Senior iOS App Developer

Senior iOS App Developer 

Location: Calgary, Canada (Remote-Friendly) 

Robots & Pencils is seeking a Senior iOS App Developer to lead the development of robust, scalable, and high-performance iOS applications across our portfolio of client projects. This role combines deep iOS expertise with hands-on leadership in architecture, user experience, and delivery excellence. 

As a senior contributor, you’ll take ownership of iOS development from design to release. You’ll collaborate with cross-functional teams to define architecture, shape product experiences, and build apps that reflect modern best practices and user-first design. 

Key Responsibilities 

 

Mobile Architecture & Feature Development 

• Design and build native iOS applications using modern tools and patterns: Swift, SwiftUI (and/or UIKit), MVVM, async/await (and/or Combine). 

• Translate product requirements and UX designs into functional, testable, and performant app features. 

• Architect clean, scalable, modular codebases that support long-term growth, reuse, and maintainability. 

• Continuously optimize performance, offline support, responsiveness, accessibility, and startup time using tools like Xcode Instruments and system logs. 

 

Engineering Leadership & Delivery 

• Lead iOS-focused engineering streams across active projects, from discovery to delivery. 

• Collaborate with designers, backend developers, and product managers to align implementation plans and integration strategies. 

• Review pull requests and mentor team members on iOS best practices, code quality, and platform conventions. 

• Ensure code is testable and aligned with CI/CD pipelines (e.g., GitHub Actions, Bitrise, CircleCI, Fastlane). 

 

Cross-Functional Collaboration 

• Contribute to API design and backend integration strategy, advocating for mobile-friendly contracts. 

• Help define and maintain coding standards, tooling, and documentation for mobile engineering. 

• Participate in release planning, quality reviews, and issue resolution with project stakeholders. 

• Work within agile processes to meet delivery timelines while maintaining quality and stability. 

 

Offshore/Distributed Team Collaboration 

• Coordinate with teammates across time zones to ensure consistent delivery and high code quality. 
• Share architecture guidance and technical artifacts across distributed teams and projects. 

 

Platform & Process Excellence 

• Evaluate and integrate emerging iOS libraries, UI frameworks, and automation tools. 

• Ensure apps meet Apple App Store submission standards and accessibility compliance (e.g., WCAG, VoiceOver, Dynamic Type). 

• Support crash analytics, user feedback loops, and observability in production (e.g., Crashlytics, Sentry, analytics SDKs). 

• Drive continuous improvement in mobile development practices and team performance. 

 

Required Skills & Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Engineering, or equivalent experience. 

• 5+ years of professional iOS development experience, including 2+ years in senior/lead roles. 

• Expertise in Swift, SwiftUI (and/or UIKit), MVVM, and Swift Concurrency (async/await; familiarity with Combine a plus). 

• Strong knowledge of networking and data layers: URLSession/Alamofire, REST/JSON (GraphQL a plus), Core Data (or Realm/SQLite). 

• Experience with modular multi-module architectures and scalable code organization. 

 

• Proven testing practices: XCTest, XCUITest, snapshot testing, dependency injection for testability. 

 

• Familiarity with package/build and release tooling: Swift Package Manager, CocoaPods, Fastlane, code signing, TestFlight, App Store Connect. 

• Published apps on the App Store. 

• Experience with Git-based workflows and CI/CD integration (GitHub Actions, Bitrise, CircleCI). 

• Understanding of the full mobile development lifecycle, from design through deployment and post-release iteration. 

• Upper-Intermediate English (written and spoken) for effective cross-functional communication. 

 

Nice to Have 

• Experience with StoreKit (IAP/subscriptions), APNs and push notifications, deep links, background modes, Keychain/CryptoKit, and app security. 

• Familiarity with SwiftData and modern persistence patterns. 

• Experience with widgets, Live Activities, App Clips, and on-device ML (Core ML/Vision). 

• Exposure to cross-platform or shared-code strategies (e.g., Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile, React Native, Flutter) and/or basic Android fluency. 

• Contributions to open source or an active technical blog/GitHub profile. 

• Background in travel, hospitality, or IoT-enabled mobile apps. 

 

Personal Competencies 

• Accountability – owns the delivery of iOS features with quality, reliability, and precision. 
• Adaptability – operates effectively in fast-paced client environments and shifting priorities. 

• Collaboration – builds strong working relationships across teams and time zones. 

• Execution-focused – pragmatic about shipping maintainable solutions, not over-engineering. 

• Innovation-minded – explores and integrates modern tools and libraries into the tech stack. 

• Craftsmanship – holds high standards for UI/UX polish, accessibility, and code structure. 

Why Join Robots & Pencils? 

We don’t just ship apps; we create human-centered, digital-first products that matter. As a Senior iOS App Developer, you’ll join a team that values deep craft, cross-functional collaboration, and a relentless focus on quality. You’ll work on impactful projects that push the boundaries of mobile technology while influencing development culture and best practices across the organization.