Mobile App Engineering Manager

Cygnify is hiring a Mobile App Engineering Manager for its Dubai-based app teams. This full-time, onsite role places you at the apex of the local App squad, responsible for steering technical direction, delivery and cross-functional collaboration. If you enjoy shaping architecture, mentoring engineers and aligning work with business goals, this could be a good fit for you. The position sits within a broader global app organisation that relies on strong agile practices and a focus on software craftsmanship.

As the senior member of the Dubai App team, you’ll shape how the squads operate, manage vendor relationships, and contribute to the broader app strategy. You’ll translate high-level objectives into workable plans, support multiple agile teams, and work with stakeholders to keep delivery quality and timelines on track. The role also involves partnering with leadership across the global app organisation to deliver broader objectives such as growth and standard-setting across the group.

Guiding the Dubai app squads

In this role you’ll oversee the Dubai-based app scrum teams and manage the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) of key staff within those teams to ensure a smooth transition and sustained capability. You’ll work with the Software Engineering Managers in each squad to keep a consistent approach and to provide robust support for commitments the teams have made.

You will set a clear vision and craft a strategic growth plan for the entire team to drive development and success across the organisation. You’ll partner with senior Engineering Manager peers to ensure collaborative decisions that serve the teams’ best interests, and you’ll align with the SVP and Head of App to deliver the broader App objectives across the global app organisation.

Part of the day-to-day involves identifying new technologies, tools and working practices to raise standards. Familiarity with mobile apps of robot vacuum cleaners is a good-to-have trait that could help shape future directions.

What you’ll need to bring to the table

Here’s what the team is looking for in a candidate who can step into this senior role and hit the ground running.

• Ten years or more in software or app development, with at least four years in people management.
• A strong mobile engineering background with the ability to mentor developers across both iOS and Android platforms.
• If you’re iOS-focused: deep proficiency in Swift, MVVM, RxSwift, SwiftUI and Combine.
• If you’re Android-focused: strong Kotlin expertise with hands-on experience in Volley, RxJava and Dagger.
• A proven track record of leading teams that build and ship large-scale mobile applications used by millions of users.
• Demonstrated experience applying Agile methodologies and driving delivery and continuous improvement across multidisciplinary teams.
• Comfortable working with distributed teams across multiple time zones, maintaining alignment, and ensuring delivery quality.
• Strong leadership capabilities, including talent development, technical decision‑making and ensuring good engineering practices across the mobile domain.

• Familiarity with mobile apps of robot vacuum cleaners would be a helpful addition.
• Experience with Build-Operate-Transfer style initiatives or similar vendor transfer programs is a nice-to-have.
• Experience collaborating with senior leaders to shape and execute broader app objectives is desirable.

Pay, benefits and practical details

This is a full-time, onsite role based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. No further details about salary, benefits or schedules are provided in the available information.

Advice for applicants

Lead with your leadership and long-form experience. Put your ten-plus years in software or app development and four years in people management at the top of your resume so the panel sees you have the scale this role demands.

Make your mobile platform strengths clear. If you specialise in iOS, showcase Swift, MVVM, RxSwift, SwiftUI and Combine with concrete outcomes. If Android is your focus, emphasise Kotlin, and bring examples where you used Volley, RxJava and Dagger to deliver features at scale.

Be ready to discuss Agile leadership and cross-time-zone collaboration. Have stories ready about delivering for millions of users, coordinating multiple squads, and driving continuous improvement across multidisciplinary teams.

Ask about how the Dubai teams fit into the global app organisation and what the first major milestone for the new manager will be. A specific line of inquiry like this signals you’re already thinking about how success will be measured across the global platform.