Mobile Application Developer

CTC; Saint Paul (MN); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

CTC is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to lead the mobile strategy and development for drone-based field operations. You will own the Android app architecture, while maintaining an iOS app, and engage closely with customers, product teams, UX, and engineering to deliver high-quality mobile solutions.

You will drive AI-powered development approaches, influence product strategy, and participate in field discovery sessions to validate concepts.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of professional software development experience.
• 2+ years of hands-on Android application development experience.
• Experience designing and maintaining production-grade mobile applications.
• Proven ability to work independently while leading technical initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture, design, and development of a new Android mobile application for drone pilots.
• Serve as the primary technical owner for all mobile initiatives.
• Maintain and enhance an existing iOS application with evolving backend APIs.
• Design scalable, maintainable, high-quality mobile software solutions.
• Collaborate with Product, UX, and Engineering teams across the lifecycle.
• Leverage AI-driven development methodologies to improve efficiency and innovation.
• Participate in customer interviews, field visits, and user discovery sessions.
• Develop prototypes, validate concepts with users, and evaluate feasibility.

Skills

Android development

Mobile architecture

Technical leadership

AI-enabled development

Cross-functional collaboration

API integrations

Mentoring

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

CI/CD pipelines

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Staff Software Engineer to serve as the technical lead and primary developer for mobile applications supporting drone-based agricultural field scouting operations. This role will focus on developing next-generation mobile solutions that enable drone pilots to efficiently plan, execute, and manage drone flights while delivering valuable insights to customers.

The ideal candidate will lead the design and development of a new Android application while also maintaining and enhancing an existing iOS application. This position offers a unique opportunity to influence product strategy, drive innovation using AI-powered development approaches, and collaborate directly with customers, product managers, UX designers, and engineering teams to solve complex real-world challenges.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture, design, and development of a new Android mobile application used by drone pilots for mission planning and execution.
• Serve as the primary technical owner for all mobile application initiatives.
• Maintain and enhance an existing iOS application, ensuring compatibility with evolving backend APIs and technology dependencies.
• Design scalable, maintainable, and high-quality mobile software solutions.
• Collaborate with Product Management, UX, and Engineering teams throughout the entire product lifecycle, from discovery and validation to development and maintenance.
• Leverage emerging AI-driven software development methodologies to improve engineering efficiency, product quality, and innovation.
• Participate in customer interviews, field visits, and user discovery sessions to understand customer needs and challenges.
• Develop prototypes, validate concepts with users, and evaluate technical and business feasibility.

Technical Leadership

• Define and implement mobile application architecture, best practices, and design patterns.
• Serve as a technical advisor on complex cross-functional challenges involving mobile, cloud, web, desktop, and hardware systems.
• Identify and resolve performance, scalability, reliability, and maintainability issues.
• Contribute to long-term mobile technology strategy and roadmap planning.
• Collaborate with engineering peers through technical reviews, mentoring, and architectural guidance.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with backend engineers, web developers, and hardware/embedded teams to deliver integrated solutions.
• Participate in software testing and validation, including real-world drone flight operations when required.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives across development processes and engineering practices.

Travel Requirements

• Participate in customer discovery visits approximately 2-5 times annually.
• Attend internal conferences, workshops, and training events 1-2 times annually.
• Travel may include day trips and occasional overnight stays.

Required Qualifications

Experience

• 6+ years of professional software development experience.
• 2+ years of hands‑on Android application development experience.
• Experience designing and maintaining production‑grade mobile applications.
• Proven ability to work independently while leading technical initiatives.

Technical Skills

• Solid understanding of software architecture, design patterns, and modern development practices.
• Experience troubleshooting, debugging, and solving complex technical problems.
• Strong analytical and critical‑thinking capabilities.
• Familiarity with mobile application lifecycle management and API integrations.

Professional Skills

• Passion for adopting and advancing modern AI‑enabled software development practices.
• Strong customer‑focused mindset with the ability to translate business problems into technical solutions.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across multiple teams and stakeholders.
• Strong conflict‑resolution, listening, and interpersonal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with any of the following technologies or domains is highly desirable:

• Technical leadership of software projects
• CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions or similar)
• Geospatial data visualization and processing
• Mapping technologies and location-based services
• Drone flight planning or drone software applications
• Hardware, sensor, or IoT integrations
• Precision agriculture or digital agronomy solutions
• Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)
• Product Operating Model and customer‑centered product discovery practices

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or a related technical field.
• Equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience will also be considered.