MacOS Platform Engineer

Stealth Mode Startup; Redwood City (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Stealth Mode Startup in Redwood City, CA is seeking a macOS Platform Engineer to architect high‑performance endpoints and own deployment across environments. You will work closely with founders to shape core product and security.

This hands‑on role requires deep macOS internals knowledge, Swift/Objective‑C, System Extensions, ESF, and enterprise packaging. You will influence architecture and telemetry for scalable MDM in a fast‑paced startup environment.

Qualifications

• 4+ years in low‑level macOS software development or systems engineering.
• Strong Swift or Objective‑C for non‑UI, system‑level components.
• Deep understanding of macOS internals, System Extensions, daemon management, and endpoint security.
• Experience interfacing native code with a cross‑platform runtime.
• Experience creating enterprise macOS installation packages and provisioning workflows.
• Startup mindset with ambiguity tolerance and rapid iteration.
• Security‑conscious with focus on threat models and attack surfaces.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain macOS agents and services for device enrollment, policy enforcement, and telemetry collection.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to map shared capabilities to native macOS features and ensure cross‑OS policy enforcement.
• Define resource utilization limits and optimize solutions for AI‑powered management and security on the endpoint.
• Optimize native hooks to maintain a lightweight CPU and memory footprint on the endpoint.
• Utilize macOS internals, launchd, System Extensions, and ESF to implement robust endpoint monitoring and security controls.
• Build installation packages, setup apps, wrappers, and daemon provisioning tools for enterprise MDM deployment.
• Implement endpoint hardening, patching workflows, and secure boot processes.
• Build telemetry pipelines for real‑time monitoring and anomaly detection.
• Ensure compliance with enterprise security standards and contribute to threat modeling.

Skills

macOS system programming

Swift/Obj-C

macOS internals

Cross‑platform integration

macOS packaging

Startup mindset

Security/threat modeling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Engineering

Tools

Launchd

Endpoint Security Framework (ESF)

Job description

We are a Stealth Mode Startup building a unique product experience that aims to disrupt an industry. Operating with a lean, high-impact team, the company values technical excellence, ownership, and collaborative problem-solving. Based in Redwood City, CA, the startup offers the opportunity to work closely with founders and influence core product and architectural decisions. Team members should expect a fast-paced environment, evolving challenges, and the chance to shape a product from the ground up.

Role Description

As our macOS Platform Engineer, you will be responsible for architecting the high-performance, low-overhead bridge between the unified cross-platform core module and the macOS internals. You will own deployment and lifecycle management of macOS endpoints across diverse environments. This is a hands‑on role with strategic impact—ideal for someone who wants to shape the future of device management.

Required Qualifications

• 4+ years of hands‑on experience focused on low‑level macOS software development or systems engineering.
• Strong experience writing clean, reliable Swift or Objective‑C for non‑UI, system‑level components.
• Deep understanding of macOS internals, System Extensions, daemon management, and endpoint security concepts.
• Comfortable working with cross‑platform codebases and navigating the challenge of interfacing native code with a shared, cross‑platform runtime.
• Experience creating secure, enterprise‑ready macOS installation packages, wrappers, and provisioning workflows.
• Startup‑ready mindset: comfortable with ambiguity, fast iteration, and building without a safety net.
• Security‑conscious approach, with a strong focus on threat models and attack surfaces.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Apple's Platform SSO or identity‑aware endpoint controls.
• Familiarity with enterprise MDM tools (Jamf, Kandji, Intune) and how they deploy custom daemons/agents.
• Background in reverse‑engineering or malware analysis on macOS.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain macOS agents and services for device enrollment, policy enforcement, and telemetry collection.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams—including core module engineers, AI/ML scientists, OS engineers, and security architects—to map shared capabilities to native macOS features and ensure consistent, cross-OS policy enforcement.
• Define resource utilization limits and optimize solutions to deliver AI-powered management and security on the endpoint.
• Optimize native hooks and wrappers to maintain a lightweight, virtually invisible CPU and memory footprint on the endpoint.
• Utilize macOS internals, launchd, System Extensions, and the Endpoint Security Framework (ESF) to implement robust endpoint monitoring and security controls.
• Build and optimize the macOS installation packages, setup applications, wrappers, and daemon provisioning tools required for seamless enterprise MDM deployment.
• Implement endpoint hardening, patching workflows, and secure boot processes.
• Build telemetry pipelines for real-time monitoring and anomaly detection.
• Ensure compliance with enterprise-grade security standards and contribute to threat modeling and mitigation strategies.