Secure Design Engineer, SEAR

Apple Inc.; Cupertino (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 278,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee stock programs

Stock Purchase Plan

Medical and dental coverage

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Apple Inc. is seeking a technical security specialist focused on safeguarding software shipped to customers, with emphasis on software security across hardware, kernel, runtime, apps, and features.

Join a team that designs and secures software for hundreds of millions, collaborating with engineers to identify vulnerabilities and implement robust security controls. The role offers a pathway to influence product security globally and advance privacy protections.

Qualifications

• Passionate about keeping Apple’s customers safe with high ethical standards and integrity.
• Familiarity with threat modelling and security architecture design.
• Experience with agentic coding tools to perform code reviews and software security testing.
• Motivated by pursuing difficult and novel problems in a highly complex environment.
• Effective communicator able to influence engineering teams and decision makers to accomplish security goals.
• Keeps up to date with new security research, technologies and methodologies.
• Highly reciprocal and an excellent communicator.

Responsibilities

• Secure new products Apple ships to customers with a focus on software security.
• Design new and innovative ways to increase security and privacy while preserving usability.
• Analyze systems, threat model new features, identify vulnerabilities, and recommend security controls.
• Evangelize and drive adoption of security technologies across the organization.
• Lead groundbreaking security efforts at a scale only found at Apple.

Skills

Threat modelling

Security architecture design

Code reviews

Security testing

Communication

Security research

Code review tools

OS internals

C/C++/Obj-C/Swift

Education

Bachelors in Computer Science or 3 years equivalent practical experience

Tools

C/C++/Obj-C/Swift

Job description

Cupertino, California, United States Software and Services

Embedded within Apple’s Security Engineering & Architecture organization, the Secure Design team’s mission is to ensure that the software we ship to our customers is secure. We believe that when it comes to building the world's most secure operating systems, collaboration is key. We're looking for a talented and inspired individual to join our group of security engineers to attack Apple's products before they ship, with the goal of better safeguarding our users. You’ll become part of an exceptional organization focusing on securing Apple’s platforms at every layer: hardware and firmware, the kernel and core runtime, applications, and agentic features. Working with some of the best engineers in the world, your influence will have a direct positive impact on the security of Apple's extraordinary products, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. From consulting on both hardware and software, threat modeling, identifying vulnerabilities in code and collaborating on designs, the job is as diverse as it is critical. This position requires someone with strong technical abilities and a passionate desire to secure systems by showing how they can be broken.We design and secure software for hundreds of millions of users. We make products that people LOVE. We are committed to user privacy and security. We have some of the most creative, passionate, hardworking engineers in the industry. We challenge each other to go beyond the norm to find new, innovative ways of solving problems and to make software safer, easier, and more fun to use. Not many jobs can offer all of these things. Security engineering jobs at Apple do, and much more.

Description

You will be a technical specialist responsible for securing new products that Apple ships to its customers, with a focus on software security. Work cooperatively and build relationships with other parts of Apple on a broad range of technologies and initiatives to enhance security. Design new and innovative ways of increasing security and privacy while preserving ease-of-use and ensuring the quality of the user experience. Work with engineers to analyze systems, threat model new features, identify security vulnerabilities in implementation, and recommend security controls to ensure customer protection. Evangelize and drive the adoption of these technologies across the organization. Lead ground breaking security efforts at a scale only found at Apple.

Minimum Qualifications

• Passionate about keeping Apple’s customers safe, with high ethical standards and integrity
• Familiarity with threat modelling and security architecture design
• Experience with using agentic coding tools to perform code reviews and software security testing
• Motivated by pursuing, and prioritizing, difficult and novel problems in a highly complex environment
• Effective communicator, able to influence and partner with engineering teams and decision makers to accomplish security goals
• Keeps up to date with new security research, technologies and methodologies
• Highly reciprocal and an excellent communicator
• Bachelors in Computer Science, or 3 years equivalent practical experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with engineering teams to build secure software
• Understands security engineering, software delivery, and SDLC
• Proficiency in OS internals and modern mitigation techniques
• Programming background, in C, C++, Objective-C, and/or Swift
• An understanding of past, current, and emerging security exploit trends, including attacks against agentic software features

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 $150,400 and $277,600, 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.
• Comprehensive medical and dental coverage
• Retirement benefits
• A range of discounted products and free services
• Reimbursement for certain educational expenses — including tuition
• 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.

Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We seek to promote equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant

At Apple, we believe accessibility is a fundamental human right. You’ll find that idea reflected in everything here — in our culture, our benefits and our digital tools. By welcoming as many perspectives as possible, we help you build a career where you feel like you belong.

Learn about accessibility in Apple’s workplace

Learn about reasonable accommodations for job applicants

Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.