Software Development Engineer in Test, Kernel Quality Engineering, Core OS

Apple Inc

Confirmed live yesterday High trust

Quick summary

Work type
On-site
Location
Cupertino, CA
Salary
$129,300–$225,300 / yr
Posted
13 days ago
Freshness
Confirmed live yesterday

Market check

Salary context

Competitive pay

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $184k
This role $177k
$118k $237k
below market most similar roles pay here above market

This role pays less than 56% of similar roles. Most pay $154,387–$214,000 — the blue band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $177k versus about $184k for comparable roles.

Based on 240 similar postings.

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About Apple Inc

Apple Inc. is a multinational technology company known for designing and manufacturing consumer electronics, software, and online services, including the iPhone, Mac, iPad, and App Store. Industry: Consumer Electronics & Software

Apple Inc currently has 3497 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $174,149–$277,600 across 2702 roles with salary data.

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At a glance

TL;DR · Software Development Engineer in Test, Kernel Quality Engineering, Core OS

The Software Development Engineer in Test - Kernel Quality Engineering, Core OS joins the Darwin Kernel organization to validate innovative kernel technologies. This role involves defining and executing qualification strategies for features supporting silicon and product roadmaps, including memory management, concurrency, scheduling, power transitions, and CPU tracing. You will design and implement integration, system, and end-to-end test coverage while building scalable validation infrastructure. Day-to-day responsibilities include investigating and triaging complex test failures across kernel and hardware layers, diagnosing infrastructure-level issues, and providing clear quality signals. You will utilize programming languages such as C and Python to develop robust automation and improve test frameworks. The work focuses on ensuring the stability and reliability of low-level system software and the XNU kernel across various hardware platforms.

What you'll do

  • Define and execute qualification strategies for kernel features supporting hardware and software initiatives.
  • Design and implement integration, system, and end-to-end test coverage using C and Python.
  • Build and evolve automation and validation infrastructure to enable scalable testing across the development lifecycle.
  • Investigate, triage, and root cause complex test failures spanning kernel, hardware, and infrastructure layers.
  • Analyze quality data and trends to identify systemic risks and gaps in test coverage.
  • Drive improvements in test architecture and reliability to provide fast, actionable feedback for developers.
  • Communicate quality status, key risks, and strategic focus areas to engineering leadership through data-driven reporting.

What we're looking for

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
  • Proven ability to independently manage QA efforts across cross-functional teams.
  • Skilled in testing methodologies, test planning, and defining validation strategies.
  • Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and debugging skills.
  • Experience with programming languages like Python and C.
  • Skilled at communicating quality status to stakeholders with strong project and time management skills (preferred).

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