Mobile App Developer

Characters 3942 Department: Operations Job purpose: We are looking for a senior mobile app developer to lead the design, development and maintenance of Android, iPhone and Blackberry apps. The developer will lead the entire app lifecycle right from concept stage until delivery and post launch support including all coding, testing and release to app stores and support . Apps will be mainly content based and integrated closely with the web sites. In addition to delivering the product the successful candidate will be heavily involved in driving the mobile strategy forward. Reporting line: Development Manager Working relationships (internal/external): Product Development Managers – Internal Customer, working with the Brand Product Development teams to develop ideas concepts and solutions that help the brand meet their objectives Developers – working very closely with the global development/ engineering teams responsible for the web sites Project Managers – working very closely with project managers effectively working across multiple projects and delivering to deadlines Main tasks and responsibilities: Acting as lead iOS, Android and Blackberry developer. Deliver across the entire app life cycle –concept, design, build, deploy, test, release to app stores and support Working directly with developers and product managers to conceptualize, build, test and realize products Gather requirements around functionality and translate those requirements into elegant functional solutions Build prototypes at tech scoping stage of projects Working with the web developers to create and maintain a robust framework to support the apps Working with the front end developers to build the interface with focus on usability features Create compelling device specific user interfaces and experiences Standardizing the platform and in some cases apps to deliver across multiple brands with minimal duplication of effort Optimizing performance for the apps Keep up to date on the latest industry trends in the mobile technologies Explain technologies and solutions to technical and non-technical stakeholders Attend industry events/ conference – both attending and presenting Person specification: Proven commercial software development experience – desktop and mobile Published examples of mobile applications on the App store and the Android market Excellent knowledge in information architecture, human computer interaction and usability design principles A track record of delivering successful consumer and or business products Ability to use analytic data and user testing to inform design decisions A passion for new consumer technology and the emerging media landscape Ability to multi task and good time management skills Ability to work on their own and as a part of the team Excellent scoping and estimation skills Excellent testing/ QA skills Excellent communication skills (verbal and written) to liaise with various departments locally and internationally Essential skills: iOS – Strong OO design and programming skills in Objective-C Familiar with iOS SDK (UIKit, Cocoa Touch, Core Data, Core Location, etc) Familiar with xcode Android/Blackberry – Strong OO design and programming skills in Java (J2EE/ J2ME) Familiar with the Android SDK Knowledge of SQLite, MySQL or similar database management system Familiar with Eclipse Desirable skills: LAMP development experience. (The acronym LAMP refers to the first letters of Linux (operating system), Apache HTTP Server, MySQL (database software), and PHP, Perl or Python, principal components to build a viable general purpose web server.) PHP frameworks (e.g. Zend) PHP template engines (e.g. Smarty) Creative design skills Working with a content management system Working in a media/ publishing environment This position is in Decatur, Texas.  You will be required to go into the office every day.   This is also a smoke-free environment.