Senior iOS App Development Engineer - Services Special Project

Apple; Cupertino (CA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 325,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical and dental care

Retirement benefits

Employee stock purchase plan

Job summary

Apple, Inc. in Cupertino, California, is seeking a senior iOS frameworks engineer to design and build on-device systems powering Generative AI experiences across Apple platforms.

You will own frameworks, daemons, and system APIs, enabling secure data exchange and efficient cross-device synchronization. You will mentor engineers, drive architectural decisions, and collaborate across teams while optimizing performance, energy use, and reliability.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of software engineering on client-side or platform-level iOS systems.
• Strong proficiency in Swift and Objective-C with production-quality frameworks.
• Systems programming including concurrency, multithreading, memory management, performance tuning.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement frameworks, daemons, and system services for iOS platforms.
• Build IPC layers using XPC for secure data exchange across components.
• Architect CloudKit-based data synchronization for cross-device experiences.
• Design robust interfaces to REST endpoints and backend services.
• Develop metrics/telemetry frameworks to measure health and engagement.
• Mentor engineers and contribute to architectural decisions.

Skills

Swift

Objective-C

Concurrency

Multithreading

XPC

REST APIs

CloudKit

Intra-system communication

Git

Communication

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science

Tools

Xcode

LLDB

Instruments

Job description

Cupertino, California, United States Software and Services

At Apple, we build products and services that enrich the everyday lives of millions of people around the world. Our Services team is at the forefront of delivering intelligent, delightful experiences powered by Generative AI. We are looking for a senior iOS frameworks engineer to design and build the foundational on-device systems that power features across Apple's services ecosystem — from daemons and frameworks to cloud synchronization and metrics infrastructure.

Description

As a senior member of the Services engineering team, you will own critical on-device framework and daemon components that enable Generative AI experiences across Apple platforms. This role is focused on platform-level engineering ie: building the systems, services, and infrastructure that sit beneath the UI layer and power intelligent features at scale.

Responsibilities

• Designing and implementing frameworks, daemons, and system services that form the backbone of Services experiences on Apple platforms
• Building efficient inter-process communication layers using XPC to enable secure, performant data exchange between system components
• Architecting and implementing CloudKit-based data synchronization to deliver seamless cross-device experiences
• Designing robust interfaces to REST endpoints and backend services, ensuring reliability and graceful degradation
• Building and maintaining metrics and telemetry frameworks to measure feature health, performance, and user engagement
• Driving architectural decisions across the team, participating in peer review of architecture, API design, and individual software changes
• Mentoring and supporting other engineers on the team, raising the bar for engineering quality and technical depth

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or a related field
• 6+ years of software engineering experience on client-side or platform-level iOS systems
• Strong proficiency in Swift and Objective-C, with experience shipping production-quality frameworks, daemons, or system APIs
• Strong systems programming expertise, including concurrency, multithreading, memory management, and performance tuning
• Understanding of systems-level concepts such as inter-process communication (XPC), process lifecycle management, and resource constraints
• Experience integrating client applications with RESTful APIs and cloud services
• Proficiency with development tools such as Xcode, LLDB, Instruments, and Git
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to collaborate across a diversity of backgrounds and experiences
• Highly organized, maintaining patience and composure to effectively operate within ambiguity

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with CloudKit or similar distributed data synchronization technologies
• Experience designing and delivering libraries, frameworks, or public/internal APIs
• Strong debugging skills across the OS stack — frameworks, daemons, and supporting services
• Experience optimizing software for performance, energy efficiency, and resource constraints on mobile platforms
• Familiarity with metrics and telemetry frameworks, including instrumentation, data collection pipelines, and analytics
• Experience with AI/ML principles or developing software that interfaces with large language models
• Experience with SQL and database technologies
• Track record of mentoring engineers and driving technical direction within a team

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 $184,700 and $324,800, 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.

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

By welcoming as many perspectives as possible, we help you build a career where you feel like you belong.

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Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.