Distinguished Engineer - Android Architect

Verizon•Basking Ridge, NJ

13d•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Distinguished Engineer, you will be the technical cornerstone of Verizon’s mobile device ecosystem. Android is the gateway through which millions of customers connect to Verizon’s world-class network every day. In this highly strategic role, you will lead the technical relationships and cultivate deep alliances with all of the Android OEMs and embedded OS providers to ensure seamless, high-performance integration of Verizon's services. A critical focus of this role is serving as the primary technical conduit between external OEMs and our internal MyVerizon System (MVS) team. This requires an exceptionally deep, hands-on understanding of Android Software, OEM development cycles, and how the MVS platform is built and integrated. You will be responsible for quick prototyping new software to test and validate network functions.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or four or more years of work experience.
Eight or more years of relevant experience required, demonstrated through one or a combination of work and/or military experience, or specialized training.
Deep, low-level understanding of the Android operating system, framework, and ecosystem.
Strong proficiency and debugging skills in C, C++, Java, and HTML5, with experience debugging at the driver or system level.
Hands-on experience using modern AI tools to accelerate coding, debugging, or triage workflows.
Exceptional troubleshooting and root-cause analysis skills, with a proven ability to perform under intense production pressure.
Extensive experience capturing and analyzing system-level mobile logs (such as logcat, modem logs, and bug reports) to isolate and report device issues.
Solid project management experience, specifically in coordinating complex vendor/OEM roadmaps from inception through launch.
Ability to create presentations and present at an executive level - highlighting business and customer impact of technical issues.
Excellent negotiation and interpersonal skills, with a comfortable ability to build deep working relationships, navigate vendor conflicts, and clearly explain complex technical issues to non-technical stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field (MS, MBA, or equivalent experience is preferred).
Experience with mobile or embedded systems, including direct production support (not just high-level development or planning).
Demonstrated experience supporting multiple Android OEM variants at once (e.g., Pixel, Samsung, Motorola) across concurrent OS releases.
Supporting working knowledge of other platforms, including iOS, and KaiOS.

Responsibilities

Own Day-to-Day Android Support & OEM Triage: Own day-to-day Android support across Pixel, Samsung, and Motorola. Triage production issues, plan fixes, and close the loop with OEMs to ensure fast, efficient resolution.
Test, Debug, and Optimize MVS: Test, debug, and optimize the MyVerizon Services (MVS) client software across multiple Android OS releases so it remains robust and reliable as a primary telemetry data source.
Rapid Prototyping: Perform rapid prototyping of new device features and client-side software solutions to validate network architecture or product changes, ensuring early feasibility and smooth deployment.
System-Level Development & AI Acceleration: Write, debug, and refine driver and system-level code, utilizing modern AI-assisted tools to accelerate coding, debugging, or triage workflows.
Document Architecture & Mitigate Risk: Detail and document software architecture, implementation steps, and support procedures to establish repeatable processes, share domain knowledge, and ensure the work is not dependent on a single individual.
Represent Verizon in Technical Alliances: Represent Verizon in technical alliance programs with OS providers (Google/Android, KaiOS, and Chrome OS), focusing heavily on technical issues affecting current devices.
Conduit to the MVS Team: Act as the primary technical bridge and conduit between external OEM engineering groups and the internal MVS development team, converting complex device capabilities into structured system specifications.
Technical Mentorship: Mentor and guide other engineers on Android platform architecture, low-level software debugging, and OEM collaboration strategies to uplevel team capabilities.