AIML - Distinguished Engineer, Foundation Model

Apple Inc.; Cupertino (CA); On-site; USD 311,000 - 497,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple seeks a Distinguished Engineer in Cupertino to set the technical direction for our foundation model inference engine. This senior individual‑contributor role partners with ML researchers to define the vision and drive delivery across multiple teams, enabling training, evaluation, and large‑scale inference workloads on Apple silicon.

You will mentor engineers, shape architecture across training and data systems, and translate diverse needs into a coherent platform.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in CS/ML or equivalent.
• 15+ years building large-scale ML or distributed systems.
• Deep expertise in foundation model inference engines.
• Experience leading diverse engineering teams.
• Experience partnering with ML researchers and modeling teams.

Responsibilities

• Set and drive the technical vision for the foundation model inference engine.
• Lead performance, efficiency, and reliability improvements.
• Architect inference systems for training, evaluation, and judge workloads.
• Collaborate with ML researchers to co-design models and systems.
• Mentor engineers and define engineering standards.

Skills

Foundation model inference engines

GPU/TPU/accelerator architecture

Distributed systems

JAX

PyTorch

Quantization

Distillation

Compilation

Serving

Education

MS or PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or related field

Tools

Kubernetes

Docker

AWS

GCP

Azure

Job description

Cupertino, California, United States Machine Learning and AI

Apple is revolutionizing artificial intelligence by developing sophisticatedfoundation models that power intelligent features across our product ecosystem.We are seeking a Distinguished Engineer to set the technical direction for thesystems that power our foundation model training — with an initial focus on theinference engine that the foundation model team relies on for training, modelevaluation, and other needs in the model development loop.This is a senior individual-contributor leadership role. You will be one of themost senior technical voices for foundation model systems at Apple: definingthe vision, driving execution across many teams, and raising the bar forengineering excellence. The role starts with the inference engine, but weexpect you to move fluidly into adjacent training systems areas as the needs ofthe foundation model program evolve.

Description

engineered specifically for Apple silicon and for experiences that are private,personal, and deeply integrated into the OS. Behind that modeling work sits ademanding systems layer, and the inference engine is at its center.Our inference engine is used by the foundation model team throughout the modeldevelopment lifecycle: generating and processing data and running rollouts fortraining, powering large-scale model evaluation, and serving as an LLM judgethat scores and compares model outputs. These workloads are high throughput,bursty, and tightly coupled to research iteration — the speed, efficiency, andreliability of the engine directly set the pace at which the team can train andimprove models.As a Distinguished Engineer, you will own the technical strategy for thisinference engine and the broader systems that support it. You will partnerclosely with modeling and research teams to bring new capabilities into thedevelopment loop, work across many internal teams with very differentrequirements, and lead a diverse set of engineers in turning an ambitiousvision into shipped milestones. While inference is the initial focus, you willalso help shape adjacent areas — training infrastructure, data systems, andevaluation. If you are drawn to hard systems problems where the research andthe infrastructure are inseparable, this is the role.

Responsibilities

• Set and drive the technical vision and roadmap for the foundation model
• team's inference engine and the systems around it, used for training,
• evaluation, and LLM-as-judge workloads.
• Lead deep work on inference performance, efficiency, and reliability:
• throughput and latency optimization, batching and scheduling, quantization,
• speculative decoding, KV-cache management, memory and compute efficiency, and
• hardware-aware optimization.
• Architect inference systems that support a wide range of internal use cases —
• data generation and rollouts for training, offline and large-scale evaluation,
• and judge/reward scoring — across text, image, speech, and multi-modal models,
• each with distinct throughput, cost, and quality constraints.
• Extend your impact into adjacent systems areas — training infrastructure, data
• pipelines, and evaluation harnesses.
• Partner with many teams that depend on the engine, translating their diverse
• needs into a coherent platform, clear interfaces, and a prioritized roadmap.
• Work closely with ML researchers and modeling teams to co-design models and
• systems, and to bring state-of-the-art techniques from prototype into the
• Lead a diverse set of engineers across teams in setting direction and
• executing against it; align stakeholders, resolve technical trade-offs, and
• make the calls that keep large efforts moving.
• Drive prioritization and milestone delivery across competing demands, balancing
• near‑term research needs against long‑term platform investment.
• Mentor and grow junior and senior engineers; establish engineering
• standards, review designs, and multiply the impact of the organization.

Minimum Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or related technical field,
• or equivalent industry experience.
• 15+ years of experience building large-scale ML or distributed systems, with
• a track record of technical leadership and industry-wide or company-wide
• impact.
• Deep, hands‑on expertise in foundation model inference engines, with a proven
• record of improving performance, efficiency, and reliability at scale.
• Deep experience supporting a diverse set of foundation model inference use
• cases, each with different throughput, latency, cost, and quality constraints.
• Breadth beyond inference — the ability to contribute in adjacent systems areas
• such as training infrastructure, data systems, or evaluation.
• Deep understanding of GPU/TPU/accelerator architecture, distributed systems, and
• model optimization (quantization, distillation, compilation, serving).
• Proficiency with ML frameworks such as JAX, PyTorch, and with
• inference/serving stacks.
• Proven experience leading a diverse set of engineers in setting vision and
• Demonstrated experience mentoring junior and senior engineers.
• Demonstrated experience partnering with ML researchers and modeling teams to

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building or leading inference systems for large language models and
• multi‑modal foundation models at scale.
• Experience with inference in training, evaluation, or reinforcement‑learning
• loops (e.g., large‑scale rollouts, offline eval, or LLM‑as‑judge / reward
• scoring).
• Familiarity with Kubernetes, Docker, and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure),
• and with distributed computing frameworks.
• History of defining technical strategy that shaped an organization's or the
• industry's direction.

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 $311,100 and $496,900, 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.

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

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Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.