Network Systems Integration Engineer - Data Center Hardware

As a Network Systems Integration Engineer, you will be crucial in building and maintaining the infrastructure for hardware innovation. You will provide hands-on support for data center development labs, ensuring reliable environments for electrical, validation, and cross-functional hardware engineering teams. This involves configuring switches, provisioning systems, and automating workflows with custom scripts. Leveraging expertise in server platform integration and high-performance networking, you will architect, deploy, and sustain complex lab infrastructure for validating next-generation compute platforms, managing high-bandwidth fabrics and out-of-band networks. You will collaborate with various teams to ensure R&D environment readiness and performance.

Must Have

• Build and maintain critical infrastructure for hardware innovation
• Provide hands-on support for data center development labs
• Configure switches, provision systems, and automate operational workflows with custom scripts
• Architect, deploy, and sustain complex lab infrastructure for next-generation compute platforms
• Manage high-bandwidth fabrics, lossless interconnects, and out-of-band networks
• Partner with Hardware Engineering, Operations, Security, and Systems Validation teams
• Strong command of network design principles and engineering practices (L2/L3, routing, VLAN, QoS)
• Hands-on experience architecting and stress-testing high-performance, lossless fabrics
• Proficient in optimizing Linux systems through kernel tuning and NIC driver configuration
• Leverage Python, Bash, and Ansible for automation
• Exceptional troubleshooting acumen across hardware and software stack

Good to Have

• M.S. Degree with minimum 3-5 years experience
• Proven experience designing, configuring, and validating RoCEv2 (RDMA over Converged Ethernet) fabrics
• Hands-on work with Priority Flow Control (PFC) and Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) on data center switches
• Deep expertise in configuring and tuning the Linux network stack for high-performance workloads
• Direct experience with RDMA drivers, kernel bypass methods, CPU affinity, and interrupt handling
• Demonstrated ability to root-cause performance bottlenecks across the entire stack using various tools
• Experience troubleshooting elusive integration issues originating in server hardware or firmware
• Experience using Ansible or Python to configure multi-vendor switch fabrics, deploy custom OS images via PXE, and run automated test suites

Perks & Benefits

• Comprehensive medical and dental coverage
• Retirement benefits
• Range of discounted products and free services
• Reimbursement for certain educational expenses (tuition) for career advancement
• Opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through discretionary employee stock programs
• Ability to purchase Apple stock at a discount through Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards
• Might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments
• Might be eligible for relocation

As a Network Systems Integration Engineer, you will build and maintain the critical infrastructure that enables our hardware innovation. Your primary mission is to provide robust, hands-on support for our data center development labs, ensuring our electrical, validation, and cross-functional hardware engineering teams have a reliable and performant environment. This requires a strong foundation in systems integration and network architecture, applied through daily tasks such as configuring switches, provisioning systems, and automating operational workflows with custom scripts. Come join us!

Leveraging your deep expertise in server platform integration and high-performance networking, you will architect, deploy, and sustain the complex lab infrastructure essential for validating next-generation compute platforms. Your responsibilities will include the end-to-end management of high-bandwidth fabrics, lossless interconnects, and out-of-band networks. In this highly collaborative role, you will partner with cross-functional organizations—including Hardware Engineering, Operations, Security, and Systems Validation—to guarantee the readiness, performance, and reliability of our dynamic R&D environment.

• BS Degree in engineering with 4-8 years relevant work experience
• Strong command of network design principles and engineering practices, including the implementation and management of core L2/L3, routing protocols, VLAN segmentation, and Quality of Service (QoS) in high-bandwidth Ethernet environments.
• Hands-on experience architecting and stress-testing high-performance, lossless fabrics. Proven ability to validate and benchmark network behavior, meticulously analyzing throughput, latency, and congestion patterns within complex, multi-rack deployments.
• Proficient in optimizing Linux systems through kernel tuning and NIC driver configuration. Leverages Python, Bash, and Ansible to automate infrastructure provisioning, configuration management, and validation workflows, enhancing efficiency and repeatability.
• Acknowledged for exceptional troubleshooting acumen, with a demonstrated ability to diagnose and resolve multifaceted performance, connectivity, and integration challenges by systematically isolating faults across the entire hardware and software stack.

• M.S. Degree with minimum 3-5 years experience.
• Proven experience designing, configuring, and validating RoCEv2 (RDMA over Converged Ethernet) fabrics. This must include hands-on work with Priority Flow Control (PFC) and Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) on data center switches.
• Deep expertise in configuring and tuning the Linux network stack for high-performance workloads, including direct experience with RDMA drivers (e.g., NVIDIA OFED), kernel bypass methods, and optimizing network performance through CPU affinity and interrupt handling.
• Demonstrated ability to root-cause performance bottlenecks across the entire stack. This includes using tools to measure and analyze application-level throughput, RDMA-level latency and correlating it with system metrics (CPU, memory) and network-level statistics (packet drops, PFC pause frames).
• Experience troubleshooting elusive integration issues that manifest as network problems, but originate in server hardware or firmware. This includes debugging interactions between BIOS/UEFI settings, PCIe lane allocation, NIC firmware, and OS driver behavior.
• Experience using Ansible or Python to configure multi-vendor switch fabrics, deploy custom OS images via PXE, and run automated test suites to validate fabric health and performance.

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 $181,100 and $318,400, 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.

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

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Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.