Charles Mutabazi

Senior Android Engineer with 6+ years building production-grade native Android applications serving 3,000+ users across East Africa. Expert in Kotlin, Jetpack Compose, and modern Android architecture patterns (MVVM, MVI, Clean Architecture). Proven track record in architecting offline-first mobile systems, leading technical migrations, and mentoring engineering teams. Specialized in building resilient applications for low-connectivity environments with complex business logic, payment integrations, and real-time data synchronization.

1. Senior Software Engineer · One Acre Fund

   2022-04 — Present

   Kigali, Rwanda

   • Architect and build production Android applications serving 3,000+ field officers across Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, enabling farmer registrations, product ordering, and loan processing in extreme poverty contexts
   • Lead technical migration to Jetpack Compose (60%+ complete), modernizing 50+ screens with declarative UI, reducing development time by ~40%, and eliminating UI state management bugs through unidirectional data flow
   • Design and implement offline-first architecture using Couchbase Mobile with conflict-free sync, ensuring reliable operation in areas with zero connectivity and seamless data synchronization when the network returns
   • Build complex payment integration workflows and loan processing systems with multi-step business logic, form validation, and error handling for financial transactions serving smallholder farmers
   • Implement comprehensive CI/CD pipeline with automated testing (JUnit, Espresso, Jacoco for 80%+ code coverage), static analysis (Detekt, Lint), and multi-country deployment automation via Azure DevOps
   • Establish Android architecture patterns (MVVM with Clean Architecture), dependency injection (Hilt), reactive programming (Kotlin Coroutines, Flow), and repository pattern for maintainable, testable codebases
   • Optimize app performance through profiling (Android Profiler), memory leak detection (LeakCanary), battery optimization, and reducing APK size by 25% through ProGuard/R8 configuration
   • Implement monitoring and observability using Crashlytics, Firebase Analytics, and custom Elasticsearch dashboards to track app performance, crash-free rates (99.5%+), and user behavior patterns

2. Engineering Lead · WiredIn

   2020-10 — 2022-04

   Kigali, Rwanda

   • Led engineering team of 6 developers building cross-platform mobile applications for government and enterprise clients across Rwanda, managing full development lifecycle from architecture design to production deployment
   • Architected and built a customer satisfaction Android tablet application deployed at Rwanda Immigration facilities (airports, border posts), handling real-time feedback collection and offline sync across 15+ locations nationwide
   • Developed native Android application for agricultural quality auditing (cashew inspection), implementing camera integration, GPS tracking, offline data collection, and Firebase sync for field technicians

3. Senior Mobile Software Engineer · WiredIn

   2017-04 — 2020-10

   Kigali Rwanda

   • Designed and implemented hybrid mobile architecture using React Native for rapid prototyping with native Android modules for performance-critical features (camera, GPS, biometrics)
   • Established mobile development standards, including Git workflows, code review processes, automated testing strategies, and technical documentation practices across engineering teams
   • Collaborated with product managers and designers to translate business requirements into technical specifications, wireframes into pixel-perfect UI implementations, and user feedback into iterative improvements

4. Software Developer · AxIS Investiments

   2012-09 — 2014-04

   Kigali, Rwanda

   • Built web applications and RESTful APIs using PHP/CodeIgniter framework, establishing a foundation in backend development and API design that later informed mobile architecture decisions
   • Designed database schemas, optimized SQL queries, and implemented caching strategies for high-performance web applications
   • Collaborated directly with clients to gather requirements, propose technical solutions, and deliver projects meeting business objectives