Open to opportunities

Xinzhao Li

@xinzhaoli

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Senior iOS engineer driving social product innovation through iOS strategy, modernization, and metric-led execution.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I’m looking for an engineering role where I can own iOS strategy, modernize codebases, and ship metric-driven product features—while mentoring teams and applying AI/agentic workflows to accelerate delivery.

I’m a Senior Software Engineer focused on iOS delivery that turns complex product problems into measurable impact. At TikTok, I directed iOS technical strategy for critical social domains while aligning iOS, Android, and server engineering through clear contracts and shared roadmaps.

I’m especially proud of how I modernize teams and codebases. I evangelized agentic development by integrating AI-driven workflows into daily execution, and I led Objective-C to Swift modernization with AI.

Across my work, I connect engineering decisions to outcomes. I architected “Social User Search” from 0 to 1, built a modularized framework that increased search CTR and downstream social interactions, and developed internal QA tools and dashboards to monitor online metrics.

Earlier in my career, I helped build from scratch at Cymantix as a Founding Engineer, architecting and shipping a high-velocity SaaS platform that combined video conferencing with information retrieval. I also delivered high-visibility Audible iOS features using Swift with strong attention to accessibility and Human Interface Guidelines, while supporting large-scale A/B tests and building internal debug tools for a 40-person team.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Senior Software Engineer - iOS

Current

TikTok Inc.

Mar 2026 - Present (3 months)

Directed iOS technical strategy for critical social domains, including iOS/Android/server roadmap alignment and contract definition across cross-functional partners. Led Objective-C to Swift modernization with AI, mentored 4 junior engineers, and scaled the team through interviews for 20+ candidates.

Swift Objective C SwiftUI UIKit Mentorship CI CD XCode

Software Engineer - iOS

TikTok Inc.

Apr 2023 - Feb 2026 (2 years 10 months)

Architected “Social User Search” from 0 to 1, delivering a unified modular framework across social surfaces to increase search CTR and downstream interactions. Developed high-performance social features and internal QA tools, partnering on metric and A/B test design to convert prototypes into production experiences.

Swift SwiftUI UIKit A B Testing Data Analysis Metric Design Combine XCode

Founding Engineer - Fullstack

Cymantix Inc.

Aug 2021 - Jan 2023 (1 year 5 months)

Architected and shipped a founding SaaS platform combining video conferencing and information retrieval in a high-velocity startup environment. Established core engineering practices including Git flow, Jira project management, and internal documentation.

SaaS Video Conferencing Information Retrieval Elasticsearch Jira API Design

Software Development Engineer - iOS

Audible, Inc. / Amazon

Jul 2021 - Apr 2022 (9 months)

Developed high-visibility features for the Audible iOS app in Swift, focusing on accessibility and Apple Human Interface Guidelines. Partnered on large-scale A/B tests to optimize audiobook listening for millions of users and built internal debug tools used by a 40-person engineering team.