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Consumer Electronics, Software, Services, Retail

Systems Engineer

Cupertino, CAOnsiteFull TimePosted 2 months agoVisa sponsorship available

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Required skills

  • Computer Science Fundamentals
  • Data Structures
  • Algorithms
  • Operating Systems Concepts
  • C++
  • Unix/Linux
  • Command-line tools

Nice to have

  • Objective-C
  • Memory Management
  • Threading
  • Concurrency
  • Graphics Systems
  • Display Technologies

Role summary

Apple's Compositing, Color, and Display Software team is seeking a talented software engineer to contribute to the core compositing infrastructure across all Apple devices. This role focuses on maintaining and evolving the graphics software foundation, tackling challenges in scheduler architecture, event processing, security rendering, and hardware integration. The ideal candidate will have a solid understanding of computer science fundamentals, experience with lower-level languages like C/C++, and comfort in Unix/Linux environments. This is an excellent opportunity for an early-career engineer eager to learn complex systems, optimize for new hardware, and develop depth and breadth in engineering skills, with a focus on UI compositing and system-level programming.

Apple's Compositing, Color, and Display Software organization provides the graphics software foundation for all of Apple's innovative products, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, Apple Watch and Vision Pro. Our goal is to enable developers and UI designers to create exceptional visual experiences by efficiently utilizing hardware acceleration and color technologies through compositing and display. We're a highly technical team working on critical compositing and windowing system components across Apple's platforms. Our mission is to maintain and evolve the compositing infrastructure that powers billions of devices. We tackle challenging problems in scheduler architecture, event processing, security rendering, hardware integration, and legacy system support while maintaining the high-quality standards our users expect. If you are passionate about building efficient compositing systems, optimizing for new hardware capabilities, and great battery life for millions of users worldwide, we want to hear from you. If you're excited about working across the full spectrum of compositing challenges—from scheduler design to event handling to security features—this role is for you.

Description


We're seeking a talented software engineer to join our UI Compositing team and grow into a key contributor to the core compositing infrastructure that powers all Apple devices. You'll have the opportunity to learn and work across different technical domains—from low-level system optimization to cross-platform feature development—while being mentored by experienced engineers. This role is ideal for someone early in their career who is eager to tackle diverse technical challenges and develop both depth and breadth in their engineering skills.

Minimum Qualifications


Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent practical experience Solid understanding of computer science fundamentals: data structures, algorithms, and operating systems concepts Ability to write code in at least one lower-level language like C, C++, or similar (from coursework or projects) Comfortable working in Unix/Linux environments and using command-line tools Some experience with debugging (even from school projects or internships) Enthusiasm for learning complex systems and new technologies Good problem-solving skills and attention to detail Willingness to learn and improve through mentorship and code reviews Collaborative mindset and ability to work well with others Adaptability and interest in working across different technical areas

Preferred Qualifications


Hands-on experience with C, C++, or Objective-C (from internships, projects, or coursework) Exposure to concepts like memory management, threading, or concurrency Basic understanding of graphics systems, display technologies, or hardware-software interaction Experience using profiling or debugging tools Coursework or projects involving operating systems, compilers, or low-level programming Familiarity with debuggers like lldb or gdb, or profiling tools like Instruments Experience developing on macOS, iOS, or other Apple platforms Personal or academic projects that involved systems programming Curiosity about how hardware and software work together Interest in performance optimization or system-level programming Track record of learning new technical concepts quickly Willingness to work across different technical areas and problem domains

Sample Apple interview questions

  • 1

    Design a typeahead box for a search engine

    system designmedium
  • 2

    Design a rate limiter

    system designmedium
  • 3

    Architect a key-value store for distributed systems.

    system designmedium
  • 4

    Design a system to schedule jobs in a distributed environment

    system designmedium
  • 5

    What is an API and how does it work?

    technicalmedium

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