Contract Quantum Software Engineer Jobs in Texas

Imagine what you could do here. At Apple, we believe privacy is a fundamental human right. The Crypto Services team is at the center of this commitment, building the secure foundations that protect the Apple ecosystem and the data of over a billion users.
We are looking for a collaborative and innovative Software Engineer to help us design the next generation of security infrastructure.
In this role, you will build robust, scalable software that interfaces with specialized security environments, ensuring that our cryptographic services remain not just current, but ahead of the curve.
Description
The Crypto Services team is responsible for maintaining a number of core Apple security services with various underlying highly-sensitive cryptographic keys. To do this, the team leverages a number of Hardware Security Module (HSM), and HSM-like technologies.
Great care is required in implementing and maintaining these technologies. As a Software Engineer on the Crypto Services team, you will play a critical role in designing, implementing, and maintaining custom software solutions that facilitate the use of these HSM platforms in Crypto Services. Cryptographic standards are constantly evolving, and in this role you will proactively engineer the solutions that allow the team (and thus the team’s cryptographic services) to keep pace with the latest cryptographic protocols and standards.
A immediate focus will be strategizing and then implementing solutions to support the newest developments in post-quantum cryptography (PQC) standards. Custom software dealing with HSMs can be challenging to maintain & test. To keep quality standards high, in this role, you will own the design, implementation, and maintenance of HSM testing frameworks, tooling, and infrastructure. You will take ownership of projects, work closely with your fellow engineers to identify sustainable approaches, and find ways to improve performance and security of the tooling.
This is an opportunity to work on problems that matter protecting user privacy and security in a post-quantum-cryptography world while facilitating construction & upkeep of the platforms and tools that multiply the effectiveness of talented engineers across Apple.","responsibilities":"Design, develop, and maintain software solutions that enable the secure and reliable use of Hardware Security Module (HSM) platforms across Crypto Services
Automate complex, manual key ceremony processes, transforming error-prone operational workflows into auditable, repeatable, and secure software
Build and maintain comprehensive testing frameworks, tooling, and infrastructure to ensure the quality and reliability of HSM software
Engineer solutions that allow Crypto Services to adopt the latest cryptographic protocols and standards, with an immediate focus on post-quantum cryptography (PQC)
Analyze and map existing manual processes to identify automation opportunities, building and maintaining a prioritized improvement backlog
Pair closely with senior engineers to develop deep domain expertise in HSM operations and key management, contributing to knowledge distribution across the team
Create clear technical documentation and training materials that codify specialized knowledge and reduce single-points-of-failure
Collaborate across teams to identify sustainable approaches that improve the performance, security, and scalability of cryptographic tooling
Preferred Qualifications
5+ years of experience developing production-quality software in modern programming languages such as Java, Go, Python, or C++
Some native programming experience / skills
Deep understanding of crypto principles, with familiarity and strong interest in post-quantum cryptography concepts
Proven experience with Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) or similar key management systems
Strong background in building developer tools, SDKs, or internal platforms that enable other engineering teams
Strong Expertise in designing and implementing comprehensive automated testing frameworks including unit, integration, and end-to-end testing
Track record of creating clear, comprehensive technical documentation and training materials
Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across multiple teams and mentor other engineers
Strong problem-solving skills with attention to security, reliability, and performance
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Minimum Qualifications
3+ years of professional software development experience
Experience with at least one systems programming language (Java, Go, C++, or similar)
Solid understanding of cryptographic fundamentals
Solid understanding of security best practices
Experience with CI/CD pipelines, modern DevOps practices, automated testing frameworks, etc.
Ability to write clean, maintainable, and well-documented code
Strong collaborative skills and eagerness to learn new technologies
Solid understanding system administration fundamentals