Senior iOS Developer
& Team Lead
Building exceptional mobile experiences with Swift and Objective-C at Axel Springer SE in Berlin, Germany.
I'm Muhammad Bilal, a Senior iOS Developer based in Berlin, Germany, currently working at Axel Springer SE. With over a decade of experience in Swift, SwiftUI, and mobile architecture, I design and build scalable iOS applications that deliver exceptional performance and user experience.
At Axel Springer, I previously led the iOS team (Jan 2022 – July 2023) before moving back into a hands-on individual contributor role to focus on technical innovation and product quality. I'm currently working on BILD News, Germany's best-selling newspaper app, serving millions of readers daily.
Earlier in my career, I founded IVON Tech (2018-2019), a software development company, where I served as CEO and helped clients launch high-quality apps across multiple platforms. I've also contributed to large-scale consumer products at companies like FREE NOW (formerly mytaxi) — applications trusted by millions of users worldwide.
My work blends clean Swift development, modern UI with SwiftUI, and scalable architecture design. I'm passionate about crafting reliable mobile products, mentoring teams, and continuously exploring new technologies within the iOS ecosystem.
Experience
Axel Springer SE
Senior iOS Developer & Former Team Lead
Berlin, Germany
- Team Lead iOS (Jan 2022 - July 2023): Led iOS development team, managed sprint planning, backlog grooming, and technical architecture decisions for BILD News app
- Senior iOS Developer (May 2021 - Dec 2021, July 2023 - Present): Building and maintaining iOS applications for Europe's largest digital publishing house
- Developing BILD News app serving millions of daily readers with real-time news delivery and content management features
- Implementing modern iOS architecture using Swift, SwiftUI, Combine, and MVVM patterns
- Building scalable features for high-traffic news platform with focus on performance and reliability
- Collaborating with product managers, designers, and backend teams in agile environment
- Conducting code reviews, mentoring junior developers, and establishing iOS best practices
- Optimizing app performance for millions of concurrent users and reducing crash rates
Kfzteile24 GmbH
Senior iOS Developer
Berlin, Germany
- Developed and maintained iOS applications for one of Germany's largest automotive e-commerce platforms
- Implemented complex product catalog features with advanced filtering and search capabilities
- Worked with RESTful APIs to sync inventory data and real-time stock availability
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to deliver features serving millions of monthly orders
- Applied MVVM architecture pattern for maintainable and testable codebase
FREE NOW (formerly mytaxi)
Software Engineer - iOS
Hamburg, Germany
- Developed and shipped features for Europe's leading mobility app with millions of active users
- Implemented real-time location tracking using MapKit and CoreLocation frameworks
- Integrated multiple payment providers including credit cards, PayPal, and digital wallets
- Built ride booking system with real-time driver matching and ETA calculations
- Optimized app performance and reduced crash rate through code refactoring and monitoring
- Worked in agile scrum teams with distributed developers across multiple countries
- Participated in code reviews and maintained high code quality standards
- Applied MVC and MVVM patterns for scalable architecture
IVON Tech
Founder & CEO
Service-Based Technology Company
- Founded and led a service-based software development company
- Managed end-to-end project delivery for clients across mobile and web platforms
- Oversaw business operations including client acquisition, project estimation, and delivery
- Led technical strategy and technology stack decisions for diverse projects
- Built and managed development teams for multiple concurrent client projects
- Handled all aspects of running a software consultancy including sales, operations, and quality assurance
Caramel Tech Studios
Software Engineer → Senior Software Engineer
Pakistan
Career Growth: Promoted from Software Engineer (2014-2015) to Senior Software Engineer (2016-2018)
- Worked on several high-level client projects including banking, e-commerce, and gaming applications
- Developed iOS applications using Swift and Objective-C with focus on clean architecture
- Built mobile banking solutions (Soneri Bank) with secure transactions, account management, and bill payments
- Created e-commerce platforms (Orderly) with product catalogs, shopping carts, and payment integrations
- Developed cross-platform mobile games using Unity3D and C# for iOS and Android (Stick Tennis Tour, Astro Boy Flight)
- Integrated RESTful APIs, third-party SDKs, and payment gateways for various international clients
- Applied various architectural patterns including MVC, MVVM for different project requirements
- Progressed from learning fundamentals to leading client projects and mentoring junior developers
Lambda Tech
Software Engineering Intern
Pakistan
- Completed software engineering internship gaining hands-on development experience
- Worked on mobile application development and software engineering projects
- Learned industry best practices and professional development workflows
- Collaborated with experienced developers on real-world client projects
Featured Projects
BILD News
Germany's best-selling newspaper app published by Axel Springer SE. Delivered from Monday to Saturday, BILD is tabloid in style but broadsheet in size with the sixteenth-largest circulation worldwide. Serving millions of readers daily.
FREE NOW
Europe's leading mobility company allowing users to order licensed taxi from app. Operating in 100+ cities across 10+ countries with 120,000+ drivers and millions of active users. One of the most successful mobility platforms in Europe.
Kfzteile24 - Autoteile kaufen
One of the largest online shops in Germany for auto parts with 15+ years of industry experience, delivering millions of orders each month. Complete automotive e-commerce solution.
Soneri Bank
Complete mobile banking suite with transactions, transfers, bill payments, and card management. Full-featured banking application serving thousands of customers.
Orderly
Electronic cart-based e-commerce application with multiple venues, product catalogs, and secure payment integration. Real-time order tracking and notifications.
Stick Tennis Tour
Award-winning sports game from Stick Sports. Number one sports game in 100+ countries with millions of downloads. Cross-platform mobile game built with Unity3D.
Technical Skills
iOS Development
Swift, Objective-C, Xcode, UIKit, SwiftUI, Combine, Core Data, RxSwift
iOS Architectures
MVVM, MVC, MVI, VIPER, Clean Architecture, Coordinator Pattern
Mobile Technologies
RESTful APIs, GraphQL, Push Notifications, Location Services, MapKit, Payment Integration, App Store Distribution
Cross-Platform & Games
Unity3D, C#, Game Development, Cross-Platform Mobile
Backend Development
Node.js, RESTful API Design, Database Management, Server-Side Development
Tools & Methodologies
Git, GitHub, GitLab, JIRA, Agile, Scrum, CI/CD, Fastlane, Team Leadership
Education
BSc (Hons) Information Technology
Punjab University College of Information Technology (PUCIT)
2010 - 2014
Graduated with distinction • 4th position in batch • 3.55/4.0 CGPA • Merit-based scholarship