In early 2026, VP Team completed a search for an iOS Lead for a major Ukrainian internet portal. The role required a rare combination: deep Objective-C legacy expertise alongside modern Swift architecture skills and the ability to lead a mobile team through a full technical migration.
Search Overview
The Challenge
Finding a strong iOS Lead in today's market means sourcing beyond the obvious job boards. Most experienced iOS engineers with 5+ years, proven leadership background, and willingness to work with Objective-C legacy code are not actively looking — they need to be headhunted. the client required someone who could not just code, but think strategically about the entire mobile system and manage technical debt at scale.
Additionally, AI/LLM literacy was a hard requirement: the candidate needed hands-on experience with tools like GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, or Cursor — a filter that further narrowed the pool.
What VP Team Did
We ran a targeted outreach campaign across Ukrainian and international iOS developer communities, sourcing candidates with specific Objective-C + Swift migration experience. Out of 158 profiles reviewed, 53 were open to a conversation. We benchmarked salary expectations across 36 candidates before finalizing the offer range.
Result
A qualified iOS Lead was placed in 84 days — working remotely from Spain. The hire met all technical, leadership, and AI tooling requirements set by the client's engineering team.
VP Team specializes in senior tech and leadership hiring for product companies across Ukraine and Europe. Interested in a similar search? Let's talk.