Staff Software Engineer

Candescent; United States; Remote; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Candest is seeking a Principal Software Engineer specializing in React Native to lead design, development, and production support for mobile banking experiences in a fast‑paced, collaborative environment.

You will partner with Enterprise Architects, Product Management, UX/UI Design, and engineering leads to shape strategic architecture decisions, deliver secure, scalable solutions, and leverage AI-assisted tools responsibly.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 7-10 years of software engineering experience with extensive React Native expertise.
• Proficiency in React, TypeScript, JavaScript, and native mobile development (Swift/Obj-C for iOS and Kotlin/Java for Android).
• Experience with mobile architecture, component design, authentication flows, RESTful services, and secure development.
• Experience with automated tests using Playwright or similar frameworks.
• Experience with React Native component libraries such as NativeBase and Tamagui.
• Hands-on experience with GitHub, GitHub Actions, mobile CI/CD pipelines, and source-control best practices.
• Experience with publishing tools like App Store Connect, TestFlight, Google Play Console, Firebase, Azure, and Bitrise.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted development tools and Agile environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to influence stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop highly configurable, extensible React Native applications.
• Collaborate with PM and UX/UI Design to create intuitive mobile experiences.
• Work with server-side teams to design and integrate RESTful APIs.
• Drive architectural decisions with Enterprise Architects and leads.
• Provide development guidance, examples, and unit-test strategies.
• Lead design and code reviews, hands-on coding, and production support.
• Optimize app performance and platform-specific integrations.
• Mentor engineers and promote reusable patterns and standards.
• Support mobile CI/CD, release management, and app publishing processes.

Skills

React Native

TypeScript

JavaScript

React

Agile

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

GitHub

GitHub Actions

Playwright

Firebase

Azure

Bitrise

Xcode

Android Studio

App Store Connect

TestFlight

Job description

Candescent is a forward-thinking technology company transforming how financial institutions deliver Intelligent Banking experiences. We unite digital banking, account opening, and branch solutions that power and connect digital banking, account opening, and branch solutions—creating seamless engagement across digital, remote, and in-person channels.

Our Experience-Led, Intelligence-Driven approach combines human-centered design with data, automation, and cloud-based innovation. Built on an API-first architecture, our extensible ecosystem enables institutions to adapt quickly, integrate easily, and unlock new opportunities for growth—turning every customer interaction into a moment of clarity, confidence, and connection.

Candescent is searching for a Principal Software Engineer specializing in React Native mobile development to join our Engineering team. This role will partner closely with Enterprise Architects, Product Management, UX/UI Design, and engineering leads to shape strategic architecture decisions and deliver secure, scalable, and intuitive mobile banking experiences.

The Principal Software Engineer will provide hands‑on technical leadership across design, development, deployment, and production support. The successful candidate will combine deep React Native and native mobile expertise with sound architectural judgment, strong communication skills, and the ability to use AI-enabled development tools responsibly to accelerate the software development lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities and Deliverables

• Design and develop highly configurable, extensible, and pluggable React Native applications.
• Partner with Product Management and UX/UI Design to create clean, accessible, and intuitive mobile experiences.
• Collaborate with server‑side engineering teams to design and integrate RESTful APIs that enable new capabilities and improve existing features.
• Drive architectural decisions with Enterprise Architects and engineering leads, including evaluating the implications, risks, and downstream impacts of proposed changes.
• Provide development guidance, reusable code examples, technical documentation, and unit‑test strategies.
• Lead and participate in design reviews, code reviews, hands‑on coding, troubleshooting, implementation support, and production support.
• Optimize application performance through testing, analysis, and actionable improvement recommendations.
• Build and maintain native integrations across iOS and Android when React Native solutions require platform‑specific components.
• Use AI‑assisted engineering tools, including Claude and Cursor, to improve developer productivity while maintaining quality, security, and engineering standards.
• Mentor engineers, promote reusable patterns, and translate complex technical problems into clear, practical solutions.
• Support mobile CI/CD, release management, and publishing processes across Apple and Google ecosystems.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 7-10 years of software engineering experience with extensive React Native expertise and a record of delivering production mobile applications.
• Strong proficiency in React, TypeScript, JavaScript, and native mobile development using Swift/Objective‑C for iOS and Kotlin/Java for Android.
• Extensive experience with mobile architecture, component design, authentication flows, RESTful services, and secure application development.
• Experience developing automated unit and end‑to‑end tests using Playwright or comparable testing frameworks.
• Experience with React Native component libraries such as NativeBase and Tamagui.
• Hands‑on experience with GitHub, GitHub Actions, mobile CI/CD pipelines, and source‑control best practices.
• Experience with Apple App Store Connect, TestFlight, Google Play Console, Firebase Console, App Tester, Azure, and Bitrise or comparable publishing and delivery tools.
• Working knowledge of AI‑assisted development tools, particularly Claude and Cursor, and the ability to apply them effectively throughout the software development lifecycle.
• Experience working in Agile software development environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
• Independent, self‑directed, and motivated, with the ability to break down complex problems and provide easy‑to‑understand solutions and code examples.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future employer sponsorship.

Preferred Distinctions

• Experience building digital banking, fintech, SaaS, or other highly regulated mobile products.
• Demonstrated technical leadership across enterprise‑scale mobile platforms and distributed engineering teams.
• Experience adapting reusable web concepts and design‑system patterns for native mobile applications.
• Experience establishing mobile engineering standards, reusable frameworks, or developer enablement practices.

Technologies and Tools

React, React Native, TypeScript, JavaScript, iOS, Swift, Objective‑C, CocoaPods, Android, Kotlin, Java, Node.js, Xcode, Android Studio, Visual Studio Code, Playwright, NativeBase, Tamagui, GitHub, GitHub Actions, Azure, Bitrise, Firebase, Claude, and Cursor.