Senior Software Engineer (Remote, Europe)

If you have spent years writing Swift that talks directly to the OS rather than to a UI framework, this is a rare chance to own that layer properly.

The company builds an enterprise data platform used by large regulated organisations worldwide. It handles file collaboration, governance and compliance at scale, and the desktop client is a core part of how end users interact with it every day. The engineering team is distributed across Europe and North America, works fully remotely, and ships software that runs in demanding, security-conscious environments.

The role

This role sits at the heart of the macOS desktop client. You will design and maintain the system-level sync and OS integration layer, working in Swift with Apple’s virtual filesystem framework, filesystem event handling, placeholder management and Finder integration. You will also own the inter-process communication layer connecting system components to the UI and backend services. The work requires someone who understands macOS deeply, can debug difficult production issues, and is comfortable taking long-term ownership of complex subsystems with limited oversight.

Why it’s worth a look

Most macOS engineering roles sit in UIKit or SwiftUI. This one does not. The core work is in Swift concurrency, virtual filesystem APIs, OS-level security entitlements and inter-process communication. You will write code that runs close to the kernel, debug issues with LLDB and Instruments rather than breakpoints in a view controller, and collaborate with engineers across Windows, backend and QA rather than staying inside a single platform team. Fully remote across Europe, with a broad salary range and hardware costs covered.

What you’ll be doing

• Design, implement and maintain system-level components for the macOS desktop client in Swift 5.5 and above, including async/await, actors and structured concurrency
• Work with Apple’s virtual filesystem framework to handle filesystem events, placeholder hydration and dehydration, and user-triggered actions
• Build and maintain gRPC services and clients that connect system components to the Electron/TypeScript UI and to server-side services
• Integrate with Finder for file status indicators, context menus and related extensions
• Write and extend automated test coverage using unit testing frameworks appropriate to the stack and integration tests in Python with pytest
• Debug complex production-like issues using Xcode, LLDB, Instruments and macOS system tools
• Contribute to build and CI/CD pipelines, including shell scripting, Swift Package Manager and existing CI tooling
• Collaborate closely with QA, UI and Windows engineers, as well as backend services teams
• Use AI coding assistants as a standard part of the daily development workflow

What they’re looking for

Must have

• Strong commercial Swift experience (5.5 and above), including async/await, actors and structured concurrency
• Solid knowledge of macOS internals: processes, Grand Central Dispatch, synchronisation, I/O, memory management and security entitlements
• Hands-on experience with macOS and POSIX APIs including Foundation, EndpointSecurity and XPC
• Good understanding of filesystem behaviour: notifications, caching, metadata, locking, renames and symlinks
• Experience with RPC or typed API patterns such as gRPC or JSON/REST
• Strong debugging skills on macOS using Xcode, LLDB, Instruments and system-level tools
• Ability to work independently in a remote environment and take ownership of complex subsystems
• Good written and spoken English communication skills

Nice to have

• Experience with Apple’s virtual filesystem framework or equivalent virtual filesystem and sync APIs on any platform
• Experience building macOS installers including notarization, hardened runtime and Gatekeeper compliance
• Familiarity with Swift Package Manager for dependency management
• Experience with XPC services for secure inter-process communication
• Knowledge of macOS app sandbox, entitlements and code signing
• Experience with Jenkins or similar CI tooling
• Background in cloud storage, sync clients, security or endpoint products
• Familiarity with LLM APIs or machine learning concepts at a general level
• Shell scripting on macOS or Linux, or basic PowerShell for cross-platform CI tasks
• Windows systems experience in modern C++ using virtual filesystem APIs
• Awareness of security best practices at the OS and filesystem layer

Package

• 70,000 to 90,000 Euro per annum plus annual bonus
• Fully remote, Europe
• Generous paid holiday allowance increasing with tenure, plus public holidays
• Dedicated training and education time, mentorship, hardware costs reimbursed, and a range of additional benefits including financial support for home working costs

If the systems-level work appeals and you meet most of the core requirements, send your CV to Oxbow Talent. You do not need to tick every box on the nice-to-have list.