Applied AI Engineer

Role Overview

Imagine building AI infrastructure at Apple — systems that power how products are made, how engineers think, and ultimately how hundreds of millions of people experience technology every day.

Here is your opportunity to join an engineering team moving Apple's algorithms programs into the AI era. We are developing AI systems that enhance the way engineers work by incorporating human judgment and integrating with data and tools. Our aim is to seamlessly incorporate AI into our processes.

We are looking for a software engineer who thrives at the intersection of data systems, AI tooling, and developer experience. You'll design and build platforms that connect AI to the deep organizational context it needs to be genuinely useful — and put those capabilities directly into the hands of the engineers shipping Apple's next-generation sensing technologies. Some of what you build will power internal workflows; some may evolve into products and tools that reach far beyond our team.

Responsibilities

You will work alongside machine learning scientists, algorithm engineers, hardware teams, designers, and human factors researchers to build the AI-native platforms and data systems that accelerate how Apple ships its next generation of devices. We're a small, high-impact group with an ambitious roadmap — you'll have outsized influence on the architecture and direction of what we build.

The algorithms behind Apple's most beloved features span software, hardware, and design — and the AI infrastructure you build will serve all of them. You'll be at the center of a uniquely cross-functional environment where world-class talent in each discipline depends on the platforms you create to move faster and make better decisions. The best ideas here have a way of starting as internal tools and growing into something bigger — you'll help shape that trajectory.

You might have built a chatbot that needed to reason over internal docs, designed an agent that orchestrated multi-step tool calls, or created a pipeline that turned unstructured data into searchable knowledge. What matters is that you've gone beyond tutorials — you've shipped AI-powered tools that real users depend on.

Requirements & Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

BS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Engineering, or related degree 3+ years of s relevant industry expeience Proficiency in Python and at least one of: Swift, TypeScript, or another systems-level language

Experience designing and building backend services, data pipelines, or platform infrastructure Hands-on experience building with modern AI/agent frameworks Strong software architecture and API design sensibilities — you think in systems, not scripts

Experience building retrieval pipelines (RAG, embeddings, vector search) or knowledge retrieval systems Strong communicator who works effectively across disciplines Experience evaluating and iterating on AI system outputs — you've built evaluation pipelines, measured quality, and know that shipping AI means shipping feedback loops Sharp problem-solving instincts and a bias toward shipping

Preferred Qualifications

MS or PhD n Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Engineering, or related degree Experience building macOS or iOS client applications Background in workflow orchestration, experiment tracking, or reproducibility tooling

Experience designing data models, storage layers, or integration APIs for complex domains

Experience integrating LLMs with external tools and APIs (tool-use patterns, MCP, function calling) or building custom integrations between LLMs and external systems Familiarity with access-controlled or policy-aware data systems Experience with vector databases or embedding pipelines (Pinecone, Chroma, pgvector, or similar)

Track record building developer tools, CLIs, or internal platforms that engineers rely on daily

Experience with cloud AI services (AWS Bedrock, Azure OpenAI, Google Vertex AI) or self-hosted model serving Contributions to open-source projects in AI/ML infrastructure Comfort navigating large, established codebases and shipping iteratively within them

Compensation & 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 $150,400 and $277,600, 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 Instructions

Apply directly on Apple Jobs at Applied AI Engineer↗.

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