)

Engagement Details

• Type: Contract / Freelance
• Duration: Project-based with potential to extend
• Communication: Async-first, with regular syncs

Core Accountabilities & Deliverables

• Native Android Architecture: Build and maintain the Android application in Kotlin using the native Android SDK.
• BLE Layer Ownership: Implement and own a rock-solid, deterministic BLE communication layer (device discovery, pairing, GATT profile interactions, characteristic read/write/notify, connection state management, and reliable background reconnection logic).
• Technical Architecture: Translate product requirements, multi-layered state charts, and API schemas into reliable architectural code to eliminate integration errors downstream.
• Background & Hardware Operations: Work with push notifications, background services, and foreground service patterns required for persistent hardware connections.
• Telemetry & Subscriptions: Integrate client-side telemetry to support usage analytics and tiered user subscription tracking (Basic, Plus, Pro).
• Biometric & Health Integration: Connect with third-party health data sources (e.g., Google Fit, Samsung Health, Fitbit SDK).
• Proactive QA Testing: Write robust unit and integration tests; proactively simulate connection failures, packet drops, and extreme edge cases locally before passing code to QA cycles.

Required Technical Skills

• Experience: 4+ years of professional Android development experience.
• Kotlin Mastery: High proficiency in Kotlin (Coroutines, Flow/StateFlow, extension functions, and structured concurrency).
• Production BLE Engineering: Hands-on experience with BluetoothGatt, GattCallback, and GATT service/characteristic/descriptor models. Proven ability to handle real-world Android BLE quirks across different manufacturers (Samsung, Google, OnePlus) and API levels.
• Persistent Connectivity: Deep understanding of foreground service patterns for persistent, zero-downtime BLE connections.
• Modern UI Frameworks: Solid understanding of Jetpack Compose for building modern, state-driven user interfaces.
• Network & Security Layer: REST API integration (Retrofit / OkHttp) with robust interceptors for network retry patterns and Android runtime permission flows (especially Bluetooth/Location quirks on API 31+).
• Git Hygiene: Exceptional Git hygiene (clean branching strategies, structured PR description templates, and linear commit histories).

Nice to Have

• Experience with Wi-Fi provisioning flows (SoftAP, WifiManager APIs).
• Familiarity with OTA firmware update flows triggered securely from the mobile application.
• Experience with WorkManager or custom background processing for handling offline data syncing and upload retry logic.
• Charting / complex data visualization libraries for performance-driven data rendering.
• Dependency injection using Hilt / Dagger.

Performance Expectations & Culture

• Independent Execution: You receive requirements and architectural direction; you own delivery without hand-holding or micro-management.
• Proactive Debugging: You test your work thoroughly on real hardware and local emulators before marking tasks done. You set up comprehensive logging to capture and diagnose transient hardware bugs.
• Clear Communication: Transparent status updates without being asked; blockers flagged early, never at the deadline.
• Collaborative Mindset: You work seamlessly with iOS engineers, backend developers, and product designers to ensure unified app behavior without silos.