Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET), Creative Apps

Apple; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple is seeking a Senior SDET to architect and own automated testing across iOS and macOS. You will build production-grade Python and Swift suites, lead UI automation via XCUITest/XUI, and integrate tests into live CI/CD pipelines.

You’ll define coverage models, reduce release risk, and drive tooling improvements across multiple release cycles. The role demands 7+ years in QA automation, deep Python/Swift expertise, and proven ability to ship across iOS and macOS platforms.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in SDET, QA automation, or testing-focused software engineering.
• Advanced proficiency in Python and Swift for building automated frameworks.
• Experience embedding quality gates across the full SDLC from design to release.
• Proven track record designing multi-layered test strategies (functional, integration, regression, exploratory).
• Direct experience building UI automation against Apple platform targets (XCUITest/XUI).
• Ability to integrate automated suites into CI/CD and maintain living infrastructure.
• Applied GenAI or LLM tooling to test generation, failure analysis, or coverage gaps.
• Built prompt engineering into QA tooling to improve output quality and throughput.
• Bachelor’s degree in CS/SE or equivalent depth via work.
• Shipped automation across iOS and macOS across multiple releases; improved release velocity.

Responsibilities

• Build production-grade automated test suites in Python and Swift for iOS/macOS features.
• Own UI automation infrastructure end-to-end—from framework design to CI/CD integration.
• Drive test strategy across feature areas with coverage models and quality gates.
• Identify coverage gaps via root-cause analysis and implement systemic automation improvements.
• Evaluate and integrate emerging tooling, including GenAI-assisted test generation.
• Perform manual functional testing as needed for complex or exploratory validation.

Skills

Python

Swift

UI automation

XCUITest

CI/CD pipelines

GenAI tooling

Test strategy

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering

Tools

XCUITest/XUI frameworks

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.

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.

Responsibilities

• Build production-grade automated test suites in Python and Swift that validate iOS and macOS features at scale across unit, integration, and regression layers
• Own the UI automation infrastructure end-to-end — from XCUITest/XUI framework design to seamless CI/CD pipeline integration
• Drive test strategy for entire feature areas — defining coverage models, risk tiers, and quality gates that directly gate release decisions
• Identify and close coverage gaps through root cause analysis, translating triage findings into systemic automation improvements
• Accelerate team-wide quality practices by evaluating and integrating emerging tooling, including GenAI-assisted test generation and prompt engineering workflows
• Perform manual functional testing as needed to validate new features, regressions, and complex user workflows that are not yet automated or require exploratory validation.

Requirements

• 7+ years of hands-on experience in SDET, QA automation, or software engineering with a testing focus
• 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
• Applied LLMs or GenAI tooling to test generation, failure analysis, or coverage gap identification in a real engineering workflow
• Built prompt engineering techniques into QA or developer tooling that measurably improved output quality or throughput
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or we may consider an equivalent depth demonstrated through industry work
• Shipped quality automation across both iOS and macOS across multiple full release cycles — not just one platform or one cycle
• 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