Senior App Engineer

About Tin Can

Tin Can is building a safer, simpler way for kids to connect — without smartphones. We’re creating screen-free, delightful devices and services that let families call the people who matter most, free from the noise of today’s digital world.

We’re building a bold, authentic, nostalgic, and kinda quirky brand that resonates with folks who want something simpler & better for their kids than the tech-infused lives we’re currently living (and who have a sense of humor about it). As we gear up to scale to thousands of families, we’re ready to bring on an engineer to help make it happen.

The Role

We’re looking for a Senior App Engineer to own and evolve the Tin Can app as we scale. The app is a core part of the customer experience, where families manage contacts, quiet hours, and their relationship with the device, and it’s the primary way parents interact with Tin Can outside of the phone itself.

In this role, you’ll work alongside the founding team and other senior engineers to build a high-quality, reliable app using modern app development tools rather than native iOS or Android. You’ll make thoughtful decisions about tooling, architecture, and tradeoffs, and ensure the app grows in step with the rest of the platform. This is a hands-on role for a product-minded generalist who cares deeply about user experience, but also knows how to iterate and move quickly.

What You’ll Do

• Own the Tin Can app end to end, including quality, performance, reliability, and roadmap tradeoffs

• Build and iterate on the app using modern wrapper frameworks rather than native iOS or Android

• Make thoughtful tooling and architectural decisions as the app and team evolve

• Partner closely with backend and infrastructure engineers to ensure the app reflects system reality

• Translate customer feedback and support insights into concrete product improvements

• Improve release confidence through better testing, instrumentation, and rollout practices

• Pitch in as a generalist across the frontend and backend, as needed, while maintaining clear ownership of the app

What We’re Looking For

• 5+ years building and owning customer-facing applications at meaningful scale

• Strong product instincts and a genuine care for user experience and trust

• Experience with modern app frameworks or wrapper tools (e.g., Flutter, React Native, Expo, or similar)

• Comfort working across the stack, including collaborating on backend and API design

• Good judgment around tradeoffs, quality, and when to move forward

• Curiosity and willingness to learn new tools as the product and platform evolve

• A collaborative, low-ego approach to building and owning shared systems

(We are not looking for native iOS or Android specialists.)

Why Join Tin Can

• We’re building tech that protects childhood: We’re on a quest to give kids a more analog childhood—one with real conversations, real connection, and way less screen time. No doomscrolling, data mining, or dopamine traps—just a simpler, better way for kids to stay in touch. At Tin Can, security isn’t a checkbox — it’s how we earn and keep the trust of every family we serve. This is a rare opportunity to build something that truly matters: technology that protects what’s most precious.

• You’ll have real ownership, not just responsibility: This is the dream role for an engineer who wants to fully own building and scaling secure systems from the ground up — with the full backing of the founding team. You’ll have both the autonomy and the responsibility to shape Tin Can’s security vision, tools, and culture as we scale.

• Small, high trust team: Every company says “team,” but at Tin Can it means something different. We’re a small, mission-driven group that genuinely has each other’s backs — professionally and personally. You’ll be joining a tight-knit crew where your ideas and instincts matter from day one.

• Room to explore, not just execute: You’ll have the space to explore new ideas, challenge assumptions, and build secure systems that reflect our values of trust, simplicity, and care.

If you’re excited by the idea of taking a solid technical foundation and scaling it to support thousands of families—while making it more efficient, secure, and delightful along the way—please reach out. We can’t wait to meet someone who’s ready to jump in, level up what we’ve started, and help us grow.