Staff Software Engineer New Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Versaterm; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Versaterm, a Canadian public safety software company, is seeking a Staff Software Engineer specialized in mobile Android development. You will drive technical direction, mentor engineers, and shape architecture from concept through release.

You will lead complex Android apps, ensure scalability and reliability, and collaborate with internal and external partners while integrating REST, WebRTC, and offline-first capabilities. A security clearance is required in Canada.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of Android development experience.
• Experience leading or acting as a technical lead for a team.
• Proficiency in Kotlin and Jetpack libraries including CameraX and Compose.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic guidance and mentorship to Android engineers, fostering innovation and code quality.
• Lead the design and architecture of complex Android apps ensuring scalability and performance.
• Implement and utilize robotics to assist the public safety mission, from drones to body-worn cameras.
• Work with partners to align technical solutions with business objectives.
• Integrate with backend services via REST, WebRTC, and maintain offline-first capabilities.
• Accommodate diverse hardware configurations from smartphones to headless devices.
• Oversee CI/CD pipelines and release processes; document architecture and standards.

Skills

Android development

Technical leadership

Kotlin

Jetpack Compose

CameraX

Firebase

REST/WebRTC

CI/CD

Distributed team

Education

Degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering

Tools

GitHub

GitLab

Mapbox/ArcGIS

Job description

Versaterm is a PE-backed, high-growth SaaS company building a fully integrated platform across the entire public safety ecosystem — dispatch, law enforcement, forensics, courts, and beyond. We've grown through strategic acquisitions and deep product investment. What connects all of it is a single purpose: give public safety agencies the tools and insights to make better decisions in high-stakes moments.

When a 911 call is answered, a detective investigates a case, or a forensic lab processes evidence, there's a good chance our software is working behind the scenes. That's been true for over four decades.

AI is central to where we're going. Not as a feature but as core infrastructure. We're embedding intelligence directly into the workflows our customers rely on every day, and we're doing it alongside them. Our customers tell us what the mission demands. We build what answers it.

This work attracts a specific kind of person — someone who wants to be pushed by great people, build things that outlast a sprint cycle, and go home knowing the work connected back to something real.

The Role

The Staff Software Engineer specializes in mobile app development and is responsible for driving the team’s technical direction, fostering innovation, and ensuring the highest quality in our development lifecycle. They bring a blend of deep Android expertise, strategic architectural vision, and strong leadership abilities to guide our engineering team toward excellence, from concept through release.

What You Do

• Provide strategic guidance and mentorship to Android engineers, fostering a culture of innovation, code quality, and technical excellence.
• Lead the design and architecture of complex Android apps, ensuring scalability, reliability, and overall performance.
• Implement and utilize robotics to assist the public safety mission, from airborne drones to body-worn cameras.
• Work closely with internal and external partners to align technical solutions with business objectives.
• Integrate with backend services provided through REST, WebRTC, and others while maintaining offline‑first capabilities.
• Accommodate a variety of different hardware configurations, from ordinary smartphones to headless single-board computers.
• Stay current with Android platform changes, dependency upgrades, and emerging app technologies.
• Oversee CI/CD pipelines and release processes, driving continuous iteration of automation, tools and practices.
• Ensure comprehensive documentation of app architecture, engineering decisions, and development standards.

What You Bring

• Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience and training.
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in Android development, including experience leading or acting as a technical lead for a team.
• Proven track record of collaboration amongst team members with a focus problem decomposition.
• Passion for reducing customer and engineering friction and eagerness to chase simplicity.
• Proficiency in Kotlin with experience in Jetpack libraries such as CameraX and Compose.
• Solid understanding of asynchronous and reactive programming such as Flows or RxJava.
• Familiarity with the Firebase platform such as Cloud Messaging and Crashlytics.
• Exposure to integrated project management and CI/CD tools such as GitHub or GitLab.
• Ability to articulate technical concepts to a variety of technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience with connected hardware or peripherals such as IoT devices or retail terminals.
• Understanding of online mapping technologies such as ArcGIS or Mapbox.
• Familiarity with networking technologies such as MQTT and WebRTC.
• Experience leading or working on a geographically dispersed engineering team.
• Knowledge of adjacent platform capabilities and limitations such as Fire OS and iOS.
• FAA or Transport Canada remote pilot certification with flight experience.

Note:

This position requires a security clearance from the Government of Canada. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in Canada and must successfully obtain and maintain a Reliability security clearance. Please note that specific customer contracts may impose additional security verification requirements. Obtaining and maintaining all required security clearances is a condition of employment. For more information on the Government of Canada's security screening process, please visit Public Services and Procurement Canada.

Versaterm is committed to fair and equitable compensation that is competitive, consistent, and aligned with the value each role contributes to our organization. The starting salary for this position will be dependent upon many factors, such as the successful candidate’s skills, experience, education, training as well as internal equity, market data, and business needs. In addition to base salary and our comprehensive benefits offering, some roles may also be eligible for variable compensation such as incentive plans or discretionary performance bonuses.

AI is central to how Versaterm builds and delivers solutions for our customers. Within Talent Acquisition, we use AI-enabled tools to support certain aspects of the recruitment process, helping our team work more efficiently and spend more time connecting with great talent. AI supports our work, but all hiring and employment decisions are made by people.

Versaterm is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and a barrier-free workplace. Accommodations are available upon request throughout all stages of the recruitment process and apply to the terms and conditions of employment. For more information, please contact [e-mail].