iOS Developer Job Description: What To Know When Hiring

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An iOS developer job description is your first step to choosing a qualified developer for your next project.

The iOS App Store launched in 2008 with merely 500 apps. Now, it sports 1.85 million different apps from an array of categories.

How does this happen? Well, you can thank iOS developers.

And if you need one for your business, you should look into how to write an iOS developer job description.

While this activity doesn’t sound in the least bit tantalizing, it might be what’s required to scale your business. If you have any interest in hiring an iOS developer, keep reading. You’ll find all you need to know here. 

What Does an iOS Developer Do?

An iOS developer creates iOS apps that can be downloaded on an Apple iPhone, iPad, or iPod. These applications can be accessed via the Apple App Store. 

Of course, the reality of this occupation gets a bit more complicated. For example, in order to create iOS apps you must know how to code in Objective-C or Swift. Both programming languages can be used to write iOS software, but Swift was developed by Apple, Inc.

iOS developers also fall under the category of mobile app developers. The mobile app development industry has been booming since the modern smartphone made its debut in the early 2000s.

Now, nearly 90% of the time smartphone users spend on their mobile devices is app-related. Mobile development is an industry with potential for exponential growth as apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook Messenger, impact how people all over the world interact with one another and absorb information.

While Android has a rightful throne overlooking this phenomenon, the iPhone continues to dominate the United States market. In effect, iOS developers can be an invaluable asset to business growth. And this all starts with an iOS developer job description. 

Related reading: App Clips Development: The Complete Guide to Getting Started

What Are the Roles and Responsibilities of an iOS Developer?

Every job description, and therein an iOS developer job description, should have a section delineating the roles and responsibilities of a specific job title.

It goes without saying that iOS developers should be familiar with the ins and outs of mobile app development. And this skill set should be applied to iOS development directly.

Here are a few things your iOS developer should be able to do:

  • Design and build iOS applications for Apple mobile platforms
  • Use object-oriented development principles in Swift or Objective-C to reach project solutions
  • Work and collaborate effectively on a team
  • Regularly maintain iOS applications via debugging and continuous updates
  • Recognize and resolve bottlenecks when are where they occur

On your end, you’ll take more of a managerial role, ensuring that the developers you hire are up to the task(s) at hand and perform them effectively.

You should also give your mobile app business plan due diligence and make certain your goals coincide with your developers’ work. 

What Are the Skills Needed for iOS Developers?

An iOS developer job description should also include a list of skills you expect your iOS developer should have.

Admittedly, this might look similar to the roles and responsibilities of an iOS developer. But rather than give an overview of the day-to-day expectations of an iOS developer, you should outline the skills the developer should have to complete these tasks in the first place. A minimalistic illustration of app development resources with an App Store logo, a smartphone displaying a wireframe, a database icon, and a web interface with charts, all in a monochromatic color scheme.

A mid to high-level iOS developer should have the following skills and capabilities:

  • Knowledge related to publishing on the App Store
  • Can utilize iOS databases efficiently
  • Proficiency using an IDE for iOS development such as XCode
  • Experience building user interfaces (UIs)
  • Able to use APIs and third-party libraries to improve app functionality
  • Competence in version control software like GitHub or BitBucket
  • Can perform or automize unit tests

There are a plethora of other skills an iOS developer needs to have in their tool belt, but the aforementioned should give you a pretty good idea of what to look out for.

iOS Developer Job Description Template

Perusing through Indeed or ZipRecruiter, you’ve probably glimpsed several hundred job descriptions and titles. The grand majority of them have a shared template.

Though not unique, this template helps job seekers understand whether or not they can be the right fit for the role.

About the Job

Position listings should start with a couple of paragraphs explaining briefly what the job is and the background of the hiring company. Ideally, you should mention the mission behind your business as well.

Make a point to describe your expectations with accountability in mind. That is, whatever expectations you have for a job candidate should be juxtaposed with what you’re able to provide for the candidate in return.

iOS Developer Job Description Example 

Trio is more than just a group of software engineers solving problems. We are people who believe in innovation, global responsibility, and fair business. We are passionate about overcoming challenges using software engineering, forward-thinking, cutting-edge technology, and creative ideas to produce amazing products.

At Trio our greatest assets are our engineers! We value their knowledge and skill set. When we collaborate, we grow from one another! Join us to discover opportunities for career growth and a competitive software engineer salary.

Responsibilities & Duties

Here is an example of things your iOS developer should be able to do:

  • Design and build iOS applications for Apple mobile platforms
  • Use object-oriented development principles in Swift or Objective-C to reach project solutions
  • Work and collaborate effectively on a team
  • Regularly maintain iOS applications via debugging and continuous updates
  • Recognize and resolve bottlenecks when are where they occur 

Qualifications & Skills

A bullet point list of qualifications and skills on iOS developer job description can be similar to the following:

  • Knowledge related to publishing on the App Store
  • Can utilize iOS databases efficiently
  • Proficiency using an IDE for iOS development such as XCode
  • Experience building user interfaces (UIs)
  • Able to use APIs and third-party libraries to improve app functionality
  • Competence in version control software like GitHub or BitBucket
  • Can perform or automize unit tests

Required Experience

The last part of an iOS job description is often referenced as required experience or minimum qualifications. Basically, this is for job seekers to know whether they should even apply for the job in the first place.

Hiring a developer of any kind involves combing through many resumes and CVs that don’t even come close to what you’re looking for. Being explicit about what you want helps narrow down the talent pool.

A list of minimum qualifications for an iOS developer job description might look something like this:

  • 7-10 years experience in mobile app development
  • A fleshed out portfolio of software development projects
  • Familiarity with MVVM architectural pattern
  • Strong Swift, iOS SDK, Objective-C, multi-threading, and object-oriented programming skills

What Is the Average Salary of an iOS Developer?

In a world largely informed by technological evolution, software developers in general typically make a high salary. An iOS developer is no different. Per year, they bring in $123, 319 dollars on average in the United States according to Indeed reports for January 2021. 

Business managers can cut the cost of hiring developers by choosing to outsource talent nearshore or offshore. Lately, South America has been a popular location for outsourcing due to the financial benefits and the technical expertise of many developers in the region.

Why Should You Consider Hiring Remote iOS Developers?

Remote work has been especially popular lately. In the midst of an on-going pandemic, it’s not hard to figure why. But what about companies who have had a large remote base from the very start? What’s in it for them?

Working remotely has a slew of benefits for both employees and employers:

  • Employees appreciate a flexible schedule which ultimately encourages a better work-life balance.
  • Employers find that remote workers are more productive when they’re not micro-managed and the savings on infrastructure are a natural advantage.

Many industries have the capacity to shift to a remote work lifestyleBut software development especially is suited for a work from home environment. Much of software development revolves around self-management and problem-solving skills. These skills do not go under-appreciated in a remote work environment.

The other advantage of hiring remotely is access to global talent. Hiring iOS developers locally can be a challenge. But sourcing candidates locally can “dramatically cut down your time/cost to hire,” maintains an executive at Trio.

However, this only rings true if your interviewing process “aligns with the values of your company.”

A digital graphic showing a laptop with code on the screen positioned on a globe with two chat bubbles, representing global communication or remote work in technology.

Conclusion

Your iOS developer job description should be detailed enough that your potential hire knows what they’re getting into; succinct enough that they don’t walk away from the listing; and also expressive enough that your hire genuinely wants to apply for the job and won’t just do it for the paycheck.

Hopefully, this piece has inspired you to write an iOS developer job description of that caliber.

But if not, talk to Trio about how you can hire remote iOS developers through our company who have already been pre-vetted to meet the needs of your next project. 

Trio excels in software knowledge and Latin American developer connections. Discover our exceptional Chilean, Brazilian, and Argentinean developers for outsourcing excellence.

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With over 10 years of experience in software outsourcing, Alex has assisted in building high-performance teams before co-founding Trio with his partner Daniel. Today he enjoys helping people hire the best software developers from Latin America and writing great content on how to do that!
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