AI/ML Engineer, Applied Data Science

Summary

Imagine what you could do here. At Apple, new ideas have a way of becoming great products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish.

Are you passionate about taking AI from prototype to production at scale?
Do you enjoy the craft of prompt engineering, retrieval optimization, and grounding?
Can you build AI systems that are not just impressive demos, but reliable production tools?

The Applied Data Science team within Legal Operations is building production-grade AI for a global legal organization. The AI/ML Engineer role is central to this mission — prototyping AI solutions, then scaling them to production systems that attorneys rely on every day.

Description

The AI/ML Engineer builds AI capabilities from prototype to production. You will develop prompt engineering solutions, RAG pipelines, AI agents, and evaluation frameworks — starting with rapid prototypes to validate use cases, then engineering them into scalable, production-grade systems. This role requires both the creativity to explore what's possible and the rigor to build what's reliable.

Responsibilities

Prototype AI solutions to rapidly validate use cases and demonstrate feasibility
Scale successful prototypes into production-grade systems with reliability, monitoring, and maintainability
Implement prompt engineering solutions optimized for legal use cases
Build and optimize RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) pipelines using vector databases and knowledge graphs
Develop context engineering approaches that leverage the semantic layer for improved accuracy
Implement grounding mechanisms to reduce hallucinations and improve factual accuracy
Build evaluation frameworks to measure AI accuracy, relevance, and safety across use cases
Integrate AI capabilities with legal workflows (CLM, matter management, eBilling)
Develop AI agent solutions for automation use cases across legal operations
Implement guardrails and safety mechanisms for production AI systems
Collaborate with AI Architect on system design and technical standards
Support AI Product Developers with APIs, integration patterns, and technical guidance

Minimum Qualifications

4+ years of delivering solutions in AI/ML engineering, NLP, or related roles
Strong proficiency in Python and ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, or similar)
Experience with LLM APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, or similar)
Experience with RAG architectures and vector databases
Understanding of prompt engineering techniques and best practices
Experience taking AI systems from prototype to production
Experience with evaluation frameworks for AI systems
Supporting AI applications in production

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with LangChain, LlamaIndex, or similar LLM orchestration frameworks
Experience with agentic AI frameworks (LangGraph, CrewAI, or similar)
Familiarity with knowledge graphs and GraphRAG patterns
Experience with AI evaluation tools (RAGAS, DeepEval, or similar)
Knowledge of legal domain and legal NLP applications
Experience with guardrails and safety frameworks (Guardrails AI, NeMo Guardrails)
Understanding of MCP (Model Context Protocol) or similar integration patterns
Experience deploying and monitoring AI systems at scale
Track record of shipping AI products that users rely on

Pay & Benefits — Cupertino, California, United States

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 $175,500 and $263,800, 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.

Application Deadline

Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.