Principal Engineering Manager - Platform Quality & Reliability

Are you a visionary engineering leader passionate about building and maintaining the quality foundation of groundbreaking technology? Join Apple as our Principal Engineering Manager within the Platform Quality & Reliability organization. Based in a remote environment, this pivotal role offers an exceptional opportunity to shape the future of Apple products by leading a talented team dedicated to ensuring the robustness, reliability, and performance of our core system software. We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated individual with a proven track record of technical leadership, strategic planning, and fostering a culture of excellence. This is a highly visible position with significant impact on Apple's product success, and we offer a competitive salary commensurate with experience and a commitment to professional growth.

Job Description

Synopsis:

As the Principal Engineering Manager for the Platform Quality & Reliability group, you will be a key driver in the development and execution of strategies to ensure the highest levels of quality and stability for Apple's low-level firmware, silicon programming, bootloaders, SOC power management, and other critical hardware-software interfaces. This role is at the forefront of our efforts to build a resilient and performant foundation for all Apple products. You will lead a team of talented engineers, fostering a collaborative and innovative environment while directly contributing to the quality of our foundational software. This is a unique opportunity to influence the very core of Apple's technological innovation and deliver exceptional user experiences.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Vision: Develop and champion a comprehensive quality vision and roadmap for the Platform Quality & Reliability group, aligning with broader Apple product and engineering goals.
• Team Leadership & Development: Provide inspirational leadership, mentorship, and coaching to a team of software engineers, fostering their professional growth and creating a high-performing, engaged team culture. This includes performance management, career development planning, and fostering a collaborative work environment.
• Quality Strategy & Planning: Collaborate closely with development teams to establish robust test plans, quality gates, and quality assurance processes throughout the software development lifecycle. Proactively identify and mitigate potential quality risks early in the development process.
• Test Automation & Tooling: Drive the development and implementation of automation frameworks, test methodologies, and tooling to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of quality assurance efforts. This includes exploring and adopting new technologies to enhance testing capabilities.
• Root Cause Analysis & Remediation: Lead investigations into bug patterns, identify root causes, and develop effective corrective action plans in collaboration with cross-functional teams. Implement preventative measures to minimize future occurrences.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work seamlessly with hardware, software, silicon, and QA teams to ensure the seamless integration and optimal performance of the entire system. Build strong, collaborative relationships with stakeholders across the organization.
• Performance Management & Metrics: Define and track key quality metrics to measure team performance, identify areas for improvement, and demonstrate the impact of quality initiatives. Utilize data-driven insights to inform decision-making.
• Process Improvement: Continuously evaluate and improve team processes, workflows, and methodologies to enhance efficiency, quality, and predictability.
• Technical Guidance & Expertise: Provide technical leadership and guidance to the team, staying abreast of emerging technologies and best practices in quality assurance and software development.
• Stakeholder Communication: Effectively communicate quality risks, progress, and outcomes to senior leadership and other stakeholders.

Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field. Advanced degree (Master's or Ph.D.) is highly desirable.
• Experience: Minimum of 8+ years of experience in software engineering, with a significant portion dedicated to quality assurance, testing, and/or test automation. Proven experience in a leadership or management role is essential.
• Technical Skills: Deep understanding of software development methodologies, testing frameworks, and quality assurance principles. Strong proficiency in at least one scripting language (e.g., Python) and experience with C/C++ is highly preferred. Experience with data visualization tools is a plus.
• Leadership & Management Skills: Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and develop high-performing engineering teams. Excellent communication, interpersonal, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Problem-Solving & Analytical Skills: Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills with a proven ability to identify, diagnose, and resolve complex technical issues.
• Industry Knowledge: Familiarity with low-level firmware, silicon programming, bootloaders, and SOC power management is highly desirable. Experience in a high-volume, high-reliability environment is a plus.

We offer a compelling work environment with opportunities for continuous learning and professional advancement. If you are a passionate and results-oriented engineering leader looking to make a significant impact on a globally recognized brand, we encourage you to apply.

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