Software Development Engineer in Test - CoreOS Quality Engineer

Socket.dev; Cupertino (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple Inc. seeks a Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) to drive quality across the Darwin ecosystem, partnering with development teams to define test strategy, develop automation, and deliver reliable quality signals for complex, low-level systems.

The ideal candidate has strong OS fundamentals, 3+ years with C and Python, and experience building automated tests and test infrastructure, plus excellent communication across cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• OS/UNIX fundamentals and debugging skills.
• 3+ years with C and Python and automated tests.
• Experience defining validation strategies and QA plans.
• Strong communication with cross-functional teams.
• Degree in CS/CE/EE or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Define test strategy across Darwin ecosystem and userspace/runtime.
• Develop robust automation and validation plans.
• Execute validation plans and triage test failures.
• Extend shared test frameworks and build reliable automation.
• Communicate quality status to stakeholders clearly.

Skills

C

Python

Automation testing

Test infrastructure

UNIX

Operating systems

Debugging

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in CS/CE/EE

Tools

LLDB

Job description

Description

We are seeking a Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) to help drive quality across the Darwin Ecosystem of projects. Our QE team owns the quality of features and projects across the userspace runtime and concurrency libraries (libdispatch/GCD, libpthread, libplatform, libmalloc, libSystem), inter-process communication (XPC), process lifecycle and launch (launchd, RunningBoard), diagnostics and unified logging (os_log/libtrace, sysdiagnose), app installation and runtime services (MobileInstallation, MobileContainerManager, InstallCoordination), server operating system foundations and the BSD userland that ships across every Apple platform. In this role, you will partner closely with these development teams to proactively define test strategy, develop robust automation, execute validation plans, and deliver clear, trustworthy quality signals for complex, low-level systems. You will be responsible for investigating and triaging test failures, diagnosing issues that span userspace and kernel boundaries and the test infrastructure itself, extending our shared test frameworks, and building automation that enables fast, reliable feedback throughout the development lifecycle. This role requires strong technical depth, excellent communication skills, and a systems-level mindset. You will work independently on ambiguous problems, influence quality decisions across teams, and help raise the overall bar for Darwin Ecosystem validation. The ideal candidate is technically curious, detail-oriented, and motivated to make a measurable impact on the stability and reliability of Apple's system software.

Minimum Qualifications

Solid understanding of the fundamentals of operating systems and UNIX, with excellent analytical, problem-solving, and debugging skills3+ years of experience with programming languages such as C and Python, and experience developing automated tests and test infrastructureSkilled in testing methodologies, test planning, and defining validation strategies, with the ability to independently manage QA efforts across cross-functional teamsExcellent collaborative skills with outstanding verbal and written communication abilities, including communicating quality status to stakeholdersBachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience

Preferred Qualifications

Experience using a debugger (e.g., LLDB) to diagnose low-level failures across userspace/kernel boundaries, and familiarity with security testing practices and tools