Founding iOS Engineer

DRH Search; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

DRH Search is assisting a Series B startup in finding a founding iOS engineer to build a new native iOS app in New York, replacing a cross-platform solution. The role is onsite in NY M-T and remote on Fridays, offering a hybrid work setup.

You will own architecture, performance, and product direction while collaborating with Product, Design, and Backend teams to deliver a polished, scalable mobile experience.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of production iOS experience with consumer-facing scale and complexity.
• Strong Swift knowledge and modern iOS patterns.
• Experience defining architecture decisions for large iOS codebases.
• Ability to collaborate with backend teams on APIs and data contracts.

Responsibilities

• Build a native iOS app covering discovery, booking, account management, and post-booking flows.
• Define app architecture, quality standards, and release practices from day one.
• Partner with Product and Design to shape mobile product direction.
• Collaborate with Backend engineers to create fast, resilient APIs and mobile experiences.
• Improve performance, stability, and instrumentation for rapid iteration.
• Establish long-term iOS strategy and engineering culture.

Skills

Swift

iOS Architecture

Performance optimization

API collaboration

Product instincts

Job description

We're assisting an established Series B startup with their search for a founding iOS engineer to build their new iOS app (replacing a cross-platform app). Their product allows customers to access luxury hotel amenities for the day without having to book a room. The role will work onsite in the NY office M-T and remotely on Fridays.

What you'll do:

• Build a high-quality native iOS application spanning discovery, booking, account management, and post-booking experiences.
• Define the app's architecture, quality standards, and release practices from day one.
• Partner with Product and Design to shape mobile product direction---not simply execute predefined requirements.
• Collaborate closely with Backend engineers to create fast, resilient APIs and mobile experiences.
• Improve application performance, stability, and instrumentation to support rapid product iteration.
• Establish the long-term iOS strategy, including technical direction, team development, and engineering culture.

What you'll bring:

• 5 years of experience building production iOS applications with consumer-facing scale, quality, and complexity.
• Strong command of Swift and modern iOS development patterns.
• Experience building polished native mobile experiences, with a strong understanding of performance, usability, animation, and edge cases.
• Experience leading or significantly influencing architecture decisions for a substantial iOS codebase.
• Comfortable collaborating with backend engineers on APIs, data contracts, and system-level tradeoffs.
• Strong engineering judgment and the ability to make effective decisions in an ambiguous, zero-to-one environment.
• Strong product instincts and a high bar for quality and craft.