Software Engineer Independent Contractor Jobs in Beacon, NY

The Apple Services Engineering (ASE) Commerce group is looking for an extraordinary DRM Software Engineer that will help protect the experiences that hundreds of millions of people trust every day-from Apple TV and Apple Music to Fitness+, Podcasts, and Apple Books. Here, security isn't just a feature; it's the foundation that lets creativity and commerce thrive at an unprecedented scale.
You'll work at the intersection of cutting-edge DRM technologies-FairPlay, PlayReady, and Widevine-and the endpoint security systems that safeguard our entire ecosystem, from device signatures to user tokens. This is a team that doesn't just maintain what exists; it questions assumptions, explores gray areas, and builds the next generation of security infrastructure from the ground up.
Whether you're a seasoned engineer or someone eager to grow into this space, you'll be empowered to drive projects from idea to production, obsess over performance and scale, and collaborate with some of the best engineers in the industry. If you're energized by big challenges and want your work to protect and power extraordinary experiences for millions of customers, this is where you belong.
Description
At Apple, new ideas have a way of becoming extraordinary products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job, and there's no telling what you could accomplish. As a DRM Software Engineer within the Apple Media Products Commerce team, you will have the opportunity to develop and implement DRM and security solutions across our entire ecosystem of media products.
We strive to provide a flawless experience for our millions of customers and developers. The Apple Media Products Commerce Engineering team manages DRM and media security solutions across all Apple media products, including Apple TV, Apple Music, Fitness+, Podcasts, Apple Books, and more. Beyond media playback, our team is responsible for the security of the entire organization's endpoints. We utilize FairPlay technology to verify device signatures, manage device one-time passwords, and ensure the absolute security of user tokens. This scale is truly unprecedented and requires tremendous thinking to develop new initiatives and maintain existing systems.
We are looking for a self-starting, energetic individual who is not afraid to question assumptions or charge head-first into gray areas. While prior experience isn't strictly required, an ideal candidate will have, or be eager to develop, an interest in DRM technologies, including FairPlay, PlayReady, and Widevine, as well as endpoint security and authentication protocols. An understanding of relational databases, data-modeling techniques, and Cassandra or other NoSQL knowledge is a plus. We are primarily a Java shop.
You will drive projects from inception to production deployment with a strong focus on performance to get the most out of your systems' designs and implementations, no matter what the scale. You will care about measuring, profiling, and tuning, but you will also be able to think creatively and question assumptions. You should be a phenomenal teammate and have excellent communication and presentation skills.
If you like the stimulation and challenges of building systems and features exposed to hundreds of millions of transacting users, and you want to make a difference, you will find Apple Media Products Engineering to be a fast-paced, rewarding environment where the best engineers and scientists collaborate to deliver fantastic products and features to our customers.
Minimum Qualifications
2+ years experience in software development.
Interest in (or willingness to develop expertise in) DRM technologies such as FairPlay, PlayReady, or Widevine
Interest in endpoint security and authentication protocols
Strong programming skills, primarily in Java
Ability to drive projects independently, from inception to production deployment
Strong focus on performance - comfortable measuring, profiling, and tuning systems
Excellent communication and presentation skills
A self-starting, energetic mindset - comfortable questioning assumptions and navigating ambiguity ("gray areas")
Strong collaborative instincts
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
Preferred Qualifications
Prior hands-on experience with DRM technologies (FairPlay, PlayReady, Widevine)
Understanding of relational databases and data-modeling techniques
Familiarity with Cassandra or other NoSQL databases