Head of Development

AppNation was founded in 2021 with a mission to develop world-class, AI-powered mobile applications that make a lasting impact on millions of users. We are the creators of Genie, Fotorama, and Arch, delivering innovative solutions that enhance everyday experiences.

Our apps have consistently ranked among the top charts in over 30 countries, reaching more than 80 million users worldwide. Recognized by Apple on the App Store, we continue to push the boundaries of innovation in the mobile tech industry. For a talented, driven, and collaborative individual, working at AppNation is a chance to learn, make an impact, and accelerate your career at an exceptional pace. That’s our promise.

About the Role

We’re looking for a hands-on leader to own AppNation’s technical vision and execution. You’ll lead the development cycle across Backend, Mobile, Frontend, and QA, building high-performance products used by millions of users worldwide.

This isn’t a 'sit-back-and-delegate' role. You’ll stay close to the code, set the engineering bar, and embed AI-first development practices into our daily DNA. Working directly with leadership, you will align our tech stack with business growth while fostering a fast-paced culture where people take radical ownership of their work.

What You’ll Do

• Technical Strategy: Define and drive the engineering vision, architecture, and technology roadmap across all products.
• Lead by Example: Set a high bar for quality. Don't just manage from a distance, get into the code, review high-impact PRs, and show the team what great engineering looks like.
• AI-First Development: Standardize how the team uses tools like Cursor. Keep us ahead of the curve by integrating the latest AI workflows into our daily dev cycle.
• Team & Cycle Leadership: Manage the development cycle across Backend, Frontend, Mobile and QA. Own the full lifecycle—hiring, onboarding, and performance. Build a culture where people take ownership and ship high-impact work.
• Technical Excellence, Security & Compliance: Own the health of our entire stack. Monitor and optimize everything: Crash rates, ANRs, startup times, api latencies and infra utilization. Build the workflows to catch vulnerabilities before users do, and ensure AppNation apps remain secure and compliant with global regulations.
• Efficiency & Velocity: Design workflows that maximize team speed, remove bottlenecks, and ensure scalable growth.
• Strategic Partnership: Collaborate with Marketing, Product, Data and AI leaders to align technical efforts with business goals.
• Executive Communication: Maintain a straight, honest line of communication with founders and leadership. No fluff, just clarity.

What We Look For

• Experience: BS/MS in Computer Science; 8+ years in software development with 2+ years of proven engineering leadership.
• Scale Mastery: You’ve built and operated distributed systems that handle millions of concurrent users in production.
• Tech Stack: Deep expertise in Node.js, event-driven architectures, microservices, and cloud platforms (GCP, AWS, or Azure).
• Mobile: Practical experience with Flutter or native iOS/Android. You understand the mobile lifecycle and can hold your own in technical discussions with the mobile team. We also expect you to keep sharpening your mobile expertise to stay ahead of our product strategy.
• Infrastructure: Hands-on experience with Kubernetes, Docker, CI/CD pipelines, and observability tools.
• AI-Native: Active practitioner of AI tools with a commitment to emerging LLM trends.
• Communication: Excellent communicator in English; You can explain a complex technical mess to a non-technical stakeholder without losing them.
• Mindset: You take full ownership of outcomes. You value direct feedback, high standards, and getting things done.

What We Offer

• Work with exceptional people. At AppNation, you’ll collaborate with small, autonomous, results-driven teams alongside some of the most talented minds in the mobile app industry.
• A platform for growth. We go above and beyond to hire individuals with extraordinary potential and provide them with the opportunities, resources, and challenges to thrive. At AppNation, young professionals often take on leadership roles in projects that reach millions of users. If you’ve got the drive, you’ll quickly find yourself playing a pivotal role in shaping our success.
• Competitive compensation. We offer salaries that are above the standard for our sector, ensuring that you’re rewarded fairly for your skills, dedication, and impact. Compensation grows rapidly as you contribute more to the team’s success, ensuring your financial growth matches your career progress.
• Unmatched benefits. Work-from-home Wednesdays, premium private health insurance, meal and commute compensation, comprehensive relocation support, and even a day off to celebrate your birthday. We’re dedicated to creating an environment where you can do your best work—and enjoy the journey.

The Recruitment Process

We’ve designed a rigorous yet rewarding process to find the best fit for both you and our team:

1. Application Review: We’ll carefully assess your CV and experience.
2. First Interview: A 30-minute online interview with our Hiring Manager to discuss your background, goals, and alignment with our mission.
3. Technical Interview: A deep dive with our department lead, focusing on technical topics and assessing your knowledge.
4. Communication Interview: Meet with the P&C, AI, and Strategy team to discuss your vision, aspirations, and how we can grow together.
5. CEO Interview: A one-on-one conversation with our CEO to discuss alignment on vision, culture, and long-term goals.
6. Final Decision: We’ll get back to you within a few days with our decision.

Before You Apply

At AppNation, we set ambitious goals and demand the best from ourselves and each other. This creates a fast-paced, challenging environment that offers unparalleled opportunities for growth, achievement, and learning.

We value passion, potential, and a willingness to grow. If this role excites you and you believe you have what it takes, we encourage you to apply—even if you don’t check every box.