Systems Software Engineer, Core OS

CompanyApple
LocationSan Diego, United States of America
CategorySoftware Engineering
DepartmentSoftware and Services
Seniority-
Workplace-
Posted2026-08-08
Viaapple

Description

Join the Core Platform & Systems Technology team and help build the code that drives our operating systems on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. You’ll deliver a unified solution used across the entire company — daemons, frameworks, certification test suites, command line tools, and even bits of UI. Your code will run on every device we ship. This role offers a rare view into true cross-functional engineering, where your work touches nearly every part of the system.

Description
As a Systems Software Engineer on this team, you’ll contribute to Apple’s firmware update solutions, working primarily on middleware — frameworks and daemons that keep devices current and reliable. The programming languages we use on this team are C, Objective-C, and Swift, with C being the primary language. A working knowledge of low-level programming and the kernel is a plus, as is familiarity with I/O protocols — USB, Bluetooth, Ethernet, and Inductive — since these are how accessories connect to our devices.

Responsibilities
Develop new features and drive incremental improvements to existing systems
Maintain and evolve the existing code base
Triage and resolve incoming issues
Build and strengthen cross-functional partnerships across engineering teams

Minimum qualifications
Programming experience in C
Knowledge of OS fundamentals
Experience designing and developing production-level software
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent experience

Preferred qualifications
Programming experience in Objective-C or Swift
Analytical thinking skills
Ability to work independently
Spoken and written communication skills