Senior Machine Learning Engineer (Lead), AI Agents

Senior Machine Learning Engineer (Lead), AI Agents

Imagine what you could do here. At Apple, revolutionary ideas have a way of becoming extraordinary products, services, and customer experiences. Join the Data Science - AIML Engineering team to pioneer AI agents for Apple. Together, we'll create agentic systems for data science, data management, and operations that redefine industries while safeguarding what matters most our customers' privacy and trust.

Description

As the Lead Engineer, AI Agents, you will drive the technical vision and execution for a new class of intelligent agent-based systems at Apple. Lead the end-to-end lifecycle of AI agents, from conceptualization to deployment and operational excellence. Guide a team of engineers to build and scale sophisticated AI agents that can reason, learn, and act across diverse data landscapes. Lead the integration of AI agents with Apple data and platforms ecosystem. Tackle complex AI challenges, such as ensuring agent reliability at scale, developing novel evaluation frameworks, and pioneering privacy-preserving agentic architectures. Partner closely with teams in data science, engineering, operations, and research to translate high-impact opportunities into robust, production-grade solutions.

Minimum Qualifications

8+ years of software development or machine learning experience.

M.S. or PhD in computer science, machine learning, or a related field or equivalent practical experience.

4+ years of experience in a technical leadership role.

Strong programming skills in Python and applied experience with a range of LLMs.

Expert in applying and extending AI agent frameworks (Google ADK, LangChain, etc.).

Hands-on experience developing, deploying, and operating AI agents in production.

Experience deploying AI systems in large-scale, hybrid environments with a focus on performance and reliability.

Preferred Qualifications

A portfolio of deployed agentic systems that have delivered significant, measurable impact.

Experience in evaluation frameworks for AI agents.

Proven expertise in optimizing AI agents for latency, scalability, and cost.

A track record of thought leadership or contributions to the field of agentic AI.

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 $212,000 and $318,400, 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.

Equal Opportunity

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.