Software Development Engineer in Test, Creative Apps

Socket.dev; Cupertino (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple seeks an experienced SDET to architect and own test automation frameworks used in live CI/CD pipelines. You’ll work closely with engineers and product managers who view quality as a design input, shaping release confidence and tooling.

You’ll build multi-layered test strategies across functional, integration, and regression testing, with strong emphasis on XCUITest automation for iOS/macOS targets. This role emphasizes end-to-end quality in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of hands-on experience in SDET, QA automation, or software engineering with a testing focus.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent.
• Advanced proficiency in Python and Swift for building automated test frameworks and tooling.
• Experience embedding quality gates across the full SDLC from design review through release.
• Proven track record designing and executing multi-layered test strategies (functional, integration, regression, exploratory).
• Direct experience building UI automation with XCUITest or XUI frameworks against Apple platforms.
• Experience integrating automated test suites into CI/CD pipelines as living infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Architect and own test automation frameworks run inside live CI/CD pipelines.
• Collaborate with engineers and product managers to treat quality as a design input.
• Develop tests that shorten release cycles and guide roadmap decisions.
• Maintain and evolve automated testing infrastructure and strategy across platforms.

Skills

SDET experience

Python

Swift

CI/CD integration

Test strategy

XCUITest experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS or related field

Tools

XCUITest

XUI frameworks

CI/CD tools

Job description

What if your automation code was the last line of defense before a feature reached a billion devices? This role sits at the convergence of engineering rigor and product quality across Apple's iOS and macOS platforms — where the frameworks you build determine whether releases ship with confidence or not. The team operates end-to-end across the SDLC, and the bar for what 'good' looks like here resets what you thought quality engineering could be.

DESCRIPTION

You’ll architect and own test automation frameworks that run inside live CI/CD pipelines, catching regressions before they ever reach a human reviewer. Every sprint, you'll work shoulder-to-shoulder with software engineers and product managers who expect quality to be a design input, not an afterthought. The tools you write will compress release cycles, the gaps you find will shape roadmap decisions, and the standards you set will outlast any single product cycle.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• 3+ years of hands-on experience in SDET, QA automation, or software engineering with a testing focus
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or we may consider an equivalent depth demonstrated through industry work
• Advanced proficiency in Python and Swift, specifically for building automated test frameworks and test tooling — not just scripting
• Practical command of the full SDLC with clear experience embedding quality gates at multiple phases, from design review through release
• Proven track record designing and executing multi-layered test strategies spanning functional, integration, regression, and exploratory methodologies
• Direct experience building UI automation with XCUITest or XUI frameworks against real Apple platform targets
• Demonstrated ability to integrate automated test suites into CI/CD pipelines and maintain them as living infrastructure

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Shipped quality automation across both iOS and macOS across multiple full release cycles — not just one platform or one cycle
• Applied LLMs or GenAI tooling to test generation, failure analysis, or coverage gap identification in real engineering workflow
• Built prompt engineering techniques into QA or developer tooling that measurably improved output quality or throughput
• Drove infrastructure improvements — framework refactors, pipeline optimizations, coverage initiatives — with documented impact on defect escape rates or release velocity
• Extended automation scope beyond functional testing into performance, accessibility, or localization validation
• Familiarity with photo and video editing applications or media-processing workflows, including experience testing or validating complex media-related features.