Senior Software Engineer - Backend, Developer Publications

Apple; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 308,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock option program

Employee stock purchase plan

Tuition reimbursement

Comprehensive medical/dental coverage

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Apple Inc. in San Diego, CA, is seeking a Senior Software Engineer - Backend for Developer Publications. You will shape backend systems for documentation workflows across Xcode, Swift Playgrounds, and Apple’s developer site.

Collaborate with cross-functional teams and mentor engineers while driving architecture discussions and robust engineering practices. The role emphasizes designing reliable services, scalable APIs, and tooling with a focus on high‑quality code, performance, and

Qualifications

• 8+ years of relevant work experience.
• Excellent understanding of the software development lifecycle.
• Experience shipping high-quality, performant and reliable products and features.
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams, understand needs, and define test strategies.
• Excellent communication, problem solving, and critical thinking skills.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with software developers, designers, technical writers and program managers to define and scope backend infrastructure needs.
• Model great software engineering practices by producing well-tested, performant and reliable code to the multiple systems we maintain.
• Write detailed architecture and design proposals.
• Participate in the team culture and engage in code review, pair programming and architecture discussions with other members of the team.
• Work cross-functionally with other teams across Apple to ensure our tools and systems integrate seamlessly.
• Constantly seek areas of improvement.

Skills

Backend development

Distributed systems

API design

Software architecture

Cross-functional collaboration

Testing strategies

Communication/problem solving

Tools

Ruby

Rails

Cassandra

PostgreSQL

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Senior Software Engineer - Backend, Developer Publications

San Diego, California, United States | Software and Services

The Developer Publications Platform Engineering team is responsible for creating world‑class developer tools and framework‑level support for the documentation workflows in Xcode, Swift Playgrounds, and Appleʼs developer website. We are looking for a software engineer with experience in backend software engineering to help scale and improve our existing technology, while also innovate on new products, infrastructure, and tooling. The ideal candidate is experienced in backend technologies, databases, API design, and architecting of reliable systems. As a member of the team, you will work alongside a small, geographically distributed but impactful team, enable cross‑functional collaboration with other departments at Apple, mentor other engineers, and contribute to architecture discussions, code reviews, and proposals.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with software developers, designers, technical writers and program managers to define and scope backend infrastructure needs.
• Model great software engineering practices by producing well‑tested, performant and reliable code to the multiple systems we maintain.
• Write detailed architecture and design proposals.
• Participate in the team culture and engage in code review, pair programming and architecture discussions with other members of the team.
• Work cross‑functionally with other teams across Apple to ensure our tools and systems integrate seamlessly.
• Constantly seek areas of improvement.

Minimum Qualifications

• 8+ years of relevant work experience.
• Excellent understanding of the software development lifecycle.
• Experience shipping high‑quality, performant and reliable products and features.
• Ability to work effectively with cross‑functional teams, understand needs, and define test strategies.
• Excellent communication, problem solving, and critical thinking skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficient in Ruby, Rails, Cassandra, PostgreSQL, Docker, Kubernetes, and similar technologies.
• Experience with test‑driven development, continuous integration and delivery.
• Ability to discuss technical tradeoffs across the stack, including system architecture, database design, API design, and infrastructure.
• Knowledge of and familiarity with developing in Apple’s ecosystem, including the Unix platform, Xcode, and macOS.
• Experience in Infrastructure as Code and CI/CD pipelines and deployments.

At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. The base pay range for this role is between $175,000 and $308,500, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Apple employees also have the opportunity to become Apple shareholders 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 reimbursement for certain educational expenses — including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation.

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.