Software Engineer, Satellite Operations

Job description

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 is hiring a software engineer to build automation and runtime infrastructure behind our communication satellite network. Our premise is that a satellite network should be run the way modern software services are run — through code, APIs, and instrumentation rather than manual console work. You will sit on the seam between the satellite network, the cloud services that connect to it, and our operations partners that control it. You will partner with hardware, cloud, and operations teams on root-cause investigations. You will carry the pager for the systems you build. The software you write will be foundational for a connectivity service for millions of users worldwide. Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or Aerospace Engineering 5+ years of software engineering experience, including production Python Experience with developing automation of (preferred) satellite constellations or fleets of autonomous vehicles/drones Ability to independently navigate and reason about large, unfamiliar code repositories spanning both embedded and cloud-based software Hands-on fluency with Linux and Mac OS, cloud service APIs, modern command-line usage and HTTP tooling Experience working with CI and production CD pipelines for a software service Experience using design documents and ICDs as foundations for an operational service Preferred Qualifications: Experience operating a satellite constellation in production, serving real users Embedded software development, and hands-on work with hardware in a lab environment Working knowledge of RF and DSP concepts, sufficient to reason about satellite system behavior Small, fast-moving space programs where operations engineers write and own the software they operate Experience leading, or serving as a core member of, a 24/7 operations team Building an SOP or runbook framework from scratch, not just executing an existing one Experience leveraging AI tools to quicky reason about and prototype new systems