Test Platforms, Applications, and Systems Engineering Program Manager
Software Engineering, IT, Operations
Austin, TX, USA
Posted on Jul 25, 2026
At Apple, we strive every single day to craft products that enrich people’s lives. Our successes are the result of skilled domain experts working in an environment which encourages creativity, collaboration, and re-thinking of old problems in new ways! As a member of the Satellite Connectivity Group, you will work on the satellite network that enables connectivity to iPhone and Watch Ultra when off the grid without cellular or Wi-Fi coverage. Every day, Apple customers use Emergency SOS, Roadside assistance, and Messages via satellite to stay connected when they have no other means to communicate. You will have the unique and rewarding opportunity to shape this and other critical services, to the benefit and safety of millions of Apple device users.
The Satellite Connectivity Group team leads development across the satellite, ground station, RAN+Core, and service application systems, incorporating COTS applications where applicable. It also defines the interface to the UE through a dedicated protocol specification. The Test Platforms, Applications, and Systems Engineering Program Manager will work with the SCG and the UE software engineers to lead the development and delivery of tooling including the hardware system to validate the full stack —E2E from the UE–RAN interface through to Apple cloud services. This role spans cellular and satellite connectivity platform engineering all the way up to the application and services layer, ensuring that test infrastructure for protocol validation, RF characterization, and end-to-end service verification is built, qualified, and ready ahead of every product milestone. You will partner daily with modem engineers, protocol stack developers, RF system engineers, and Apple services backend engineers to drive test tooling from concept through lab, certification, and field deployment. This role will also contribute to and influence internal Apple engineering teams and vendors to realize the network deployment, enabling ground-to-satellite-to-user performance to meet requirements and schedule. Come join us as we endeavor to delight and inspire the millions of Apple’s customers every day!
- Program & Roadmap Management:
- - Own the roadmap for test platforms, applications, and systems spanning UE–network interface validation and Apple services end-to-end testing, synchronized to modem bring-up, protocol certification, services release, and NPI schedules.
- - Manage cross-functional dependencies across baseband firmware, protocol stack software, RF hardware, network simulation, and Apple services backend teams.
- - Drive weekly program reviews, risk identification, and executive status reporting
- Connectivity, Protocol and Services Tool Development:
- - Partner with engineers to build and maintain network simulation environments (e.g., callbox-based, emulated RAN/core) used for protocol conformance, regression, and stress testing.
- - Ensure tool readiness for key test phases: lab bring-up, carrier certification, regulatory compliance (PTCRB, GCF), and field trial.
- - Drive tooling that validates device behavior across Apple services that depend on network connectivity, including iMessage, Find My and location services
- - Partner with Apple services teams to align on service SLAs, expected behaviors, and failure modes that must be covered by automated tooling.
- Tooling and processes for hosted and third-party environments, infrastructure, and systems:
- - Build and own the tooling infrastructure that generates the evidence packages operators need to accept Apple software into their networks — including automated test reports, protocol conformance summaries, and regression baselines tied to specific software builds.
- - Establish processes and tooling that characterize the network impact of every software change — identifying which features, or protocol behaviors are touched, and ensuring the appropriate regression suite is triggered before delivery.
- - Build tooling pipelines that auto-generate and maintain program artifacts: test plans mapped to requirements, pass/fail evidence matrices, known-issue registers, and software release notes.
- - Define and drive Apple's internal software maturity model — establishing repeatable, auditable processes for requirements intake, traceability, test coverage sign-off, and controlled delivery that scale across multiple device programs simultaneously.
- Process & Quality Improvement:
- - Define qualification gates for test tools before deployment to lab, carrier, or factory environments.
- - Lead retrospectives on tool-related escapes (missed protocol defects, services regressions, false positives/negatives) and drive root-cause-to-action closure.
- Stakeholder Coordination:
- - Act as the central program interface between UE, network and services engineering teams.
- - Drive internal and external development teams to define technical objectives and development goals, then manage and track deliverables to realize these milestones.
- - Facilitate trade-off discussions on feature scope, schedule risk, and equipment availability (callboxes, channel emulators, services staging environments).
- - Communicate tool readiness status and blocking issues clearly to device program managers, services leads, and senior engineering leadership.
- 5+ years of systems engineering and technical program management experience
- BS, EE, CS or equivalent required
- Solid understanding of the cellular protocol stack (L1–L3: PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, RRC, NAS) and UE–network signaling flows.
- Hands-on experience with network simulation or callbox environments for protocol and RF testing.
- Familiarity with mobile services architecture and how applications (messaging, location, push notifications) interact with network and cloud infrastructure.
- Understanding of Apple Push Notification service (APNs), iMessage delivery architecture, Find My network protocols, or equivalent services-layer knowledge.
- Demonstrated ability to drive alignment across engineering, program, and vendor stakeholder groups.
- Ability to see the “big picture” system-level objectives and dependencies across segments.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills with an ability to adapt communication styles as required for different audiences.
- Familiarity with schedule management tools.
- Comfortable working in an ambiguous environment.