Distinguished Engineer, AI Infrastructure

Summary

Apple is where individual imaginations gather together, committing to the values that lead to great work. Every new product we build, service we create, or Apple Store experience we deliver is the result of us making each other’s ideas stronger. That happens because each of us believes we can create something wonderful and share it with the world, changing lives for the better. It’s the diversity of our people and their thinking that inspires the innovation that runs through everything we do. When we bring everybody in, we can do the best work of our lives. Here, you’ll do more than join something — you’ll add something!

As part of the Machine Learning Platform Technologies - ML Compute organization, you’ll connect the world’s best researchers with the world’s best AI infrastructure to take on the most challenging problems in machine learning and build the rock-solid foundation for some of Apple’s most innovative products. And this is Apple, so your team will innovate across the entire stack: hardware, software, algorithms — it’s all here.

Description

We are seeking a Distinguished Engineer to provide technical leadership in building and evolving next-generation AI infrastructure at Apple. In this role, you will shape the architecture and long-term technical strategy for large-scale training and inference systems, working at the intersection of AI research, systems, and cloud infrastructure. Your work will directly influence how frontier and production models are trained, deployed, and scaled across diverse accelerator platforms.

Responsibilities

Set the technical vision and define the roadmap for frontier AI infrastructure spanning a multi-cloud heterogeneous compute fleet
Design and build distributed systems for job scheduling, cluster management, and cost governance
Partner closely with ML researchers and engineers to scale and optimize end-to-end performance of AI training and inference workloads
Establish connections with cross-functional partners, collaborating with teams across cloud infrastructure, business operations, finance, and engineering

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, relevant technical field, or equivalent practical experience
15 years of experience designing and building very large-scale distributed systems
Proficiency in at least 1 backend language (e.g., Python, C++, Go, Rust)
Proficiency in cloud-native architectures and compute orchestration platforms (e.g., Kubernetes)
Hands-on experience working with ML accelerators such as GPUs and TPUs
Track record of mentoring senior engineers and setting long-term architectural vision across orgs

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s degree or PhD in Computer Science or related technical fields
Experience in running distributed training and/or inference workloads in production
Expertise in ML systems performance profiling, debugging, and optimization
Expertise in deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, JAX) and their underlying architectures

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 $311,100 and $496,900, 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.

Pay & Benefits — Seattle, Washington, 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 $295,600 and $472,200, 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.