Software Development Engineer in Test - Platform System Validation

Summary

Do you have a strong interest in low-level firmware and operating systems? A desire to work on complex software features, driving a high standard of quality into Apple's products? The CoreOS Platform Enablement & Quality Engineering organization is looking for a talented and passionate software engineer to join the Platform System Validation team. As a critical member of the team, you will focus on software technologies in low-level firmware and Apple silicon domains. Your responsibilities will span all phases of software delivery of Apple's products, from early design to product launch and beyond. You'll become intimately familiar with one or more major technologies, taking on responsibilities of test, framework, and tool development, along with influencing design decisions.

Description

Devise a testing strategy for one or more major SoCs and products, focusing on low-level firmware, silicon features, and bootloader technologies. Gain a deep understanding of the design, requirements, and architecture. Influence the inclusion of testability into software design. Develop and automate system-level tests focused on software stress and stability. Define and drive quality metrics to track progress and improvements. Collaborate cross-functionally with systems, quality engineering, and development teams. Assess and represent the end-user impact of issues, shaping key product decisions. Explore novel approaches to create new test frameworks, automation, and infrastructure to streamline testing.

Scale the team’s test automation infrastructure to support growing hardware and workload validation needs across the organization. Develop and validate system workloads and test cycles for new hardware bring-up across multiple chip platforms. Lead architecture efforts for core test infrastructure and tooling, driving both development and operational execution from design through release. Build and maintain tooling that integrates with CI/test frameworks to support continuous validation across hardware programs. Contribute to the team’s AI-driven initiatives, extending tooling for issue triage and workload generation for new product programs. Partner with cross-functional teams (hardware, software, program leads) to unblock validation dependencies and keep programs on schedule.

Responsibilities

Scale the team’s test automation infrastructure to support growing hardware and workload validation needs across the org.
Develop and validate system validation workloads and test cycles for new hardware bring-up across multiple chip platforms.
Lead architecture efforts for core test infrastructure and tooling, driving both development and operational execution from design through release.
Build and maintain tooling that integrates with CI/test frameworks to support continuous validation across hardware programs.
Contribute to the team’s AI-driven initiatives, extending tooling for issue triage and workload generation for new product programs.
Partner with cross-functional teams (hardware, software, program leads) to unblock validation dependencies and keep programs on schedule.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
5+ years of experience in software test automation, test infrastructure, or software development engineering in test (SDET).
Demonstrated experience designing and building test automation frameworks or tooling from the ground up.
Experience with hardware bring-up or system-level validation for silicon/chip platforms.
Proficiency in Python (or a comparable scripting/programming language) and experience integrating tooling with CI/CD or test-execution pipelines.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in software development and testing.
Skilled in testing embedded systems and firmware.
Familiarity with computer architecture and operating system concepts.
Demonstrated strong critical thinking, debugging, and troubleshooting skills.
Excellent collaborative and communication skills.
Knowledge of C/C++ and Python programming.

Pay & Benefits — San Diego, California, United States

At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $175,000 and $263,300, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple’s discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You’ll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses — including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation. Learn more about Apple Benefits

Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.

Application Deadline

Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.