Apple

Senior Engineering Program Manager, Lead - Service Special Projects

Apple$160K — $190K *
Technical Services
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree with 15+ years in complex program management.
  • 3+ years in a lead or principal-level role.
  • Expertise in leading AI-focused initiatives end-to-end.
  • Experience with cross-disciplinary engineering programs (client, services, data).
  • Strong technical aptitude for evaluating engineering designs and discussions.
  • Familiarity with AI stack and measuring model effectiveness.
  • Exceptional communication skills for technical and executive updates.

Responsibilities

  • Lead large-scale cross-functional engineering initiatives from inception to execution.
  • Create and manage comprehensive program plans, including roadmaps and milestones.
  • Ensure alignment across engineering, research, design, and business functions.
  • Mentor and guide junior program managers in best practices.
  • Translate technical discussions into clear summaries for leadership.
  • Proactively identify program drift and implement corrective actions.
  • Standardize and enhance the program management practice within the team.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to work on high-impact, ambitious engineering programs.
  • Hands-on leadership role with significant cross-functional collaboration.
  • Mentorship opportunities for professional growth and development.
  • Dynamic work environment aligned with cutting-edge AI technologies.
Full Job Description
We are looking for a highly seasoned Senior Engineering Program Manager to help get one of our most ambitious multi-year engineering programs off the ground.

This is a hands-on, lead-level role for a seasoned program manager who has experience delivering large-scale and technically deep multi-team efforts from their inception. If you thrive when the problem is broad, the org is scaling up around them, and the technical stakes are high, this may be the role for you!

Description

In this role, you will be the connective tissue across engineering, research, design, and business functions from day one, turning ambitious goals into a coordinated, measurable plans that will drive our team forward.

You will own the end-to-end program management of a large-scale, cross-functional engineering initiative spanning client software, backend services, large-scale data systems, applied machine learning, evaluation, tooling, and platform engineering. You will be accountable for the plan of record - roadmap, milestones, dependencies, risks, and the executive-level narrative - and for the operating cadence that keeps every team aligned on what is expected, by when, and why.

You will need to be technical enough to hold your own in an architectural review and in a candid scoping conversation with a Principal Engineer. You will not write production code, but you will read designs, ask sharp questions, and translate deeply technical discussions into crisp, faithful summaries for leadership. When the program drifts, you will identify it early, name it clearly, and drive the correction with calm authority.

This is a lead role. Alongside your own work-streams, you will shape the program management practice - mentoring other EPMs, standardizing how progress is tracked, and raising the bar for how we plan and communicate.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelors Degree plus at least 15 years of experience developing program plans and managing complex, cross-functional engineering programs in a technical product environment, with at least 3+ years in a lead or principal-level capacity.

Experience leading AI-first programs end to end - programs where the core product value is delivered by machine-learning or large-language-model systems, and where planning, scoping, and quality bars are inseparable from model behavior and evaluation.

Demonstrated experience running programs that span multiple engineering disciplines - client, services, data, applied ML, platform, and tooling - end to end.

Strong technical depth: able to read engineering design documents, follow architectural discussions across several disciplines, and independently reason about trade-offs, dependencies, and risk.

Working literacy with the modern AI stack - model training and evaluation lifecycles, offline vs. online metrics, data pipelines feeding models, latency/cost trade-offs, and the difference between a research result and a production-ready capability.

Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including a track record of writing crisp executive updates and delivering technical narratives to senior leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

MS or other advanced degree.

Project Management Certifications.

Experience with evaluation-driven engineering programs - where the definition of "done" depends on measured quality against explicit metrics.

Fluency with modern engineering tooling - issue trackers, planning systems, dashboards - with a bias toward instrumenting programs so status is derived, not narrated.

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

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Apple

More Technical Services Jobs

Find similar Senior Engineering Program Manager, Lead - Service Special Projects jobs: