Application Guide
How to Apply for Staff iOS Engineer
at Lime
🏢 About Lime
Lime is a leader in shared electric scooters and bikes, focusing on eco-friendly urban transportation solutions that reduce carbon emissions and traffic congestion. The company stands out for its mission-driven approach to sustainable mobility and its global impact across hundreds of cities. Working at Lime offers the chance to contribute to tangible environmental change while solving complex technical challenges at scale.
About This Role
As a Staff iOS Engineer at Lime, you'll architect and build highly scalable foundational platforms, lead new product initiatives, and revamp core application experiences used by millions globally. This role involves making critical technology decisions, leading cross-functional teams, and mentoring senior engineers to drive engineering excellence. Your work will directly impact Lime's mission by improving the reliability and user experience of their mobile platform.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve collaborating with PMs and Design to scope a new feature for the iOS app, reviewing architecture proposals for scalability, and mentoring senior engineers on best practices. You could also be analyzing app performance metrics, leading a cross-team meeting to align on technical decisions, and advising leadership on adopting new iOS technologies to enhance user experience.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Lime Is Looking For
- Has 8+ years of iOS development experience with a proven track record of building impactful, scalable products or systems (e.g., apps with millions of users, complex foundational platforms).
- Demonstrates experience leading high-impact technical initiatives from conception to delivery, with examples of architecting solutions that improved business outcomes.
- Is skilled at mentoring senior engineers, fostering collaboration across PMs, Design, Data Science, and Operations teams, and advising leadership on technology adoption.
- Passionate about sustainable urban mobility and understands the unique challenges of location-based, real-time applications (e.g., mapping, payments, fleet management).
📝 Tips for Applying to Lime
Highlight specific examples in your resume where you architected scalable iOS platforms or led cross-functional projects with measurable business impact (e.g., improved app performance, reduced latency, increased user retention).
Emphasize any experience with mobile testing frameworks (e.g., XCTest, EarlGrey) and CI/CD practices tailored for iOS, as Lime likely prioritizes robust, automated testing for their global app.
If you have Android development experience, explicitly mention it as a bonus—this shows versatility and understanding of cross-platform challenges in mobility apps.
Research Lime's current app features (e.g., scooter unlocking, ride tracking, payment flows) and suggest technical improvements or innovations in your cover letter or interviews.
Demonstrate your passion for sustainable mobility by referencing Lime's initiatives (e.g., carbon-neutral rides, equity programs) and how your technical work could support these goals.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your experience architecting and scaling iOS platforms for high-traffic applications, with concrete examples of systems you built or improved.', "Leadership in cross-functional collaboration, highlighting how you've worked with PMs, Design, or Operations teams to deliver complex projects.", 'Your approach to mentoring senior engineers and fostering engineering excellence, possibly citing a culture or process you helped implement.', "Alignment with Lime's mission, explaining why sustainable urban mobility matters to you and how your technical skills can advance it."]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Download and use the Lime app to understand its current features, user flow, and potential pain points (e.g., sign-up, ride tracking, payment).
- → Explore Lime's sustainability reports and initiatives (e.g., Lime Green, carbon-neutral rides) to grasp their environmental goals and how technology supports them.
- → Review Lime's engineering blog or tech talks for insights into their stack, challenges (e.g., geolocation, battery optimization), and recent product launches.
- → Investigate the competitive landscape (e.g., Bird, Uber) to understand industry trends and how Lime differentiates technically (e.g., hardware integration, safety features).
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Focusing solely on coding skills without demonstrating leadership, cross-functional collaboration, or business impact—this role requires strategic influence beyond development.
- Neglecting to show passion for Lime's mission; candidates who treat this as just another iOS job may not align with their eco-driven culture.
- Providing vague answers about past projects; instead, use specific metrics (e.g., 'reduced app launch time by 30%') and details about your role in architecture or mentorship.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!