Senior Software Engineer — Video Applications (FX Plug API’s)

Apple Inc.; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 171,600 - 302,200; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical and dental coverage

Retirement benefits

Discounted products and free services

Educational expense reimbursement

Discretionary bonuses or commission payments

Job summary

Apple Inc. is looking for a Senior Software Engineer in San Diego to design FxPlug APIs that empower third-party developers. As part of the Video Applications team, you will create robust interfaces and facilitate developer support, primarily focusing on enhancing the functionalities of Final Cut Pro and Motion. Candidates should have a Bachelor's degree in relevant fields and extensive software engineering experience, alongside proficiency in Objective-C and Swift. The role offers a competitive salary ranging from $171,600 to $302,200, along with various benefits.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of professional software engineering experience focusing on application-level development.
• Experience in designing and maintaining public APIs or SDKs for external developers.
• Deep experience with macOS development and Apple frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement robust FxPlug APIs for 3rd party developers.
• Diagnose and debug integration issues with applications and APIs.
• Write automated tests and maintain API documentation.

Skills

Objective-C

Swift

macOS development

API design

clear documentation

concurrency

communication skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering

Job description

Senior Software Engineer — Video Applications (FX Plug API’s)

San Diego, California, United States Software and Services

Apple is where individual imaginations gather together, committing to the values that lead to great work. Every new product we build, service we create, or Apple Store experience we deliver is the result of us making each other’s ideas stronger. That happens because every one of us shares a belief that we can make something wonderful and share it with the world, changing lives for the better. It’s the diversity of our people and their thinking that inspires the innovation that runs through everything we do. When we bring everybody in, we can do the best work of our lives. Here, you’ll do more than join something — you’ll add something.

The Video Applications team delivers an integrated suite of professional video creation applications — including Final Cut Pro, Motion, and Compressor — as part of Apple Creator Studio. We are seeking a strong Senior Software Engineer to empower our 3rd party development community by designing robust APIs that extend the capabilities of our applications, and providing technical support to our 3rd party developers.

Description

As a Senior Software Engineer on the Motion team, you’ll be the bridge between the core engineering team and our 3rd party developer ecosystem. You’ll design and develop new FxPlug APIs that enable developers to create powerful new effects for Final Cut Pro and Motion, as well as maintaining the existing FxPlug APIs. You'll own the developer experience end-to-end—from API design to community engagement. This is a hands-on role for someone who thrives on solving complex problems by creating clear and consistent developer-facing interfaces.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement robust, well-documented FxPlug APIs that enable 3rd party developers to extend the capabilities of our applications
• Diagnose and debug integration issues with our applications and the FxPlug APIs
• Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks in the implementation of the FxPlug APIs
• Maintain existing FxPlug APIs and their implementation.
• Write automated tests to exercise the FxPlug APIs
• Write clean, testable code
• Participate in code reviews, both giving and receiving feedback
• Create and maintain FxPlug API documentation and sample code
• Provide technical support and guidance to 3rd party developers, including communicating directly with them and helping them with troubleshooting
• Prioritize FxPlug API improvements by balancing 3rd party developer needs as well as Apple’s own roadmap

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent
• 6+ years of professional software engineering experience with a focus on application-level and framework development
• Experience designing and maintaining public APIs or SDKs for external developers
• 3+ years Proficiency in Objective-C and/or Swift
• 3+ years Deep experience with macOS development and Apple frameworks
• Advanced understanding of concurrency and cross-process communication
• Proven ability to write clear, maintainable code with excellent documentation
• Strong communication skills with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences
• Experience working on complex, long-lived codebases
• Familiarity with motion graphics and image processing algorithms and their implementation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing and implementing Swift APIs
• Strong programming skills in Swift and Objective-C
• Hands‑on experience with concurrency APIs and algorithms
• Experience working in sandboxed or security‑sensitive environments

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 $171,600 and $302,200, 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.

Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.