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# Software Engineer, Middleware - Special Projects

- **Company:** Apple Inc.
- **Location:** Cupertino, CA, United States
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Salary:** $184,700.0
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** Board Bringup, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Artificial Intelligence, C++ (Programming Language), Communications Protocols, Programming Tools, Distributed Systems, Middleware, Inter-Process Communication, Software Architecture, System Software, AI Infrastructure, Real Time Systems, Backend, Information Technology, Objective C++, Data Pipelines
- **Published:** October 4, 2026
- **Apply:** https://www.themuse.com/jobs/apple/senior-software-engineer-middleware-special-projects-5d3ef8

## About the Role

Attention to detail, creativity and passion

Ability to deconstruct large features and implement practical solutions with good intuition in making time vs. complexity tradeoffs

Strong understanding of API and framework design for maintainability and usability

Strong grasp of Apple development tools

Experience with real-time or near-real-time systems, robotics, or automation frameworks.

Familiarity with hardware bring-up, device communication protocols, or sensor integration.

Background in distributed systems or data orchestration, especially in AI or edge compute contexts.

Passion for building tools that make complex systems understandable and debuggable.

Minimum Qualifications

Proficiency in Swift, C++, or Objective-C; comfortable reading and writing low-level code when needed

Deep experience developing for Apple platforms, with a strong understanding of their runtime systems, performance models, and interprocess communication

Proven ability to design and deliver cross-layer solutions that bridge hardware, system software, and higher-level frameworks

Demonstrated ability to influence system-wide architectural decisions and drive design alignment across cross-functional teams - from embedded and hardware engineers to UI and cloud teams

Commitment to measuring and optimizing performance; skilled at using profiling and instrumentation tools

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, and 5+ years of relevant experience

## Description

Our team works at the intersection of hardware, software, and intelligence. We design the systems, infrastructure, and tools that enable Apple's next generation of AI-driven experiences - from on-device middleware and distributed inference platforms to large-scale data pipelines, interactive analytics, and advanced developer tooling. We collaborate closely with hardware, robotics, ML, design, and platform teams to build end-to-end solutions that are performant, intuitive, and deeply integrated into Apple's ecosystem. The work is hands-on, highly cross-disciplinary, and central to shaping how Apple's intelligent systems evolve., In this role, you will:

Design and implement daemons, frameworks, and system services that orchestrate AI-driven components and manage data, communication, and performance across distributed systems

Prototype and evolve systems that ensure deterministic, reproducible, and analyzable execution

Collaborate with hardware, embedded systems, and AI infrastructure teams to bring new technologies into Apple's platforms

Partner with UI and backend teams to deliver frameworks that are both high-performance and developer-friendly

Participate in and lead architecture and design reviews, setting high standards for clarity, reliability, and maintainability

Mentor peers, drive system-wide performance improvements, and advocate for robust tooling and diagnostics