Roles · React Native Developer · Senior

What a Senior } should know

36 core skills, 51 in total. Expectations per skill, and what changes at the next level.

This page lists what a Senior } is expected to know and do, skill by skill. Core skills are the ones a manager and peers assess in a review cycle; the rest count only in self-assessment. Main areas: Programming Fundamentals, Frontend Development, Mobile Development.

36core skills
15additional skills
11skill areas
100%at Advanced or Expert
Assess myself as Senior Full role matrix

Core skills for a Senior

Grouped by area. The label on the right is the expected depth: Awareness, Working, Advanced or Expert.

Programming Fundamentals · 7

Designs efficient algorithms for handling large datasets in mobile applications — virtualization, pagination, incremental loading. Profiles algorithmic complexity via Flipper and Hermes profiler. Optimizes critical data processing paths.

Architects async operation infrastructure — offline request queues, retry strategies, optimistic updates. Optimizes concurrent operations considering mobile network constraints. Implements patterns for WebSocket and real-time data handling in React Native applications.

Architects React Native codebase with scalability in mind — modularity, clean layer boundaries. Implements code quality metrics — cyclomatic complexity, code coverage. Optimizes Developer Experience through component generators and templates.

Data Structures Advanced

Develops optimal data storage structures for MMKV and AsyncStorage considering mobile device constraints. Designs cache strategies with TanStack Query using proper keys and invalidation. Optimizes structures to minimize re-renders in large lists.

Design Patterns Advanced

Architects React Native application patterns — Feature-Sliced Design, modular architecture. Applies Mediator for navigation coordination, Strategy for platform-specific iOS/Android logic. Implements patterns for New Architecture (Fabric, TurboModules).

Applies OOP/SOLID in React Native architecture: clean abstractions for native module interfaces, dependency inversion for platform-specific implementations, interface segregation for service layer contracts. Designs modular cross-platform architectures with proper separation between shared business logic and platform-specific UI/behavior.

Develops advanced types for React Native architecture — type-safe navigation, typed routes, branded types for entity IDs. Designs type-safe API layer with auto-generated types from OpenAPI/GraphQL schemas. Implements runtime validation via Zod for native module data.

Frontend Development · 4

Data Fetching Advanced

Architects the data-fetching layer for React Native applications — API layer with interceptors, automatic token refresh, request deduplication. Implements GraphQL with Apollo Client or urql. Optimizes network requests for mobile networks — prefetching, background sync.

React Core Advanced

Has deep expertise in React Core. Designs solutions for production systems. Optimizes and scales. Mentors the team.

State Management Advanced

Architects state management for large-scale React Native applications. Implements patterns — server state vs client state, optimistic updates, derived state via Jotai atoms. Designs state synchronization between devices and offline-first persistence.

Architects accessibility infrastructure for React Native applications — custom accessible components, dynamic type support, reduced motion. Implements automated a11y checks in CI/CD. Defines WCAG 2.1 compliance standards for mobile interfaces.

Mobile Development · 7

Designs unified ASO strategy for React Native cross-platform products: builds store performance analytics, implements automated listing experiments across platforms, analyzes iOS vs Android conversion funnel differences. Mentors team on platform-specific store optimization nuances.

Architects mobile application architecture with Core Data and SwiftData. Optimizes performance for low-end devices. Implements CI/CD for mobile development. Mentors the team.

Mobile CI/CD Advanced

Architects CI/CD pipeline for React Native with EAS Build — iOS/Android builds, automated tests, deployment. Configures CodePush for OTA updates. Integrates Fastlane for certificate and provisioning profile management. Optimizes build time and caching.

Profiles and optimizes React Native performance — JS thread, UI thread, startup time. Uses Hermes profiler, Flipper, Systrace. Optimizes FlatList with getItemLayout, windowSize, maxToRenderPerBatch. Implements Reanimated for 60fps animations on the UI thread.

Mobile Security Advanced

Implements security best practices in React Native — token storage in Keychain/Keystore, certificate pinning, code obfuscation with Hermes. Implements biometric authentication, data encryption in MMKV. Conducts security audits of dependencies and native modules.

Architects mobile application with Navigation and Deep Links. Optimizes performance for low-end devices. Implements CI/CD for mobile development. Mentors the team.

React Native Advanced

Architects mobile application with React Native. Optimizes performance for low-end devices. Implements CI/CD for mobile development. Mentors the team.

API & Integration · 4

Architects API documentation strategy for mobile projects — contract-first approach, auto-generated docs, interactive playground. Implements API versioning documentation for tracking breaking changes. Configures contract testing between React Native client and backend services.

GraphQL Design Advanced

Architects the GraphQL layer for large-scale React Native applications. Designs cache strategy — merge policies, field policies, cache eviction. Optimizes queries for mobile networks — persisted queries, automatic batching. Implements offline-first GraphQL with cache persistence.

REST API Design Advanced

Architects REST API integration for large-scale React Native applications. Designs API layer with code generation from OpenAPI specifications. Implements BFF pattern for mobile request optimization. Implements offline queue with synchronization and conflict resolution.

Architects real-time React Native application infrastructure on WebSocket. Implements patterns — event sourcing for synchronization, pub/sub for channels, presence for online status. Optimizes battery and traffic — throttling, smart reconnection on network change (Wi-Fi/cellular).

DevOps & CI/CD · 1

Architects CI/CD pipeline for React Native monorepo — matrix builds, conditional workflows based on changed modules. Optimizes build time — parallelization, caching, incremental builds. Integrates Detox E2E tests in CI with emulators. Configures release automation.

Testing & QA · 4

E2E Testing Advanced

Architects E2E testing strategy for React Native — choosing between Detox, Appium, Maestro. Implements Page Object Model for test scaling. Optimizes stability — retry mechanisms, proper waitFor, test data management. Configures parallel execution on CI with device farms.

Architects integration testing strategy — end-to-end feature testing within the JS layer. Implements contract testing between React Native client and API. Configures test environment with native module mocks, navigation, storage. Optimizes test reliability and speed.

Mobile Testing Advanced

Architects comprehensive mobile testing strategy — unit, integration, E2E, visual regression, performance testing. Implements automation on device farms — BrowserStack, Firebase Test Lab. Tests mobile-specific scenarios — network, battery, memory, call interruptions.

Unit Testing Advanced

Architects unit testing strategy for React Native applications — test pyramid, unit/integration/E2E balance. Implements snapshot tests for UI regressions, contract tests for APIs. Optimizes test speed through parallelization and proper mocking. Develops test utilities.

Security · 2

Architects auth infrastructure for React Native applications — SSO, MFA, biometric unlock. Implements secure token storage with Keychain/Keystore. Implements deep link auth flow for magic links and passwordless. Conducts security review of auth implementation against OWASP recommendations.

Architects React Native application security — data protection at rest and in transit, biometric authentication, jailbreak/root detection. Implements RASP (Runtime Application Self-Protection). Conducts threat modeling for mobile applications against OWASP Mobile Top 10.

AI-Assisted Development · 2

ChatGPT / Claude Advanced

Integrates AI tools into the React Native development workflow — code review assistance, architectural analysis, performance audit. Uses ChatGPT/Claude for crash log analysis, designing New Architecture migrations. Creates prompt templates for typical mobile tasks.

GitHub Copilot Advanced

Integrates Copilot into advanced React Native workflows — generating migrations, EAS configurations, native modules. Uses Copilot Workspace for feature architecture design. Analyzes Copilot suggestion quality for mobile development, forms usage best practices.

Architecture & System Design · 2

Architects Clean Architecture for large-scale React Native applications. Defines module boundaries and inter-layer contracts. Implements the Use Case pattern for business logic. Ensures domain layer independence from the React Native framework. Designs a DI container for dependency management.

Architects large-scale React Native application — monorepo with shared packages, modular architecture with lazy loading. Defines boundaries between JS and Native layers. Designs migration to New Architecture. Develops ADRs (Architecture Decision Records) for key decisions.

Version Control & Collaboration · 2

Code Review Advanced

Reviews architectural decisions in React Native — navigation structure, state management, native modules. Evaluates performance — unnecessary re-renders, heavy computations on JS thread. Checks security — secret storage, certificate pinning. Creates checklists for typical PRs.

Git Advanced Advanced

Architects Git strategy for React Native monorepo — workspace structure, selective builds based on changes. Implements trunk-based development with feature flags for mobile releases. Configures automatic changelog from conventional commits. Optimizes work with large React Native repositories.

Performance Engineering · 1

Architects performance monitoring for React Native applications — custom metrics, automated benchmarks, regression detection. Implements Sentry Performance / Firebase Performance for real-user monitoring. Defines percentile budgets — P50/P95/P99 for startup, TTI, frame drops across devices.

Additional skills

Not assessed by the team, but part of the self-assessment and the development plan.

AWSCursor IDEDatabase IndexingDockerKubernetes CoreMultithreadingNetwork FundamentalsOpenTelemetryOWASP & Application SecurityPostgreSQLPrometheus & GrafanaPrompt Engineering for CodeRedisStructured LoggingTerraform

What changes at Lead

51 skills get a higher expectation or become core when moving from Senior to Lead. The biggest jumps first.

See the Lead page →
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} in the open competency matrix: 51 skills across 5 levels. The matrix is free for individuals and stays free.