Senior Software Engineer, Native Desktop (macOS/Windows)

Build and improve a high-performance desktop app across macOS and Windows

• Own OS-level behavior: windowing, lifecycle, permissions, notifications, background processes, installers, updates, system events

• Build native modules and system-level integrations where Electron isn’t enough

• Optimize for CPU, memory, battery, startup time, latency, and stability - including on older machines

• Build logic for user activity, app state, and meeting detection (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet)

• Build a reliable background daemon/service that persists on the user’s machine

• Support lightweight local AI models running on-device

Senior Software Engineer, Native Desktop (macOS/Windows) ⓘ View potential timezone restrictions

Remote (US Eastern-European time zones preferred) · onsite/hybrid in NYC or SF also welcome

A fast-growing, well-funded AI startup is hiring a Senior Software Engineer, Native Desktop (macOS/Windows) to build a high-performance, deeply integrated desktop product across macOS and Windows.

This is not a standard frontend role, and not an IT / systems administration role. We’re looking for someone who can own the desktop layer of a production app: native OS behavior, process architecture, background services, permissions, system events, performance, memory, native modules, and the bridge between Electron and the operating system., Strong experience shipping production desktop software on macOS and/or Windows (macOS depth is especially valuable)

• Hands-on experience with real-time audio processing and/or real-time network processing

• Native development in Swift, Objective-C, C++, C, C#, Win32, Rust, or similar

• Deep understanding of process architecture, IPC, memory/CPU usage, permissions, windowing, background services, installers, and auto-updates

• Comfort working close to the OS - and the judgment to move between low-level implementation and high-quality product experience

• Strong ownership and problem-solving; happy to stay hands-on (this is a hands-on role, not a hands-off lead seat)

Nice to have

• Electron internals: native modules, IPC, OS integrations, packaging, performance

• Experience with sensitive permissions (microphone, screen recording, accessibility, notifications)

• Background agents/daemons built to run reliably across crashes and updates

• Native UI work (parts of the app may move from Electron to native over time)

• Local inference / on-device workloads

• Cross-platform: both Windows and macOS internals

Electron apps with native integrations, macOS/Windows productivity apps, developer tools, meeting/video/audio apps, remote desktop tools, endpoint agents, system utilities, performance-sensitive desktop software, or local AI apps.

Compensation: up to $220K + equity, depending on experience.