Data Engineer (Data Products - Apple Ads)

Apple Inc.; Cupertino (CA); On-site; USD 129,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock programs

Relocation assistance

Education reimbursement

Medical and dental coverage

Job summary

Apple seeks a software engineer in Cupertino to design and operate scalable data pipelines and ML systems for Apple Ads, using Spark, Kafka, Iceberg, and related technologies. You will work across real-time and batch processing to deliver reliable data-driven advertising experiences.

You should thrive in an Agile environment, collaborate with product teams, mentor others, and contribute to on-call reliability while improving privacy-conscious, cost-effective solutions.

Qualifications

• 1+ years of industry experience building scalable data pipelines and machine learning systems or distributed software at scale.
• Strong CS and software engineering fundamentals.
• Proficiency in Rust, Python, Java, or Scala.
• Experience with distributed systems and data processing technologies (Spark, Kafka, Flink).
• Experience building and scaling systems on premise and in the cloud.
• Solid understanding of data structures, algorithms, and system design principles.
• Ability to communicate effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Hands-on experience using LLMs (Claude, Gemini) in daily engineering work.
• BS/MS in CS, SWE, DS, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Engineer secure, scalable data and ML systems across real-time, near-real-time, and batch contexts using Spark, Kafka, Iceberg, and beyond.
• Own design and delivery of core components — from pipeline architecture to ML model development, training, and deployment.
• Drive reliability, performance, and efficiency improvements across your systems.
• Apply understanding of business analytics and engineering to create reusable, efficient solutions.
• Use LLMs and AI coding agents daily to accelerate implementation, testing, and debugging.
• Collaborate with world-class engineers and product managers; mentor others as you gain seniority.
• Contribute to on-call, monitoring, and continuous reliability improvements; lead incident response.
• Work in a sprint-based Agile environment and support a culture of reliability and growth.

Skills

Data pipelines

Machine learning systems

Rust

Python

Java

Scala

Spark

Kafka

Flink

Distributed systems

Cloud & on-prem

Algorithms

LLMs in engineering

Education

BS/MS in Computer Science/Software Engineering/Distributed Systems

Tools

Iceberg

Cassandra

Keyspaces

ElastiCache

Spark

NoSQL datastores

Job description

Cupertino, California, United States Software and Services

At Apple, we focus deeply on the customer experience. Apple Ads brings this same approach to advertising, helping people find exactly what they're looking for and helping advertisers grow their businesses. Our technology powers ads and sponsorships across Apple Services, including the App Store, Apple News, Apple Maps, MLS, and F1. Everything we do is designed for trust, connection, and impact: we respect user privacy, integrate advertising thoughtfully into the experience, and deliver value for advertisers of all sizes — from small app developers to big global brands. Because when advertising is done right, it benefits everyone.You will join a team of world-class engineers with an appetite for applying leading-edge technologies to deliver extraordinary experiences to our customers, and collaborate closely with the business to deliver relevant data and insight that informs our strategy and decisions.You should have 1-4 years of experience in software engineering roles, ideally within the ads or media space. You will have a strong understanding of scalable approaches and thrive working in Agile environments. The ability to be a good, standout colleague under tight deadline constraints is key to success. We will calibrate the level and scope to your experience.

Description

• Engineer secure, scalable data and machine learning systems across real-time, near-real-time, and batch execution contexts using Spark, Kafka, Iceberg, and beyond
• Own the design and delivery of core components — from pipeline architecture to ML model development, training, and deployment — including support for privacy-preserving, mission-critical infrastructure
• Drive reliability, performance, and efficiency improvements across your systems, including schema changes, backfills, and the experimentation and testing infrastructure (e.g. A/B testing) needed to validate them
• Apply a strong understanding of the intersection between business, analytics, and engineering, with a proactive focus on reusable, efficient solutions
• Use LLMs and AI coding agents (e.g. Claude, Gemini) daily to accelerate implementation, testing, and debugging — continually validating every result for correctness, privacy, and cost
• Collaborate with a team of world-class engineers and product managers; grow through code and design reviews, and mentor others as you gain seniority
• Contribute to on-call, monitoring, and continuous reliability and efficiency improvements; more senior engineers help lead incident response and root-cause analysis
• Work effectively in a rapidly changing, sprint-based Agile environment, and contribute to a culture that emphasizes reliability, resiliency, extensibility, scalability, and productivity. We are one team, nurturing each other's growth and supporting each other in delivering for our customers and Apple

Minimum Qualifications

• 1+ years of industry experience building scalable data pipelines and machine learning systems, or other distributed software, at scale
• Strong computer science and software engineering fundamentals
• Proficiency in modern programming languages such as Rust, Python, Java, or Scala
• Experience with distributed systems and data processing technologies (e.g. Spark, Kafka, Flink)
• Experience building and scaling systems on premise and in the cloud
• Solid understanding of data structures, algorithms, and system design principles
• Ability to communicate effectively with cross-functional technical and non-technical teams
• Hands‑on experience using LLMs (e.g. Claude, Gemini) in daily engineering work — for code generation, review, debugging, test writing, agentic loops, and evaluation systems— to continually improve software engineering skills and velocity
• BS/MS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Distributed Systems, or a related field

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with NoSQL datastores (e.g. Cassandra, Keyspaces, ElastiCache)
• Experience with lakehouse and Iceberg table formats
• Experience with anomaly detection
• Experience with A/B experimentation frameworksHistory of driving reliability, efficiency, or cost improvements, and mentoring other engineers
• Comfortable working in a rapidly changing environment with ambiguous requirements
• Prior experience in the advertising industry is a huge plus

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 $129,300 and $194,700, 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

At Apple, we believe accessibility is a fundamental human right. You’ll find that idea reflected in everything here — in our culture, our benefits and our digital tools. By welcoming as many perspectives as possible, we help you build a career where you feel like you belong.

Learn about accessibility in Apple’s workplace

Learn about reasonable accommodations for job applicants

Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.