AI Search & Retrieval Engineering Lead

Apple; California (MO); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple is seeking an ML Search Engineering Manager to own architecture, roadmap, and the people side of a high-scale, low-latency search platform used by millions of Apple customers. You will lead the team of search engineers, set technical direction, mentor engineers, and deliver high-impact retrieval and ranking innovations.

You will work cross-functionally with Research, Data, MLOps, and Infra, balancing hands-on coding with strategic leadership, while upholding privacy, safety, and

Qualifications

• 12+ years in ML, DS, or software engineering with a focus on search infra and IR, incl. leadership/mentorship.
• Proven experience leading engineers, hiring, performance management, and mentorship of senior staff.
• Track record architecting large-scale search systems from design to production.
• Deep understanding of IR, ranking, and user modeling; strong evaluation frameworks and A/B testing.

Responsibilities

• Own architecture and long-term roadmap for large-scale, low-latency search infra.
• Lead design reviews, coding standards, and hands-on problem solving for critical bottlenecks.
• Manage and mentor a team of search engineers, driving career growth and execution against roadmap.
• Collaborate with Research, Data, MLOps, and Infra to ship AI-powered search features with safety guardrails.

Skills

Machine Learning

Information Retrieval

Leadership

Search Infrastructure

OpenSearch/Elasticsearch

Go or C++

Python

Cloud AWS/GCP

Education

MS in CS/related field

PhD preferred

Tools

Milvus/Pinecone/FAISS

OpenSearch/Elasticsearch

Docker/Kubernetes

Kafka

Spark/Flink

Job description

Apple is seeking an ML Search Engineering Manager to own architecture, roadmap, and the people side of a high-scale, low-latency search platform used by millions of Apple customers. You will lead the team of search engineers, set technical direction, mentor engineers, and deliver high-impact retrieval and ranking innovations.

You will work cross-functionally with Research, Data, MLOps, and Infra, balancing hands-on coding with strategic leadership, while upholding privacy, safety, and