Software Engineer, Android

About the role

Cape is building the definitive Android application that serves as the privacy-first control plane for personal communications in the United States. The role owns the end-to-end user journey within the mobile application, ensuring that privacy and security are baked into every interaction from installation to daily use. You will be responsible for architecting and implementing features that handle sensitive personal information, account credentials, and real-time communication flows with zero tolerance for compromise. This position requires a high level of ownership where you will drive technical decisions across the mobile stack without reliance on legacy patterns or external dependencies. You will partner closely with infrastructure and product teams to translate privacy guarantees into tangible user-facing functionality on the device. The work involves solving complex problems in cryptography, secure storage, and network resilience while maintaining a polished and intuitive user experience. Ultimately, you will ship the product that defines what it means to have a truly private mobile connection in modern America.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Take ownership of the mobile product lifecycle from initial discovery and requirements gathering through design, implementation, testing, and launch on both the Google Play Store and alternative, privacy-conscious app stores.
• Maintain high coding standards by developing internal guidelines, actively participating in rigorous code reviews, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing across the engineering organization.
• Champion the security, performance, and stability of our applications by implementing and overseeing robust testing suites, monitoring frameworks, and release processes to guarantee a seamless, trustworthy user experience.
• Actively improve user workflows by collaborating with cross-functional teams including design, product, and infrastructure to ensure seamless experiences across product boundaries and a cohesive user journey.
• Architect and implement features using Kotlin and Jetpack Compose that solve some of the hardest technical challenges in security and cryptography, focusing on the protection of personally identifiable information (PII), account data, and communication metadata.
• Secure voice and SMS traffic end-to-end by integrating and maintaining cryptographic protocols that ensure confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity on the device.
• Work within a tight-knit engineering team to solve ambiguous problems, define technical specifications, and iterate quickly based on user feedback and operational data without sacrificing security or reliability.
• Ship production-ready features on a regular cadence by managing priorities, estimating effort, and coordinating with stakeholders to align technical constraints with business objectives.
• Contribute to the long-term technical vision of the Cape mobile platform by identifying technical debt, proposing refactors, and advocating for best practices in mobile development.
• Mentor and elevate other team members through code reviews, pair programming, and documentation, ensuring that quality and consistency scale as the team grows.

Requirements

• 4+ years of Android software development experience with a strong track record of delivering production-grade mobile applications.
• Background in Computer Science, Mathematics, Software Engineering, Physics, or a related field that provides a foundation for advanced algorithmic and systems thinking.
• Proficiency in Kotlin with a strong foundational understanding of the Android ecosystem, including architecture components, app lifecycle, and concurrency models.
• Professional experience with Jetpack Compose is preferred, but a deep appreciation for building modern, declarative user interfaces that are accessible and performant is essential.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to iterate on technical designs and explain complex concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment where objectives evolve frequently and user feedback directly shapes product direction.
• Demonstrated ability to learn new technologies and concepts quickly, even without prior in-depth experience, and apply them to secure and reliable implementations.
• Experience with mobile security best practices, including secure storage, key management, and handling sensitive user data in compliance with privacy-first principles.
• Strong ownership mentality and the ability to make high-quality decisions with minimal supervision while understanding the broader impact on users and the business.

Nice to have

• Experience contributing to open-source projects that emphasize security, privacy, or networking.
• Familiarity with privacy-focused application distribution channels and compliance requirements for handling sensitive user data.
• Exposure to telecommunications concepts or prior work on systems that interface with carrier networks.

Practical notes

This role operates during standard business hours with an expectation of availability during core working periods for collaboration and on-call responsibilities as needed. Travel is not required for this position. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of standard background checks and verification of identity and work authorization. Cape is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse team.