Apple

Machine Learning Engineer, Proactive

Apple • $150K — $180K *
Consumer Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, or related field
  • Background in machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, or generative AI
  • Experience with transformer-based models and large language models
  • Skills in Python and/or C/C++, with a focus on production-quality software
  • Familiarity with modern machine learning frameworks like PyTorch, JAX, or TensorFlow

Responsibilities

  • Design, train, and optimize transformer-based language models for on-device deployment
  • Develop models for query understanding, personalization, and ranking
  • Research new approaches for LLM fine-tuning and model compression
  • Collaborate with teams to transition AI capabilities from research to production
  • Explore applications of foundation models and multimodal AI
  • Lead projects from exploration through to large-scale deployment

Benefits

  • Onsite work opportunity in Cupertino, California
  • Access to cutting-edge technology and research
  • Collaboration with top experts in AI and machine learning
  • Opportunity to shape user experience with innovative AI solutions
  • Potential for involvement in multimodal AI and agentic retrieval projects
Full Job Description
Youll design, train, fine-tune, and optimize transformer-based language models and foundation models for efficient on-device deployment, and build semantic retrieval, embedding, reranking, and retrieval-augmented generation systems that improve search quality and AI-powered experiences. Youll develop models for query understanding, intent prediction, personalization, retrieval, and ranking, while researching new approaches to LLM fine-tuning, knowledge distillation, model compression, quantization, and low-latency inference. Youll explore techniques for adapting large foundation models into smaller, highly capable models that can operate efficiently under on-device memory, compute, power, and latency constraints. Youll partner with engineers, researchers, product managers, and designers to bring new AI capabilities from research into production, driving technical strategy and leading projects from early exploration through large-scale deployment. This is an opportunity to explore new applications of foundation models, multimodal AI, agentic retrieval, and personalized intelligence, shaping the next generation of proactive and intelligent user experiences. Minimum Qualifications Bachelor degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field. Background in machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, information retrieval, search, recommender systems, or generative AI. Experience training, fine-tuning, or deploying transformer- based models and large language models. Experience with modern deep learning architectures and techniques, including transformers, embeddings, representation learning, and neural ranking. Programming skills in Python and/or C/C++, with experience building production-quality software using modern machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch, JAX, or TensorFlow. Ability to work onsite in Cupertino, California, in accordance with Apples applicable work policies. Preferred Qualifications Masters or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field. Experience optimizing machine learning models for resource-constrained environments, including knowledge distillation, model compression, quantization, and pruning. Experience with on-device machine learning or edge AI, or mobile inference frameworks, including optimizing models for latency, memory, compute, and power constraints. Experience distilling capabilities from large foundation models into small language models or task-specific models for efficient inference. Experience building retrieval-augmented generation, vector search, embedding retrieval, neural reranking, or semantic search systems. Experience with query understanding, query rewriting, intent classification, personalized retrieval, learning-to-rank, or recommendation models. Experience working with transformer architectures and foundation model families such as BERT, T5, Llama, Gemma, Mistral, or related architectures. Experience evaluating language models, designing AI quality metrics, and building automated and human-in-the-loop evaluation pipelines. Experience building large-scale production search, recommendation, personalization, or generative AI systems. Familiarity with multimodal foundation models, tool use, agentic AI, or agentic retrieval systems. Strong understanding of the tradeoffs among model quality, latency, memory, power consumption, privacy, and reliability for production on-device AI systems. Ability to prototype new ideas, conduct rigorous experiments, solve ambiguous technical problems, and translate research advances into production-quality machine learning solutions.

About Apple

Apple is a corporation that designs, manufactures, and markets mobile communication and media devices, personal computers, portable digital music players, and sells a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications. Apple provides many products and services, including iPhone; iPad; iPod; Mac; Apple TV; a portfolio of consumer and professional software applications; the iOS and OS X operating systems; iCloud; and accessories, service, and support offerings. It sells its products worldwide through its retail stores, online stores, direct sales force and third-party cellular network carriers, wholesalers, retailers, and value-added resellers to the consumer and also sells third-party iPhone, iPad, Mac and iPod compatible products, including application software and accessories through its online and retail stores. Introduced in 1984, the Macintosh was the first widely sold personal computer with a graphical user interface (GUI). That feature and others such as an improved floppy drive design and a low-cost hard drive that made data retrieval faster helped Apple cultivate a reputation for innovation. Apple was named as the most admired company in the United States in 2008 and in the world from 2008 to 2012 by the Fortune magazine. The company was founded by Steven Paul Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Gerald Wayne on April 1, 1976, and is headquartered in Cupertino, California.

Apple Careers

Join Apple, a place where extraordinary people gather to do their best work. Our ever-expanding global team is at the forefront of innovation and leadership in the tech industry. At Apple, we're not just building products—we're crafting the kind of wonder that revolutionizes entire industries. It's the diversity of our people and their ideas that inspires the innovation that runs through everything we do, from amazing technology to industry-leading environmental efforts. Work You’ll Do Embark on a journey with Apple’s market-leading team to help some of the world’s most influential companies navigate their path to digital mastery with cutting-edge technology and services. Transform industries and touch lives with your unique ideas at Apple. Here, you’ll lead through a unique position at the intersection of technology, creativity, and robust industry expertise. Collaborate with a global team of professionals who are at the top of their game in technology and design. Apple isn’t just a company, it’s a community of innovators and passionate thinkers. Introducing the Apple Innovation and Leadership Initiative We are building a market-leading team to drive our efforts in delivering groundbreaking solutions and services. At Apple, job opportunities are abundant, offering you the chance to explore diverse roles from engineering to marketing, all designed to empower your career growth. Do Innovative Work Join the largest group of creative and technical experts in the world—professionals dedicated to redefining what’s possible through technology and innovation. Deliver targeted solutions through a depth and breadth of expertise that’s unmatched, driving forward our commitment to excellence and leadership in every project we undertake. Be Part of a Great Team Engage in a wide range of projects utilizing Apple’s technology and resources. Harness the unparalleled capabilities, global scale, and joint solution development that only Apple can offer. Future-Proof Your Career Advance your career with limitless opportunities at Apple. Go as far as your ambition takes you with unmatched training, development, and certification support. Explore Discover how Apple is leading the way in tech innovation: [With iOS] Businesses can streamline operations and enhance customer interactions... READ MORE Smart home technology integration that sets the standard for convenience and security... READ MORE The Apple Experience Our combined service capabilities, global scale, and joint solution development help clients overcome challenges and lead transformation in their industries. Clients worldwide look to Apple for new strategies and solutions that drive growth and innovation in the digital era. Stay Connected Join Our Team Search open positions that match your skills and interests. We look for passionate, curious, creative, and solution-driven team players. Whether you’re seeking a professional role, an internship, or a leadership position, Apple offers a variety of employment opportunities. SEARCH APPLE JOBS Keep Up to Date Stay ahead with career tips, insider perspectives, and industry-leading insights you can put to use today—all from the people who work here. READ CAREERS BLOG Job Alert Emails Personalize your subscription to receive job alerts, latest news, and insider tips tailored to your preferences. See what exciting and rewarding opportunities await at Apple, a company committed to diversity, innovation, and leadership. Explore job opportunities, employment benefits, and the culture of growth and innovation at Apple. Prepare your resume, hone your interview skills, and ready yourself for a career at one of the most prestigious companies in the world. Join us in pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
Learn more about Apple
Size
154,000 employees
Market Cap
$2,074.3 billion
Industry
Net Income
$63.9 billion
Founded
1976
5 Year Trend
+11.5%
Revenue
$294.1 billion
NASDAQ

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