Staff Software Engineer - FoundationDB
Apple
Software Engineering
Cupertino, CA, USA
USD 257,400-386,300 / year + Equity
Posted on May 21, 2026
Apple is looking for an experienced database Software Engineer to help develop the next generation of Apple's cloud services. You will be working on a core component of the iCloud Platform that makes Apple's experiences so phenomenal. We are growing, and so is our mission — each day, more of Apple's customers count on the services that we provide.
This FoundationDB team needs strong, dedicated developers to join and help build the system to reach new heights. This person will have a tremendous amount of individual responsibility and influence over the direction of the backend, powering many critical Apple services for years to come. You should be someone who has ideas and a passion for software that maximizes reuse, efficiency, and simplicity. FoundationDB has a unique simulation testing framework for correctness. In addition to simulation, you will help drive the full cycle of efficiency improvement for the product, including setting up test cluster environments, benchmarking, visualizing results, tracing, debugging, and making code changes. This work will impact hundreds of millions of users and be important to the success of some of the most visible current and future Apple features.
- 15+ Years of proven experience: Designing, implementing, and operating highly scalable distributed systems.
- Architect at Planet-Scale: Design and implement foundational changes to the database engine, focusing on extreme scalability, high availability, fault tolerance, and cross-region consensus.
- Drive Technical Strategy: Drive the long-term technical vision and roadmap for FoundationDB, proactively balancing immediate business needs while ensuring architectural integrity.
- Elevate the Team: Serve as a technical mentor and force multiplier across the engineering organization, driving a culture of technical excellence, rigorous code review, and innovative thinking.
- Cross-Functional Leadership: Act as the technical ambassador for FoundationDB, working closely with partner teams.
- Bachelor’s degree in an engineering-related field or equivalent related experience.
- Languages: C++, Swift.
- Technology: NoSQL, SQL, or other modern data storage systems.
- Knowledge: Security, Privacy, Distributed Systems.