Director of Privacy Engineering, Services

Apple Inc.; Cupertino (CA); On-site; USD 311,100 - 496,900; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock programs

Bonuses

Relocation assistance

Education reimbursement

Job summary

Apple is seeking a Director of Privacy Engineering for Services in Cupertino. You will lead a team of engineers to deliver privacy-preserving features and measurements across Apple Services, guiding product teams and shaping privacy investments at scale.

Role requires 15+ years in software with 5+ years in engineering leadership and deep PETs expertise. You will drive governance, educate teams, and ensure GDPR/compliance across the division.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of software development experience with leadership in multiple management layers.
• Proven ability to recruit and build high-performing engineering teams at scale.
• Deep expertise designing and operating large-scale privacy systems and tools.
• Strong privacy knowledge in PETs and data protection practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead the privacy engineering org, set direction, and build a culture of ownership.
• Direct design, development, and operation of privacy-enabling services at scale.
• Promote privacy-by-design across product development and architecture.
• Cultivate relationships with Engineering, Security, Legal, and Product partners.
• Establish privacy guidance and scale programs across Apple Services.
• Address AI privacy challenges with rigorous, scalable approaches.
• Ensure compliance with GDPR and other regulations.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or related field

Tools

Differential privacy

Federated learning

On-device processing

Tokenization

Data de-identification

Job description

Director of Privacy Engineering, Services

Cupertino, California, United States Software and Services

At Apple, privacy is a fundamental human right and one of our core values, and we treat it as an opportunity for innovation and design rather than an exercise in compliance. Where others see privacy as a constraint to satisfy, we see it as a problem worth inventing for, engineered into our products and services from the start. That mindset led Apple to pioneer Private Cloud Compute and to deploy differential privacy at scale, and it continues to raise the bar for what privacy engineering can achieve.Apple's Services Engineering organization is home to App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud, and more, touching hundreds of millions of lives every day, and privacy is a cornerstone of all of it. We are seeking an exceptional privacy engineering leader who sees privacy as an engine for innovation and is ready to be at the center of that commitment for Apple Services.

Description

You will lead a talented group of engineers and specialists whose systems, tools, and techniques enable teams across Apple Services Engineering to deliver features and product measurement while meeting the highest privacy standards. You and your team will represent and champion Apple's privacy values alongside Engineering, Security, Compliance, Legal, Product, and other functions, educating product teams, guiding them to privacy-preserving solutions, and providing tools they can build on.In this high-visibility role, you will serve as a privacy authority and trusted advisor to leadership across the company, shaping product decisions, driving organization-wide privacy investments, and influencing programs that impact billions of users worldwide.As AI features grow rapidly, new privacy challenges emerge. You and your team will meet these challenges by working across disciplines to invent approaches that protect privacy on this new frontier.If you are energized by working at massive scale and turning privacy into an engine for innovation at one of the world's most influential companies, this role was made for you.

Responsibilities

• Lead the privacy engineering organization, setting technical direction, defining team structure, and building a culture of ownership, craft, and continuous improvement. Recruit, develop, and retain exceptional talent.
• Direct the design, development, and operation of privacy-enabling services, tools, and platforms across Apple Services Engineering, upholding high standards for quality, reliability, and scale.
• Develop broad, foundational approaches that make privacy the default in product development, so the systems that teams build on are privacy-preserving by design.
• Build trusted relationships with the stakeholders and partners who depend on your organization, across Engineering, Security, Compliance, Legal, Product, and Apple's central privacy function, understanding their needs and consistently delivering the value they rely on.
• Establish privacy guidance and best practices suited to Apple Services Engineering, and scale them across the division through education and training.
• As AI features expand across Apple Services, lead your team in inventing rigorous privacy approaches that keep pace with new challenges and opportunities.
• Reliably operate the systems that maintain compliance with regulations such as GDPR across Apple Services.

Minimum Qualifications

• 15+ years of software development experience, including 5+ years leading engineering organizations with multiple layers of management and 3+ years in privacy leadership.
• Proven track record of recruiting, developing leadership talent, and building high-performing engineering cultures at scale.
• Deep expertise designing, building, and operating large-scale privacy systems, tools, and infrastructure, with strong instincts for technical excellence and software development best practices.
• Command of privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) such as differential privacy, federated learning, on-device processing, tokenization, and data de-identification.
• Ability to shift seamlessly between deep technical details and big-picture strategy, with the judgment to know when each is required.
• Exceptional communication skills: able to drive clarity in ambiguity, distill complex concepts concisely, and engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, with a track record of influencing outcomes across diverse organizations without direct authority.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven ability to manage a broad set of stakeholders, balancing competing priorities and consistently delivering the systems and support each needs to succeed.
• Experience navigating privacy challenges specific to AI/ML, including training data governance and model inference privacy.
• Strong platform product sensibility: the ability to think holistically about developer experience, adoption, and business impact, not just technical or regulatory constraints.
• Experience developing privacy strategy collaboratively, balancing competing trade-offs, and influencing company-wide technical direction.
• Track record of building privacy programs from the ground up and scaling their impact across large organizations.
• Strong understanding of privacy regulations, such as GDPR and CCPA.
• Experience leading geographically distributed engineering teams.
• Prior experience at a consumer technology company where privacy is treated as a product value, not just a compliance obligation.

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.
• 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

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