Senior Software Developer, Proactive – Apple – Waterloo, ON

Apple’s Search and Data Foundations team is growing, and they’re looking for experienced Senior Software Developers to help shape the next generation of intelligent user experiences. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, this role sits at the core of the Apple Intelligence Platform — the infrastructure that powers on-device intelligence for millions of people worldwide.

This isn’t a maintenance role. You’ll be building high-performance, data-intensive systems that operate in highly resource-constrained environments, collaborating across multiple teams to push the boundaries of what on-device AI can do. If you’re the kind of engineer who wants their work to matter at scale, this is the team to join.

About the Role: Senior Software Developer, Proactive – Search and Data Foundations

As part of the Search and Data Foundations team, you’ll contribute to the back-end ecosystem of data pipelines, indexing technologies, and search infrastructure that underlies Apple Intelligence. Your work will directly impact how millions of users interact with intelligent on-device features across Apple’s product lines.

You’ll be working in a collaborative, technically rigorous environment where strong fundamentals meet ambitious engineering goals. The team values reliability, performance, and well-tested code — and you’ll be expected to bring all three to the table while communicating effectively across engineering disciplines.

Benefits and Salary

Apple is known for offering a comprehensive benefits package to its employees. While specific compensation details for this role were not listed in the posting, Apple typically provides competitive pay, health and wellness benefits, employee stock programmes, and access to professional development resources. Benefits details will be discussed during the hiring process.

Responsibilities

Day-to-day, you’ll be deeply involved in designing and building the data and search systems that power Apple’s on-device intelligence features. Your contributions will span the full stack of back-end infrastructure — from pipelines to storage to retrieval — all while maintaining the performance and reliability standards Apple is known for.

• Design and develop back-end data pipelines, storage solutions, and retrieval systems that support on-device intelligent experiences
• Build and optimize high-performance, data-intensive applications that run in resource-constrained environments
• Implement intelligent indexing and search technologies as part of the Apple Intelligence Platform infrastructure
• Write reliable, resilient, performant, and well-tested code using compiled languages such as C/C++, Swift, or Rust
• Collaborate with multiple engineering teams across Apple to build groundbreaking technology
• Debug and troubleshoot complex systems issues, applying strong problem-solving skills to production environments
• Communicate technical decisions and findings clearly through presentations and documentation

Requirements / Skills

Apple is looking for engineers who bring strong computer science fundamentals and real-world experience building production-grade software. The ideal candidate is someone who thrives on technical challenges, writes clean and tested code, and can navigate complex systems with confidence.

• B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science or equivalent hands-on experience in a related field
• Strong CS fundamentals including algorithms, data structures, and systems design
• Proficiency in at least one compiled language such as C, C++, Objective-C, Swift, Go, Java, or Rust, including experience with multi-threaded applications
• Proven track record writing reliable, resilient, performant, and well-tested code
• Experience building production software systems within large engineering projects
• Strong problem-solving and debugging skills applied to complex, real-world systems
• Excellent technical communication skills, including the ability to present ideas and decisions clearly
• Familiarity with database systems, operating system concepts, and performance profiling tools (preferred)
• macOS/iOS development experience is considered an asset

How to Apply

To apply, visit the official Apple job posting using the link below. Make sure your resume is up to date and tailored to highlight your systems development experience before submitting.

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