At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead Android architecture and drive technical innovation in a dynamic engineering team.
- Company: Join Deltatre, a leader in sports and media tech, shaping the future of Android development.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, opportunities for mentorship, and a collaborative work environment.
- Other info: Work closely with product leaders and mentor senior engineers in a global team.
- Why this job: Make impactful architectural decisions and influence the next generation of Android applications.
- Qualifications: 8+ years in software engineering with deep Android expertise and leadership experience.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
This role is offered on a UK employment contract. Candidates must be based in the UK as we are unable to support remote working from outside the country due to local employment and tax legislation.
This is the Principal-level technical authority for Deltatre's Android Product Engineering team operating on AXIS and DIVA. This is a senior individual-contributor role, as the Principal Engineer leads through technical expertise, domain knowledge, and strategic influence. Your authority is technical, exercised through architectural decisions, code review, and the way you raise the standard around you.
You will partner with the Technical Director to define long-term Android architectural direction across the product portfolio, set engineering standards, and act as the deep technical authority across multiple Android subsystems. The work spans architectural integrity, modernisation of the Android stack, and influencing how other Android engineers think about quality at scale.
Responsibilities
- Technical leadership
- Partner with the Technical Director to define long-term Android architectural direction, technical standards, and technology choices
- Own the architectural integrity and scalability of the Android platform across products — system design, integration patterns, data architecture
- Evaluate emerging Android technologies and propose adoption strategies aligned with product and business goals
- Drive technical innovation and continuous improvement within the Android engineering function
- Set the bar for engineering quality through code and design reviews, mentorship, and example
- Define and promote best practices in Android development — CI/CD, testing, monitoring, documentation
- Guide teams in resolving complex Android-specific technical challenges, balancing short-term delivery needs with long-term sustainability
- Domain ownership
- Act as the technical authority within the Android domain, across multiple subsystems and products
- Develop deep domain knowledge of the Android ecosystem at Deltatre's scale
- Ensure consistency in Android design and implementation practices across teams
- Collaboration and influence
- Collaborate with Product Managers, Designers, Tech Leads, and other stakeholders to align Android technical and product roadmaps
- Influence and mentor Lead Engineers and senior Android developers across the organisation
- Participate in high-level planning and decision-making with senior engineering and product leaders
Requirements
- 8+ years' software engineering experience with at least 3 years at Principal, Lead, or Architect level
- Substantial production experience with Kotlin and modern Android development, with working command of Java
- Deep architectural understanding of the Android platform — lifecycle, memory, threading, performance, accessibility
- Demonstrated experience leading architecture on cloud-connected, high‑availability consumer applications
- Substantial experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and how mobile apps interact with them
- Demonstrated technical leadership without people management — code quality governance, mentorship, architectural decision authority
- Comfortable communicating complex Android technical topics to non‑technical stakeholders
- Familiarity with Agile methodologies and DevOps practices
- Background in OTT, video streaming, or B2C consumer apps at scale
- Experience with React Native or other cross‑platform mobile frameworks
- Familiarity with sports / media tech sector
- Experience with media‑specific concerns — video playback, DRM, encoding
- Experience mentoring senior engineers (not only juniors)
- Experience working in a global, distributed team environment
Who Thrives Here
Principal Android engineering at Deltatre is technical authority without distance from the code. You are still the engineer who can sit down with a stuck team and work through the problem with them. You are also the person who can sit in a room with product leadership and explain, in their language, why the architectural choice that looks expensive this quarter is the cheap one for next year. People who thrive in this role tend to be honest about technical trade‑offs (they don't oversell solutions or under‑warn about risks), generous with their reasoning (they explain why, not only what), and patient with the long‑arc work where the value of a decision becomes visible only over multiple Android releases. The role asks for deep Android expertise plus the patience and credibility to influence other engineers without managing them.
Process and what to expect
- Introductory conversation: a step for us to get to know each other better, and for us to answer all questions you might have around Deltatre.
- 1‑hour Technical round of Interview: we will deep dive on your experience and collect examples of the responsibilities you've been dealing with in your past experience. A chance to deep dive on the role and for you to ask questions.
- 1‑hour Competency Based Interview: we will ask you situational questions around how you deal with real‑life scenarios at work. Easier doing it, more than explaining it.
Principal Engineer Android employer: Deltatre
Deltatre is an exceptional employer for the Principal Engineer Android role, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and technical excellence. With a strong emphasis on employee growth, you will have the opportunity to lead architectural decisions and mentor fellow engineers while collaborating with cross-functional teams in a supportive environment. Located in the UK, Deltatre provides a unique chance to influence the future of Android development in the media tech sector, ensuring your contributions are both meaningful and impactful.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Engineer Android
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Deltatre or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Deltatre.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Deltatre.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Deltatre that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Engineer Android
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Deltatre.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Deltatre and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Deltatre
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Deltatre uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
