Software Engineer at Snapchat

Snap Inc. is a technology company focused on using camera technology to transform how people communicate and experience the world.

Its mission is to support human progress by giving people the tools to express themselves, enjoy the present, discover new things, and connect through shared experiences.

The company operates Snapchat, a visual messaging platform that brings friends, families, and communities closer together.

Its portfolio also includes Specs Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary focused on making computing more human, as well as Bitmoji, Saturn, and other digital services.

At Snap Engineering, teams develop innovative and technically advanced products used by hundreds of millions of Snapchatters worldwide.

The company prioritizes the well-being of its global community, with its core values guiding every aspect of its work. Snap operates with speed, precision, and a strong commitment to protecting user privacy.

Snapchat is seeking an experienced Staff Software Engineer, Android to help build and improve its mobile experiences.

What You’ll Do

Develop impactful product experiences: Design, build, and launch innovative Android features across Friend Stories, Spotlight, Discover, and content interactions to increase engagement, user retention, and growth.

Lead end-to-end engineering projects: Take ownership of complex technical initiatives, from system architecture and implementation to experimentation, product launches, and continuous improvements.

Optimize video playback and performance: Improve video startup times, prefetching, buffering, scrolling responsiveness, memory efficiency, and playback reliability to deliver smooth content experiences.

Advance Android architecture: Develop scalable and maintainable systems, strengthen shared components, address technical debt, and establish engineering standards that improve performance, quality, and reliability.

Influence product and technical direction: Collaborate with Product, Design, Ranking and Machine Learning, Backend, and Ads teams to identify opportunities, shape roadmaps, and turn complex product requirements into effective technical solutions.

Provide technical leadership: Mentor engineers, lead technical design discussions, strengthen engineering practices, and coordinate development efforts across Android, iOS, and platform teams.

Leverage AI-powered engineering tools: Apply AI tools and efficient development workflows to design and deliver scalable solutions while maintaining high standards for code accuracy, security, and production readiness.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong expertise in Kotlin, Java, Android SDK, and modern Android development methodologies.
• Demonstrated experience designing and building complex, scalable mobile applications with an emphasis on performance and reliability.
• In-depth knowledge of Android architecture, concurrency, multithreading, memory management, networking, and user interface performance.
• Proven ability to independently manage large-scale, complex technical projects, including those with ambiguous requirements, and deliver measurable outcomes.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively with cross-functional engineering and product teams.
• Experience using AI tools to improve development efficiency, alongside the technical judgment required to evaluate generated code for architectural quality, performance issues, and security vulnerabilities.
• Ability to adapt to emerging AI technologies and development tools while staying current with evolving engineering practices and industry trends.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or another relevant technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• At least 9 years of software development experience after completing a bachelor’s degree; alternatively, a relevant master’s degree with 8+ years of postgraduate experience, or a relevant PhD with 5+ years of postgraduate experience. A PhD in a relevant technical discipline is also accepted.
• At least 1 year of experience in a technical leadership position or serving as a subject-matter expert within an engineering organization.
• Professional experience developing Android applications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building and maintaining large-scale, customer-facing mobile applications.
• Previous experience leading engineering teams through the delivery of complex technical projects and initiatives.

Work Arrangement: Default Together Policy

Snap follows a “Default Together” workplace approach, emphasizing the importance of in-person collaboration in building company culture, strengthening shared values, and serving customers, partners, and communities effectively.

Under this policy, employees are expected to work from an office at least four days per week.

Benefits and Compensation

Snap offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support employees and their families, including:

• Paid parental leave.
• Comprehensive medical coverage.
• Mental and emotional health support programs.
• Competitive compensation packages.
• Opportunities to participate in Snap’s long-term success.

Learn more about Snap’s employee benefits.

Salary and Compensation

For positions based in the United States, Snap assigns each work location to a specific pay zone, which determines the applicable salary range.

The successful candidate’s starting compensation will depend on relevant skills, professional experience, qualifications, work location, and prevailing market conditions.

Salary may be negotiable within the established range, and Snap reserves the right to adjust its pay zones over time.