Engineering Manager - Compute Node Software

Apple • Seattle, WA

13h

About The Position

Apple Service Engineering (ASE)'s Compute Runtime team builds and maintains the
execution platforms — containers, virtual machines, and associated
infrastructure — that power Apple's services at scale. We blur the lines between
containers and VMs to provide secure, performant execution environments that
span from the desktop to the cloud. Our platform underpins Apple services like
iCloud, iTunes, Siri, and Maps. We are active contributors to open source,
including Apple’s container and Containerization projects and the broader OCI
ecosystem. We work upstream to improve the foundations that our platform is
built on. We're looking for a technical leader to drive the vision and execution
of this platform. You will lead a team of talented engineers working on
container runtimes, container tooling, image distribution, and VM isolation —
building a cloud compute platform customized to Apple's security, privacy, and
performance requirements.

DESCRIPTION

In this role you will lead engineers who develop, debug, and maintain container
runtimes, container tooling, and virtual machine isolation platforms. You will:
- Define and execute the vision, strategy, and roadmap for Apple's cloud compute
platforms. - Set technical direction through architecture reviews and cross-team
design collaboration. - Lead day-to-day execution including sprint planning,
prioritization, and retrospectives. - Engage closely with partners and customers
to drive clarity in Apple's compute needs. - Mentor and develop engineers
through regular one-on-ones, career planning, and performance feedback,
fostering a culture of ownership and continuous improvement. - Collaborate with
recruiting to attract and hire top compute and systems engineering talent.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in systems, OS, or cloud infrastructure engineering.
• Hands-on experience with several of the following: Linux containerization, container runtimes (e.g., runc, containerd), Linux filesystems, image distribution, kernel internals, container security.
• Strong operating systems knowledge and experience applying it to build stable, performant, and secure execution environments.
• 5+ years in a technical leadership role with people management responsibilities.
• Ability to lead cross-functional collaboration and influence technical decisions across teams.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent

Nice To Haves

• Experience contributing to or maintaining open source projects, particularly in the container/OCI ecosystem.
• Knowledge of advanced virtualization concepts including nested virtualization, experience with multiple VMMs, and NUMA optimizations.
• Experience working across storage, networking, and virtualization in cloud environments.
• Familiarity with cross-platform runtime development.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities and deliver results in fast-paced environments.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the vision, strategy, and roadmap for Apple's cloud compute platforms.
• Set technical direction through architecture reviews and cross-team design collaboration.
• Lead day-to-day execution including sprint planning, prioritization, and retrospectives.
• Engage closely with partners and customers to drive clarity in Apple's compute needs.
• Mentor and develop engineers through regular one-on-ones, career planning, and performance feedback, fostering a culture of ownership and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with recruiting to attract and hire top compute and systems engineering talent.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees