Software Development Engineer in Test - Kernel Quality Engineering, Core OS
About The Position
The Darwin Kernel organization develops and qualifies XNU, the kernel at the heart of Apple operating systems across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch, Apple TV, and Vision devices. The Darwin Kernel Quality Engineering team validates kernel features that support Apple’s silicon and product roadmaps, including areas such as memory management, concurrency, scheduling, power transitions, kernel/user boundaries, and CPU tracing, and develops the infrastructure used for qualification. The Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) helps drive quality across core kernel and hardware technologies. The role partners with cross-functional teams to define test strategy, develop automation, execute validation plans, and provide clear quality signals for complex, low-level systems. Responsibilities include investigating and triaging failures, diagnosing kernel and infrastructure issues, improving test frameworks, and building automation for fast, reliable feedback. The role calls for technical depth, strong communication, independent work on ambiguous problems, and a systems-level mindset. The SDET influences quality decisions across teams and contributes to the stability and reliability of Apple system software.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
- Experience with programming languages such as Python and C.
- Ability to independently manage QA efforts across cross-functional teams.
- Strong communication skills, including communicating quality status to stakeholders.
- Strong project and time management skills.
- Knowledge of testing methodologies, test planning, and defining validation strategies.
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and debugging skills.
- Ability to work independently on ambiguous problems and influence quality outcomes across teams.
Responsibilities
- Define and execute qualification strategies for kernel features supporting hardware and software initiatives, aligned with silicon and product roadmaps.
- Partner with kernel development teams to understand system architecture, feature design, and subsystem interactions such as memory management, CPU scheduling, power, and tracing.
- Design and implement integration, system, and end-to-end test coverage, with targeted unit testing where appropriate, using languages such as C and Python.
- Build and evolve automation and validation infrastructure for scalable, high-signal testing throughout the development lifecycle.
- Investigate, triage, and root-cause complex test failures across kernel, hardware, and infrastructure layers, and drive issues to resolution.
- Collaborate with engineering teams to debug issues, influence design decisions, and deliver robust, scalable solutions.
- Improve test architecture, coverage, and reliability to provide fast, actionable feedback to developers.
- Analyze quality data and trends to identify systemic risks, coverage gaps, and opportunities to improve release readiness confidence.
- Communicate quality status, key risks, and strategic focus areas to engineering leadership and executive stakeholders through clear, data-driven reporting.
- Independently prioritize work and influence quality outcomes across a large, multi-team organization.
- Independently manage QA efforts across cross-functional teams.
- Apply testing methodologies, test planning, and validation strategy definition.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
