Job Details

Senior Software Development Engineer-Maps Performance

Cupertino, California, United States

Software and Services

Summary

Posted: May 05, 2025

Weekly Hours: 40

Role Number: 200602794

Apple Maps team is seeking a highly skilled and hardworking Performance Engineer to join our growing team. You will play a critical role in ensuring the performance, stability, and scalability of our maps services and overall ecosystem, e.g., high-throughput, micro-services platform. This role will focus heavily on JVM profiling, heap analysis, and garbage collection optimization within a complex Java application landscape. You will work collaboratively with developers, architects, and other engineers to identify, diagnose, and resolve performance bottlenecks!

Description

You can make a difference in Apple Maps, across all of its services and the customers that use them by collaborating directly with software teams, influencing future architecture decisions, and contributing to internal tools. In this role, you will analyze the performance of all aspects of the system, root cause, and solve challenging problems. You will iterate with teams on integrating the necessary performance improvements into the shipping code. This position requires excellent communication skills to evangelize best practices and work across many teams.

RESPONSIBILITIES
- Analyze production and pre-production systems to identify and remediate performance bottlenecks across the stack.

• Profile Java applications using advanced tools (e.g., JXRay, YourKit, Async Profiler) to uncover CPU, memory, and concurrency inefficiencies.

• Conduct comprehensive heap analysis to detect memory leaks, high object churn, and inefficient allocation patterns, etc.

• Lead root cause investigations for latency and throughput degradation in large-scale, multi-tenant, geo-distributed systems.

• Design and implement robust performance testing strategies to validate tuning and architectural changes.

• Collaborate with developers to optimize code paths, reduce algorithmic complexity, and improve resource utilization.

• Build and maintain dashboards to track key performance indicators (KPIs) and highlight regressions.

• Embed performance engineering into the software development lifecycle by partnering with teams on design reviews and pre-deployment checks.

• Stay ahead of the latest techniques in JVM tuning, GC optimization, and observability tooling.

• Mentor junior engineers in performance diagnostics and foster a performance-first attitude across engineering teams.

Minimum Qualifications

• Proven track record of optimizing high-throughput, low-latency Java platforms at scale, with measurable impact on performance and system efficiency

• Expert-level programming skills in Java, with a deep understanding of JVM internals and memory management.

• Hands-on experience designing and driving performance/load testing strategies using tools like Gatling, JMH, or similar frameworks.

• Advanced knowledge of concurrency, multithreading, and synchronization techniques to improve parallelism and resource utilization in Java applications.

• Extensive experience in performance diagnostics and tuning using tools such as JXRay, Async Profiler, Java Flight Recorder, and YourKit.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving attitude with the ability to translate performance bottlenecks into actionable optimizations.

• Clear and effective communicator, capable of explaining complex performance challenges to both technical and non-technical collaborators.

Preferred Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in performance engineering, with a focus on JVM tuning and distributed systems debugging.

• Practical experience with distributed messaging systems or key-value stores (e.g., Kafka, Redis).

• Familiarity with C++, Python is a plus.

• Proficient in scripting for automation and diagnostics (e.g., Bash, Python).

• Familiarity with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP) and container orchestration tools (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).

Pay & Benefits

At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $175,800 and $312,200, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple’s discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You’ll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses — including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation.Learn more about Apple Benefits. (https://www.apple.com/careers/us/benefits.html)

Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.

Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We seek to promote equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics.Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf) .

Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We seek to promote equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics.Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf) .

Apple will not discriminate or retaliate against applicants who inquire about, disclose, or discuss their compensation.

Apple participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations as required by law.Learn more about the E-Verify program (https://www.apple.com/jobs/pdf/EverifyPosterEnglish.pdf) .

Apple is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to applicants with physical and mental disabilities. Reasonable Accommodation and Drug Free Workplace policy Learn more .

Apple is a drug-free workplace. Reasonable Accommodation and Drug Free Workplace policy Learn more .

Apple will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law. If you’re applying for a position in San Francisco, review the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance guidelines applicable in your area.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.