Software Engineer -Platform & Middleware

Who We Are

Applied Materials is a global leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. We design, build and service cutting-edge equipment that helps our customers manufacture display and semiconductor chips - the brains of devices we use every day. As the foundation of the global electronics industry, Applied enables the exciting technologies that literally connect our world - like AI and IoT. If you want to push the boundaries of materials science and engineering to create next generation technology, join us to deliver material innovation that changes the world.

What We Offer

Location:
Santa Clara,CA, Toronto,CAN

You'll benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages you to learn, develop, and grow your career as you take on challenges and drive innovative solutions for our customers. We empower our team to push the boundaries of what is possible-while learning every day in a supportive leading global company. Visit our Careers website to learn more.

At Applied Materials, we care about the health and wellbeing of our employees. We're committed to providing programs and support that encourage personal and professional growth and care for you at work, at home, or wherever you may go. Learn more about our benefits.

As a Software Engineer at Applied Materials, you'll dive deep into ground-breaking technologies-like machine learning and AI-to craft novel software solutions that solve our customers' high-value problems. Our Software Engineers are responsible for designing, prototyping, developing, and debugging software solutions for semiconductor equipment components and devices to ensure quality and functionality. You'll develop software documentation and test procedures, troubleshoot software problems, and communicate with internal customers to understand project requirements. As part of our team, you'll contribute your expertise in intricate systems, deciphering code, and anticipating software behaviors to ensure Applied remains the leader in the semiconductor and display sectors.

Recognized as a senior technical authority, this role owns the architecture and long‑term evolution of platform‑ and runtime‑level software systems. The engineer leads architectural approaches for enabling portable native execution across Linux and Android‑derived environments. Operating with a high degree of autonomy, this role tackles complex, cross‑layer challenges and will shape forward‑looking middleware and API surfaces that extend beyond existing platform capabilities.

Location: Waterloo ON preferred

Role Responsibilities

• Design and develop large scale, complex software solutions platform and runtime level architecture
• Own the architecture and technical direction for enabling Android NDK based native components to operate in Linux environments outside of Android, including defining supported runtime behaviors, APIs, and explicit architectural boundaries.
• Design constrained compatibility layers and middleware, such as JNI-like shims and host side service abstractions, to selectively reimplement required runtime functionality while avoiding full platform or runtime reimplementation.
• Develop well scoped, forward looking API surfaces, including the development of new middleware and APIs to support novel platform features.
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues spanning application, runtime, ABI, and Linux system layers; develop appropriate diagnostics and validation strategies.
• Communicate technical scope, roadmap, risks, and trade-offs to internal stakeholders and external customers, ensuring alignment on platform capabilities and limitations.
• Identify resourcing gaps and leverage external contractors or vendors when appropriate, providing technical leadership to ensure quality, alignment, and successful integration.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field
• Typically 10-15 years of relevant software engineering experience
• Demonstrated technical leadership and ownership of complex, cross functional software initiatives‑functional software initiatives

• Deep understanding of Android execution architecture, including Android NDK and ABI concepts, ART runtime responsibilities (threading, memory management), and JNI semantics and lifecycle constraints.
• Strong experience with Linux systems programming in C/C++, including threading and synchronization, dynamic linking and shared libraries, ELF binaries, and ABI compatibility.
• Proven experience designing platform middleware and constrained compatibility layers, including selectively reimplementing runtime behaviors to enable native code portability.
• Demonstrated ability to design and evolve well defined, stable API surfaces, including development of new middleware and platform capabilities beyond those provided by existing platforms such as Android.
• Ability to define, document, and communicate architectural boundaries, supported behaviors, and intentional limitations, balancing delivery needs with maintainability.
• Experience determining appropriate resourcing strategies, including establishing internal capability or leveraging external contractors or vendors, and providing technical leadership to ensure engineering quality and alignment.

• Experience with Android internals, AOSP, or system-level Android components.
• Familiarity with IPC mechanisms (e.g., Binder concepts or Linux alternatives).
• Experience porting or architecting software across heterogeneous runtime environments, including defining new abstractions where direct platform equivalents do not exist.
• Background in developer tooling, diagnostics, or debuggability for complex native or runtime level systems.
• Experience prototyping Android applications and familiarity with Android UI frameworks