Senior Software Engineer, Security Enablement Team ASE

Apple Inc.; Seattle, Northern (WA, KY); Hybrid; USD 175,000 - 309,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonuses or commission

Relocation

Employee stock purchase plan

Stock programs

Medical and dental coverage

Retirement benefits

Discounted products and services

Educational expense reimbursement

Job summary

Apple Inc. is seeking a Senior Software Engineer for the Security Enablement Team in Seattle, WA. You will design and build foundational security components for core services like iCloud, Apple Music, News, FindMy, and more, using distributed data services and cloud-native platforms.

This hands-on role emphasizes secure, high-performance systems with Java, Go, and Python, collaborating across teams and OSS projects to ensure integrity and resilience of Apple’s global infrastructure.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering and large-scale distributed systems.
• Experience with Kubernetes, Docker, and containerization (CNCF).
• Proficient in Java, Go, and Python.
• Knowledge of securing APIs (REST/gRPC) and auth tech.
• Strong OS concepts: threads, memory, networking, storage, performance.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop software for cloud infrastructure.
• Design highly scalable applications and web services.
• Develop software in Java, Go, and Python.
• Work with customers such as Kubernetes to gather software requirements.
• Work with the etcd and Zookeeper open source communities to fix bugs/issues.
• Deploy software in a modern continuous integration environment.
• Debug and troubleshoot etcd/Zookeeper issues.
• Develop new features for coordination service offering.
• Document service internals and runbooks for other teammates; and
• Mentor less experienced members of the team on development best practices.

Skills

Distributed systems

Kubernetes

Docker

Java

Python

Education

B.S. in CS

Tools

Go

etcd

Zookeeper

Solr

Cassandra

Kafka

Job description

Senior Software Engineer, Security Enablement Team ASE

Seattle, Washington, United States Software and Services

Security is at the heart of Apple’s products and services. The Security Enablement Team at Apple focuses on building Software and Services that provide foundational components to secure our systems. The systems we secure are in the critical path of Apple’s key services such as iCloud, Apple Music, News, Satellite SoS, FindMy. This high leverage team is responsible for providing secure software and services for Data Services such as Cassandra, Kafka, Valkey, Zookeeper, etcd, Solr and many more. Apple is seeking software engineers with a passion for Security to join our team. In this role you will be working on problems of Foundational Security Architecture, Data Protection, Compliance and Governance and many more problems intersecting scale and security.

Description

Security is paramount to Apple's commitment to user trust and privacy. The Security Enablement Team plays a critical role in this by developing and delivering the foundational software and services that secure Apple's most vital systems. As a Software Engineer on this team, you will be at the forefront of building robust, scalable, and secure solutions that underpin services like iCloud, Apple Music, News, Satellite SoS, and FindMy. This is a hands‑on software engineering role where your primary focus will be on designing, coding, and deploying high-performance systems with security built‑in from the ground up. You will work with a diverse set of technologies, including large-scale distributed data services (Cassandra, Kafka, Valkey, Zookeeper, etcd, Solr) and cloud‑native platforms (Kubernetes, Docker). We are looking for a strong software engineer who possesses a deep passion for security and is eager to solve complex problems at the intersection of scale and security, contributing directly to the integrity and resilience of Apple's global infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop software for cloud infrastructure;
• Design highly scalable applications and web services;
• Develop software in Java, Go, and Python;
• Work with customers such as Kubernetes to gather software requirements;
• Work with the etcd and Zookeeper open source communities to fix bugs/issues;
• Deploy software in a modern continuous integration environment;
• Debug and troubleshoot etcd/Zookeeper issues;
• Develop new features for coordination service offering;
• Document service internals and runbooks for other teammates; and
• Mentor less experienced members of the team on development best practices.

Minimum Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering and building large scale distributed systems.
• Experience with Kubernetes, Docker, and containerization (CNCF Kubernetes Developer or equivalent)
• Experience with languages such as Java, Go, Python.
• Knowledge of securing APIs, including input validation, authentication, and authorization mechanisms for RESTful and gRPC APIs
• Good understanding of operating systems concepts including multi-threading, memory management, networking and storage, performance and scale.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands‑on experience with Systems, including the ability to configure and troubleshoot system initialization processes.
• Understanding of network security principles, protocols, and technologies, including firewalls, VPNs, and secure communication channels.
• Familiarity with incident response processes and the ability to respond to security incidents effectively.
• Knowledge of cryptographic algorithms and protocols for securing data, including TLS/SSL, digital signatures, hashing, and encryption.
• Knowledge of authentication and authorization mechanisms, including OAuth, JWT, and other identity management protocols.
• Experience developing software in open source communities a plus.

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 $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 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.
• Relocation.

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.

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.