Distinguished Engineer, AI Infrastructure

Apple, Inc.; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 296,000 - 472,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple, Inc. in Seattle, WA, is seeking a Distinguished Engineer to provide technical leadership for next-generation AI infrastructure.

You will shape architecture and long-term strategy for large-scale training and inference systems, spanning hardware, software, algorithms, and cloud platforms. You will collaborate with ML researchers and engineers to scale performance from training to deployment, guiding cross-functional teams across cloud infrastructure, finance, and operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, or related field.
• 15 years of experience designing and building very large-scale distributed systems.
• Proficiency in at least 1 backend language (e.g., Python, C++, Go, Rust).
• Proficiency in cloud-native architectures and compute orchestration platforms (e.g., Kubernetes).
• Hands-on experience working with ML accelerators such as GPUs and TPUs.
• Track record of mentoring senior engineers and setting long-term architectural vision across orgs.

Responsibilities

• Set the technical vision and define the roadmap for frontier AI infrastructure spanning a multi-cloud heterogeneous compute fleet.
• Design and build distributed systems for job scheduling, cluster management, and cost governance.
• Partner closely with ML researchers and engineers to scale and optimize end-to-end performance of AI training and inference workloads.
• Establish connections with cross-functional partners, collaborating with teams across cloud infrastructure, business operations, finance, and engineering.

Skills

Distributed systems design

Backend languages

Cloud-native architectures

ML accelerators

Mentoring engineers

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Master’s degree or PhD in CS or related field

Tools

Kubernetes

PyTorch

JAX

Job description

Seattle, Washington, United States Machine Learning and AI

Apple is where individual imaginations gather together, committing to the values that lead to great work. Every new product we build, service we create, or Apple Store experience we deliver is the result of us making each other’s ideas stronger. That happens because each of us believes we can create something wonderful and share it with the world, changing lives for the better. It’s the diversity of our people and their thinking that inspires the innovation that runs through everything we do. When we bring everybody in, we can do the best work of our lives. Here, you’ll do more than join something — you’ll add something! As part of the Machine Learning Platform Technologies - ML Compute organization, you’ll connect the world’s best researchers with the world’s best AI infrastructure to take on the most challenging problems in machine learning and build the rock-solid foundation for some of Apple’s most innovative products. And this is Apple, so your team will innovate across the entire stack: hardware, software, algorithms — it’s all here.

Description

We are seeking a Distinguished Engineer to provide technical leadership in building and evolving next-generation AI infrastructure at Apple. In this role, you will shape the architecture and long-term technical strategy for large-scale training and inference systems, working at the intersection of AI research, systems, and cloud infrastructure. Your work will directly influence how frontier and production models are trained, deployed, and scaled across diverse accelerator platforms.

Responsibilities

• Set the technical vision and define the roadmap for frontier AI infrastructure spanning a multi-cloud heterogeneous compute fleet
• Design and build distributed systems for job scheduling, cluster management, and cost governance
• Partner closely with ML researchers and engineers to scale and optimize end-to-end performance of AI training and inference workloads
• Establish connections with cross-functional partners, collaborating with teams across cloud infrastructure, business operations, finance, and engineering

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, relevant technical field, or equivalent practical experience
• 15 years of experience designing and building very large-scale distributed systems
• Proficiency in at least 1 backend language (e.g., Python, C++, Go, Rust)
• Proficiency in cloud-native architectures and compute orchestration platforms (e.g., Kubernetes)
• Hands-on experience working with ML accelerators such as GPUs and TPUs
• Track record of mentoring senior engineers and setting long-term architectural vision across orgs

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in Computer Science or related technical fields
• Experience in running distributed training and/or inference workloads in production
• Expertise in ML systems performance profiling, debugging, and optimization
• Expertise in deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, JAX) and their underlying architectures

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 $295,600 and $472,200, 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.