Everything You Need to Write An iOS Developer Job Description

iOS is Apple’s mobile software operating system. It is the second most popular operating system after Android . For developers, specializing in iOS means mastering unique coding languages, design philosophies and development tools. 

In order to write a job description for iOS developers, you’ll first need to better understand what they actually do and what sets them apart. In this guide we’ll walk you through the essentials, including want to include in a job description and compensation rates to attract the right talent.

iOS Developer Skills, Responsibilities and Requirements 

iOS developers code applications for mobile Apple products, including iPhones and iPads. To be a successful iOS developer, you need to be fluent in Swift, Apple’s proprietary coding language, along with other industry standard languages, such as C, C++ and Objective-C.

If you’ve ever had an app that a rival Android user boasts about, but you can’t get it on your iPhone, it’s because they are not exactly the same applications. They are written in different coding languages and require different skill sets to develop — hence the need for specialized iOS developers. That’s also why many iOS developers are at least familiar with Android and other web development technologies; it can come in handy when working on cross-platform projects. 

Typical job requirements may include holding a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field, experience with Swift andXcode, as well as a familiarity with the broader Apple developer ecosystem and App Store. 

Additional Skills:

• Coding Languages: Swift, CSS, HTML5, Java, Javascript, Python, Ruby
• Code Versioning Tools: Bazaar, CVS, Git, Mercurial, SVN
• Frameworks: Angular, AVFoundation, CloudKit, Core Animation, Core Data, Core Graphics, Core Text, Foundation, Laravel, React Native, Symfony, UIKit, Vue, WebKit, Zend
• UI Frameworks: Cocoa Touch, Jasmine, Jest, Karma, Protractor, Selenium
• Cloud platforms: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

iOS Developer Job Description Examples

Now that you’ve received a quick debrief on what an iOS developer does, now we can look into a few real examples of what companies expect out of iOS developer candidates. Below are five examples of real job descriptions we sourced from our seven local online communities. You’ll notice we’ve redacted some information to protect the identity of the original company. 

Example 1

[redacted] is looking for a talented [redacted] to lead mobile engineering efforts for [redacted]. As a hands-on engineering manager, you will be responsible for building, maintaining and testing Mobile SDKs in both native Android and iOS as well as Unity with the help of a small team.

The ideal candidate is a practiced engineer with the ability and desire to provide leadership and imagine superior architectures. They must be self-directed and comfortable managing the needs of a variety of stakeholders, team members and contractors.

Responsibilities:

• Own the development, testing, and maintenance of native SDKs and Unity on different mobile platforms, their respective OS versions, and devices.
• Partner with [redacted] to design and test new features and products.
• You have the desire to learn new things, try new technology, and seek opportunities to grow and mentor.
• Provide thought leadership in mobile engineering and bring your passion for technology to motivate and inspire on a day to day basis.
• Provide detailed estimates of work and ensure timely delivery of features.
• Produce and ensure delivery of quality, readable, and well-tested code.
• Rely on judgment and experience to plan and accomplish goals in a timely manner.
• Own the elements required to deliver features and results to internal stakeholders.

Experience & Qualifications:

• 5+ years of mobile software development.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
• Deep understanding and proficiency in building mobile apps from scratch using at least one mobile language (Swift, Java, Objective-C, etc.). Experience with multiple platforms is preferred.
• Desire and ability to expand expertise into additional mobile languages.
• Expertise in designing testable software and building large scale, complex applications.
• Self-motivated with strong problem-solving skills.
• Passionate about writing clean, well organized, and production-ready code.
• A portfolio of Apps or SDKs already built and in the App Store or Google Play.
• Desire to build a larger in-house team and manage a group of developers over time.
• Some management experience preferred.

Example 2

[redacted] is looking for a senior software engineer to join our technology team. Our ideal candidate is a great collaborator with the technical skills to oversee projects of moderate complexity.

The candidate should understand the business that their code supports and work to identify risks (in code, features, and design) and communicate these to the appropriate parties. If you're up for the challenge of helping us transform the [redacted] industry, then this role is for you!

What You’ll Do:

• Lead the design and development of innovative solutions to both technical and business problems
• Partner with business stakeholders to deliver features on time and to specifications
• Promote the adoption of new technologies while continuously advancing and evolving our legacy codebase
• Collaborate with team members to refine our best practices and processes
• Participate in code reviews, write automated tests, and help define our technical roadmap

Requirements:

You might be a good fit if you (have, possess, are):

• 5+ years of experience working with complex PHP/MySQL projects.
• Comfortable working with, and helping to modernize, a legacy framework/codebase.
• Adept in database design, query optimizations, and performance tuning.
• Familiarity with MVC frameworks like Symfony, Laravel, Zend.
• Prior experience integrating 3rd party API's and interfaces.
• Working knowledge of Linux/UNIX systems.
• Ability to prioritize work and meet deadlines.
• Experience in writing Unit/Functional/End-to-End tests.
• Good communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Nice-to-haves:

• Familiarity with cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, GCP.
• Solid understanding of HTML5, CSS (SASS), Javascript (VueJS).
• Working knowledge of Java, Python, or Ruby.
• Prior mobile app development experience with iOS platform.  

Example 3

[redacted] is seeking experienced front-end developers to join our team in building our [redacted]. You are passionate about user experience and have a strong desire to deliver elegant, intuitive web-based UIs for enterprise applications. You will be a member of a highly Agile team tasked with developing new features in Angular 7 based UI web applications as well as maintaining and supporting the existing, publicly available product.

The ideal candidate is self-directed with the ability to collaborate and iterate with UX crew on design for new and existing products and proven past record of delivering with minimal oversight. Please include a link to your GitHub/BitBucket account profile with the resume.

Responsibilities:

• Partner with UX designers, product managers and back-end engineers to build intuitive user interfaces from the ground up using the latest web technologies.
• Consume and make occasional contributions to supporting backend REST APIs.
• Develop automated test solutions across all supported desktop browsers (IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari) and iOS and Android devices.
• Keep up with emerging trends in UI design and engineering best practices.
• Launch feature, iterate and enhance based on stakeholder feedback.
• Share respectful perspectives with peers and leadership to help drive the future of [redacted] products.

Requirements:

• Degree in Computer Science or equivalent preferred, or relevant work experience.
• 5+ years of hands-on frontend development experience with HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript including modern frameworks, such as Angular, React, or Vue.
• Strong working knowledge of JSON, REST, HTTP, Node.js.
• Experience with one or more Automated UI testing frameworks – Jest, Karma, Protractor, Selenium, Jasmine.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Skills:

• Mobile UI frameworks and related technologies -PhoneGap/Cordova, iOS, Swift, Android.
• Proficiency with Git and continuous integration/continuous delivery.
• Experience with Docker, microservice architectures.
• Knowledge of UI security issues and best practices to prevent vulnerabilities.
• Agile Kanban development methodology.

iOS Developer Job Description Template

Each of the job descriptions above have slightly varying requirements, responsibilities and the software they use for their products and services. Rather than following those in detail, they should provide a helpful starting point for writing your own iOS developer job description.

To help, we’ve created an iOS developer job description template with the responsibilities and requirements that are common expectations for iOS developers. As a template, you can use this as a basis to tailor to your specific needs and reflect your company, culture and expectations.

 Company Bio

[Use this section to provide a high level overview of your company, culture, perks and benefits, career development opportunities and anything else that will get candidates excited about your company.]

Job Description

Responsibilities:

• Develop, test and maintain native SDK (software development kit) on iOS mobile platforms.
• Deliver clean, well-tested code and meet project deadlines.
• Partner with UX designers, product managers, back-end engineers.
• Engage in regular code reviews with colleagues to review, analyze, improve and teach coding skills.
• Collaborate with an in-house team of X developers.
• Adapt to current iOS updates and latest Apple products.
• Continuously learn and grow as a software developer, keeping up to date with emerging technologies and trends.

Requirements:

• X years experience of mobile software development.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering or the equivalent in software development experience.
• Deep understanding of mobile languages [insert relevant mobile languages].
• Strong background working with frameworks [insert relevant frameworks].
• Experience with cloud platforms [insert relevant cloud platforms].
• Experience with UI testing frameworks [insert relevant UI frameworks].
• Knowledge of implementing and supporting RESTful APIs.
• Include a portfolio of apps or SDKs you have built in the App Store.

How to Use AI to Write an iOS Developer Job Description

Generative AI can be a great help with recruitment tasks, helping to speed up the entire process and ensure your post reaches the right candidates. 

For starters, there are several tools out there that can generate an entire job description in a matter of seconds, but the results are often too generic. Posting AI-generated job listings without any additional editing can limit your chances of attracting candidates who are qualified for the role and are a good cultural fit. So, instead of asking AI to write an entire job description from scratch, think of it as a writing partner. Give it specific context: Explain the responsibilities of the role, the challenges the candidate might face, the company’s culture and any potential growth opportunities. The more details you provide, the more tailored and effective the description will be.

If you prefer to write the job description yourself, there are still plenty of ways to use AI. You can use it for general research about iOS developer jobs, or for tips on how to optimize the post for better visibility on job boards and Google You could also use it to remove any biased or overly vague language, or fix grammatical and formatting issues.

In short: Artificial intelligence can be a great strategic partner in helping to craft an iOS job description that is both accurate and appealing to the right candidates.

iOS Developer Salary Information

By now you should have a strong understanding of what an iOS developer does on the day-to-day. To polish your well-crafted job description off, you should always include current salary information specific to your company and role.

If you’re unsure of where to start, we have aggregated data from across the country to develop a comprehensive overview of an iOS developer salary data, so when you find the right candidates you’ll know what to offer. Crossmarket average salary for an iOS developer is $117,644, but compensation can vary based on location and experience.

Frequently Asked Questions