Senior / Staff ML Engineer, Apple Data Platform

Summary

As a Senior Software Engineer in Apple AI and Data Governance at Apple, you will be instrumental in designing and implementing robust solutions that ensure the ethical, secure, and compliant use of our data assets and AI systems. In this role, you will leverage your technical expertise to build and maintain frameworks that uphold the integrity, privacy, and security of Apple’s AI initiatives while navigating complex regulatory environments. Your work will bridge technical innovation and compliance, ensuring that our AI technologies are responsibly managed throughout their lifecycle.

Description

Are you passionate about building robust, ethical AI and data governance solutions from the ground up? Do you have the vision to tackle the complex challenges of AI data collection, usage, and regulatory compliance? If so, we want you on our team! In this role, you will lead a multidisciplinary team of software engineers to architect Apple's next-generation AI and data governance platforms. You will drive the development of scalable systems that manage the entire machine learning lifecycle - ensuring our AI initiatives set the benchmark for privacy, compliance, and security and are grounded in strong data governance principles. Join us and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of ethical, responsible AI at Apple.

Responsibilities

Design, build, and deploy scalable AI and Data governance and lineage systems that track datasets, models, and policies across Apple's machine learning training and post-training lifecycle.
Architect and implement authentication and access control frameworks for machine learning training data, model artifacts, and inference endpoints using OAuth 2.0, attribute-based access control (ABAC), and federated identity.
Develop backend services and distributed applications in Java, Scala, Kotlin, Go, or Python that deeply embed privacy, security, and regulatory requirements such as GDPR, CCPA, and DMA directly into AI and data governance workflows.
Build batch and streaming pipelines using distributed engines such as Spark, Hadoop, or Flink to transform raw data into governed, machine learning-ready training and inference inputs.
Design REST APIs, SDKs, and web-based tools using frameworks such as Spring, React, or Node.js that enable internal teams to manage governance approvals and compliance reviews at scale.
Architect large-scale, fault-tolerant serving systems on AWS, GCP, or Kubernetes that safeguard data integrity, availability, and auditability across Apple's AI governance platforms.
Collaborate with security, legal, privacy, and data engineering teams to identify and mitigate risk in complex distributed environments, ensuring Apple's AI initiatives set the benchmark for responsible, ethical AI at scale.

Minimum Qualifications

8+ years experience in developing Data & AI governance software or integrating systems with governance systems.
Experience working with large data collection and processing systems.
Demonstrated proficiency in data management and building scalable systems that underpin AI applications.
Strong understanding of privacy and regulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR, CCPA, DMA) and how they apply to Data Governance and AI systems.
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field.

Preferred Qualifications

Proven ability to work effectively with diverse teams, including security, legal, privacy, compliance, and data engineering, to drive Data and AI governance initiatives.
Experience in designing and implementing robust data governance frameworks, policies, and standards that ensure the ethical and secure deployment of AI technologies.
A track record of identifying and mitigating risks in complex distributed data environments, with a focus on maintaining compliance in AI-driven projects.

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 $184,700 and $324,800, 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.