The Core Technology Platform Firmware team builds the foundation that every product depends on - the first code that runs, the security model that protects it, and the boot architecture that brings it to life. You will work at the intersection of silicon and software, solving problems that dont have documented answers yet and shaping the firmware that defines how our products start, secure themselves, and perform. This is work where your decisions are etched into silicon and your craftsmanship ships to millions.
You will contribute to boot architectures, security models, and hardware/software interfaces for new products, then bring them to life in the lab on first silicon and prototype hardware. You are the technical anchor for the platforms firmware deliverables - driving the system from first power-on through production hardening and into mass manufacturing. You will partner closely with hardware, silicon vendors, and security teams throughout the product lifecycle.
We are looking for a resilient, self-driven engineer to own platform firmware deliverables from initial concept through mass production. You will work interchangeably with Apple Silicon and third-party vendor silicon depending on project requirements. This is a team that holds a high bar and has each others backs - we anticipate risks before they become crises, we own the outcomes of our decisions, and we make each other better through honest, constructive feedback. When things go wrong, we learn from it and share what we learned to take the group forward.
Genuine passion for innovation and product development with experience from inception through delivery to customers. The Firmware Engineer will be individually responsible for all things firmware related. Architect, design, develop, and maintain hardware/software systems for Apple products. The individual will also be responsible for shaping firmware features from definition to launch with cross-functional teams in a highly dynamic environment.
Define the boot flow, security model, and hardware/software interfaces for new products, including the full chain from ROM through early boot stages to handoff to higher-level software.
Drive "first-light" bring-up efforts on new boards and silicon - validating hardware functionality, isolating board-level issues alongside hardware engineers, and systematically working through errata and incomplete documentation.
Develop and ship ROM code with the defensive architecture and exhaustive review that immutable code demands.
Architect and implement Secure Boot sequences, Root of Trust establishment, and authenticated firmware loading.
Optimize the platform for power, boot time, and reliability through the entire development cycle.
Serve as the primary firmware point of contact for hardware, silicon, and security teams, representing firmware architecture in design reviews and driving resolution of cross-domain issues.
Proactively manage deliverables with frequent, structured updates to engineering leads and cross-functional partners - surfacing risks early and communicating timelines transparently.
Navigate complex build environments spanning multiple repositories, SDKs, and vendor-provided toolchains to maintain a coherent firmware deliverable.
BS in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent professional experience
7+ years of experience in low-level firmware, ROM development, or silicon-level bring-up
Proficiency in C and Assembly for resource-constrained environments (limited SRAM, no heap, no standard library)
Hands-on experience with ARM architectures (ARMv7/ARMv8, A/R/M profiles) at the register level, including exception models, MMU/MPU configuration, and cache coherency
Experience with early boot and Secure Boot implementation - reset vector handlers, clock and memory controller initialization, chain of trust establishment
Experience bringing up new board designs - validating power sequencing, clock trees, and peripheral connectivity on prototype hardware
Proficiency with hardware debugging tools including JTAG, SWD, logic analyzers, and protocol decoders
Shipped at least one product through a complete development lifecycle from silicon bring-up through mass production
MS in Computer Engineering or Electrical Engineering
Experience shipping multiple products through complete development lifecycles (EVT, DVT, PVT, and into mass production), with an understanding of how priorities, risks, and tradeoffs shift at each phase.
Direct experience developing and shipping ROM code in a production environment.
Familiarity with power state transitions and low-power firmware design.
Experience working directly with silicon teams on errata investigation and workaround development.
Track record of proactively identifying and mitigating technical risks ahead of schedule.
Experience reconciling cross-repo dependencies and maintaining firmware deliverables composed of components from multiple teams and vendors.
We’re a diverse collection of thinkers and doers, continually reimagining what’s possible to help us all do what we love in new ways. The people who work here have reinvented entire industries with the Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, as well as with services, including iTunes, the App Store, Apple Music, and Apple Pay. And the same passion for innovation that goes into our products also applies to our practices — strengthening our commitment to leave the world better than we found it.
There’s a place here for every kind of brilliant. Everyone here is an innovator, or an innovator-to-be, no matter what your team or your role. So bring your passion, courage, and original thinking and get ready to share it, because every new product, service, or feature we invent is the result of people working together to make each others’ ideas stronger. Innovation at this level depends on people who represent the variety of the human experience and inspire us with their own fresh perspectives. Together, we’ll do amazing work that can make a difference in people’s lives. Including your own. Learn more about working at Apple.