Safaricom PLC, the leading telecommunications provider in East Africa, is seeking to recruit a highly skilled and passionate Android Developer to join its dynamic Software Engineering team. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a team that is transforming lives by building cutting-edge digital solutions that serve over 42 million customers across Kenya.
As the organization continues to lead innovation in mobile technology, digital financial services, and enterprise solutions, the Android Developer will play a critical role in shaping the future of mobile experiences for millions of users. The ideal candidate will bring strong technical expertise in mobile application development, especially in Android platforms, and will be enthusiastic about working in a fast-paced, agile environment that thrives on creativity, collaboration, and excellence.
Position Title: Android Developer
Location: Safaricom Care Centre, Waiyaki Way, Westlands, Nairobi
Job Identification Number: 722
Application Deadline: 7th July 2025
Reporting to: Software Engineering Lead – Apps
Job Description
As an Android Developer at Safaricom, your primary responsibility will be to design, develop, and publish robust enterprise-level Android mobile applications. You will work closely with cross-functional teams including designers, backend developers, quality assurance engineers, and business stakeholders to deliver user-centric mobile experiences.
The role demands a high level of proficiency in mobile app development, with a focus on modern Android development tools and practices. You will be involved in the full software development lifecycle—from conceptualization to deployment, ongoing support, and enhancements. Your contribution will ensure that Safaricom remains at the forefront of digital innovation in Kenya and beyond.
Key Responsibilities
1. Application Development and Maintenance
- Architect, develop, and maintain high-quality Android applications using clean and efficient code.
- Implement modern design principles, animations, and transitions for superior user experience.
- Release applications to both Google Play Store and Huawei AppGallery.
- Create and maintain reusable codebases and libraries to accelerate development cycles.
- Translate designs, wireframes, and prototypes into functional mobile applications.
2. Testing and Quality Assurance
- Develop and execute comprehensive unit, UI, integration, and automated tests to maintain code quality.
- Participate in peer code reviews to ensure standards and best practices are upheld.
- Collaborate with QA teams to ensure applications meet performance, security, and usability requirements.
3. API Integration and Backend Collaboration
- Integrate mobile apps with RESTful APIs developed by backend teams.
- Collaborate with backend developers to resolve API-related issues and define data handling strategies.
- Optimize data communication and synchronization between mobile clients and servers.
4. Agile and DevOps Practice
- Embrace agile software development methodologies including Scrum and Kanban.
- Participate in sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and retrospective meetings.
- Contribute to DevOps practices by supporting continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.
5. Documentation and Support
- Document code, application changes, and development updates for future reference and team understanding.
- Provide ongoing support, troubleshooting, and performance optimization for deployed applications.
- Gather and incorporate user feedback to enhance application functionality and experience.
6. Research and Innovation
- Stay updated on the latest trends, tools, and best practices in Android and mobile development.
- Experiment with new technologies such as Kotlin Multiplatform, Flutter, and Swift for cross-platform capability.
- Identify opportunities for innovation and propose new mobile products or features.
7. Cross-functional Collaboration
- Work closely with product managers, designers, and other developers to deliver business requirements.
- Ensure design consistency and optimal user experience across all mobile platforms.
- Communicate with end-users to gather insights and understand user behaviors.
Technical Expertise Required
- Strong command of Android development using Kotlin and Java.
- Proficiency with IDEs like Android Studio and tools such as Dagger Hilt, Ktlint, Espresso, and SonarQube.
- In-depth understanding of Android architecture patterns like MVVM and Clean Architecture.
- Experience in dependency injection, Jetpack components (Navigation, Paging, LiveData), and coroutines.
- Competency in integrating secure REST APIs, WebSockets, and offline data storage techniques.
- Hands-on experience with tools like Gradle, Proguard, and Dexguard for build management and optimization.
- Familiarity with modern development tools including Git, Confluence, Jira, and Slack.
- Prior experience in publishing and managing apps on Google Play and Huawei AppGallery.
- Knowledge of Firebase products and services, including Analytics, Messaging, and Remote Config.
- Understanding of continuous integration and delivery pipelines for mobile applications.
- Capability to handle type checking, debugging, and performance tuning.
- Skills in responsive UI/UX design, animations, accessibility, and user-centered design approaches.
Additional Technical Competencies
- Knowledge of SQLite for local data storage.
- Experience with Kotlin Multiplatform, Flutter, Swift, and React Native is a plus.
- Understanding of security principles and best practices in mobile application development.
- Experience working with modular app architecture (Library and Dynamic Feature modules).
- Awareness of ESLint and code quality standards for long-term project maintainability.
Non-Technical Competencies
- Proactive and solution-oriented mindset with a commitment to continuous learning.
- Ability to collaborate in a fast-paced, agile development environment.
- Excellent communication skills—both written and verbal—for stakeholder engagement.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with attention to detail.
- Customer-first approach and a passion for delivering intuitive, user-friendly applications.
- Adaptability and readiness to absorb new technologies or frameworks as required.
- Effective team player who contributes to a positive and innovative team culture.
About the Company
Safaricom PLC is Kenya’s largest telecommunications service provider and a recognized innovator in digital financial services through its revolutionary M-PESA platform. Established in 1997 as a fully owned subsidiary of Telkom Kenya, the company later underwent a strategic shift when Vodafone Group PLC acquired a 40% stake in 2000. It went public in 2008 with a successful IPO on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.
Today, Safaricom boasts over 42 million customers and plays a crucial role in Kenya’s economy, supporting over one million jobs directly and indirectly. In the 12 months leading up to March 2021, the company contributed an estimated economic value of KES 362 billion (approximately USD 3.2 billion). Its annual revenues stood at KES 298 billion (USD 2.5 billion) as of March 2022.
Safaricom is committed to using its resources, technology, and innovation to build a more connected, inclusive, and digitally empowered society. With a relentless focus on customer needs and experience, the company has remained at the forefront of technological innovation in Africa.
How to Apply
If you believe you meet the qualifications and are excited about the opportunity to create impactful mobile applications for millions of users, you are invited to apply for this position. Kindly update your candidate profile on the Safaricom recruitment portal and click on the apply button. Remember to attach your most recent resume.
Application Deadline: 7th July 2025
Location: Safaricom Care Centre, Waiyaki Way, Westlands, Nairobi
Position Reference Number: 722
Degree Requirement: Bachelor’s Degree
