Engineering Manager, Data & Machine Learning Systems

Summary

Imagine shaping how millions of people discover content they love on the App Store, Apple Music, and Apple TV+. Our team is responsible for the intelligence that powers these deeply personal experiences.

We are at a pivotal moment, defining the next generation of personalization. We build the foundational capabilities that empower product and research teams to deliver hyper-personalized experiences while maintaining an uncompromising commitment to user privacy. We believe that deep personalization shouldn't require compromising user trust, and we are pioneering the decentralized data systems to prove it.

Description

We are looking for a visionary Engineering Manager to lead a team of pioneering ML engineers. Your team will build the systems that securely process, combine, and deliver the critical user and content signals needed for personalization, spanning from edge devices to cloud backends. You will guide the development of high-performance stacks that transform raw data into governed, discoverable intelligence. As a leader, you will navigate the complex intersection of petabyte-scale data engineering, machine learning systems, and strict privacy compliance, ensuring your team delivers the foundational data layer that powers the next generation of intelligent experiences.

Responsibilities
• Team Leadership & Growth: Hire, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of ML engineers. Foster a culture of technical excellence, innovation, and deep respect for user privacy.
• Drive Technical Strategy: Define the roadmap and architectural vision for hybrid feature resolution, signal fusion, and semantic data layers. Guide technical decisions around distributed data processing (Spark, Flink), production backend services (Java, Go), and model training integration (Python).
• Cross-Functional Execution: Act as the primary bridge between your team and key partners, including ML teams, Core Compute, Data Systems, and Privacy/Legal teams. Ensure seamless integration of data capabilities across device and cloud boundaries.
• Operational Excellence: Oversee the design, deployment, and operation of petabyte-scale pipelines and low-latency serving stacks. Establish rigorous standards for system reliability, data quality, and compliance-by-design.
• Champion Privacy: Advocate for and implement data minimization strategies and privacy-preserving architectures, ensuring that all data products meet the highest global standards for security and user trust.

Minimum Qualifications
• BS or MS in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Leadership Experience: Proven track record of managing and scaling engineering teams focused on data platforms, machine learning systems, or large-scale backend stacks.
• Technical Foundation: Deep architectural understanding of distributed data processing (e.g., Spark, Flink), high-throughput backend engineering (e.g., Java, Go), and ML training environments (Python).
• Delivery & Execution: Demonstrated ability to lead complex, cross-functional projects from conception to production at massive scale.
• Strategic Thinking: Experience defining technical roadmaps, navigating ambiguity, and balancing short-term product needs with long-term architectural health.

Preferred Qualifications
• Hybrid/Edge Computing: Experience leading teams that build systems bridging cloud stacks with on-device or edge compute environments.
• ML Ecosystem Knowledge: Familiarity with the lifecycle of machine learning models, feature stores, vector search, and dense embeddings.
• Data Governance: Experience implementing semantic layers, data catalogs, and automated compliance systems in heavily regulated environments.
• Privacy-Preserving Tech: Passion for privacy and an understanding of Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs), secure enclaves, or decentralized data strategies.

Pay & Benefits

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 $198,300 and $342,800, 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.

Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.