Lead Software Engineer

Lead Software EngineerParamount is looking for a hardworking Lead Software Engineer - Android to develop cohesive solutions to content based technical obstacles. The role will be end-to-end from understanding the goals and roadmaps of the product and engineering teams, through design and architecture of any solution and the delivery and maintenance of those platforms once in place. This role sits at the intersection of deep Android platform engineering and AI-native development: daily use of AI agents and coding tools (Cursor, Claude Code, Copilot) and hands-on collaboration with ML and data science teams on client-facing features.ResponsibilitiesTechnical LeadershipDrive the architectural direction and design of Android applicationsEstablish best practices for coding, testing, and deploymentEvangelize new tools, frameworks, and processes for continued innovation and development efficiencyPrepare architectural diagrams and technical specifications for the engineering team to deliver high quality, maintainable softwareLead architectural discussions around feature development and software development best practiceInvolvement in performance and playback optimizations, overall app stability and profilingApplication DevelopmentDesign, develop, test, and deploy new solutions as well as maintaining, integrating and improving existing solutions using modern technologies and industry best practicesEnsure robust performance, responsiveness, and quality of applications, troubleshooting and debugging as neededAI-Integrated DevelopmentLeverage AI-driven coding assistants like Copilot, Cursor, or Claude as a core component of the daily engineering lifecycle, including architectural design, implementation, and refactoring.Partner with technical leadership to establish and optimize safe, high-impact practices for utilizing AI tools within the development team.Drive cross-functional initiatives to integrate LLM and ML capabilities into product features, such as advanced search, discovery, and personalized content understanding.MentorshipMentor mid- and senior-level engineers, sharing technical expertise and guiding professional growthParticipate in code reviews to maintain code quality and consistency across the teamCross-Functional CollaborationWork closely with product managers, designers, and other engineering teams to clarify requirementsCoordinate with backend services and APIs to ensure seamless integration and feature deliveryProcess ImprovementEnhance software development processes and policies, driving continuous improvement in code quality, development speed, and overall team productivityStay current with emerging Android technologies, libraries, and trends, recommending their adoption where beneficialOwnership and AccountabilityPartner closely with the Android Engineering Manager on development strategiesEnsure the application is highly responsive and performantSafeguard against production incidentsEnable engineers to deliver mission-critical features and enhancementsIdentify technical risks and potential bottlenecks, proposing solutions to mitigate themExpertise in Android DevelopmentProficient in Kotlin and Java, with a solid understanding of the Android SDK and different Android versionsDeep knowledge of Architecture Patterns and Material Design (e.g., MVVM, MVI, Clean Architecture, Compose UI)Experience using Gradle and Android StudioExperience following and implementing software design patterns.System Design & ArchitectureProven ability to design scalable, high-performing, and secure Android applicationsExperience integrating complex RESTful APIs and third-party librariesTesting and Quality AssuranceStrong experience in writing unit tests, UI tests, and automated tests using frameworks like JUnit, Espresso, and othersFamiliarity with CI/CD pipelines and tools (e.g., Jenkins, GitHub Actions)Performance OptimizationAbility to identify and resolve performance bottlenecks, including memory leaks, slow rendering, and network inefficienciesSkilled in using performance profiling and optimizations (e.g., Android Profiler, Leak Canary)Leadership and CommunicationAbility to clearly articulate complex technical concepts to engineers, stakeholders, and executivesStrong mentoring skills, with a track record of developing and inspiring high-performing teamsBasic QualificationsBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience)7+ years of professional software development experience, with at least 6 years focused on Android developmentDemonstrated history of leading and delivering multiple large-scale Android projects in a production environment with multiple scrum teams in an agile processProven track record of architectural ownership and driving technical decisionsExcellent interpersonal skills with ability to facilitate conversations with business partners in project definition, business requirements definition and functional design sessionsEye for quality and user experienceTranslate business objectives into software requirementsDesired QualificationsHands on software development on the Android/Android TV/Amazon/Amazon Fire TV platformHave shipped one or more apps to the Google Play and/or Amazon app storeExperience working remotely with globally distributed and multiple interdisciplinary teamsExperience working on Android projects with multi-module architectureExperience with assistive technologies such as JAWS/VoiceOver, ZoomText, and keyboard-only input methodsExperience evaluating front-end code against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)Experience developing accessible front-end experiences with techniques such as TalkBack properties used in XML (labelFor, contentDescription), TalkBack announcements, dynamic text scaling, and responsive designAI LiteracyHands-on, daily use of AI coding assistants such as Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, or equivalent, with a clear sense of what these tools are good and bad at.Comfort writing effective prompts, structuring context, and evaluating AI-generated diffs critically before they land in the codebase.Working understanding of LLMs, embeddings, retrieval, and prompt engineering, enough to design client integrations and reason about latency, cost, and failure modes.Practical experience shipping or seriously prototyping at least one ML- or LLM-powered product feature (search, ranking, personalization, content understanding, in-app assistant, etc.).Judgment about responsible AI use: privacy, IP, attribution, and when a human review gate is required.Bonus Skills (Nice To Have)Experience with Video Streaming (HLS / MPEG-DASH)Experience working with ExoPlayerWidevine DRM knowledge