Engineering Leader, Data Engineering

Apple Inc.; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 289,500 - 463,100; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical and dental coverage

Employee stock programs

Educational reimbursement

Job summary

Apple Inc. is looking for a Data Engineering Leader for their Seattle office. This role involves directing a large organization in the design and operation of extensive data pipelines and services that support Apple's Media Services. You'll spearhead the shift towards AI-driven data systems while collaborating across teams to elevate engineering standards.

The ideal candidate will have at least 10 years of engineering experience, exceptional skills in recruitment and talent development, and deep architectural knowledge of large-scale data systems.

Qualifications

• Experience leading large engineering organizations (50+ engineers).
• Track record of building high-performing engineering cultures.
• Deep architectural expertise in large-scale data systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead a large data engineering organization and set technical direction.
• Oversee design and operation of massive-scale data pipelines.
• Drive technology modernization toward an AI-first data architecture.

Skills

Large-scale data systems architecture

Technical leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Recruitment and talent development

Exceptional communication skills

Education

10+ years of engineering experience

Tools

Spark

Flink

Kafka

Snowflake

Job description

Seattle, Washington, United States Software and Services

Apple's Media Services organization is home to App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, and more. Our services touch hundreds of millions of lives daily. At the center of these services is data: the pipelines, platforms, and intelligence that power how people discover and engage with media content, all built on Apple's unwavering commitment to privacy.

Description

As a data engineering leader within Media Services, you will direct a large organization responsible for the design, development, and operation of massive‑scale data pipelines and services across Apple's commerce, payments, and content domains. Your team's work powers customer‑facing features like search and personalization, as well as critical reporting and analytics for internal and external partners, all built to Apple's exacting standards for reliability, quality, and privacy. Crucially, you will lead the team through a critical evolution: shifting from traditional data pipelines to an AI‑first paradigm, architecting systems that produce the ML‑ready data necessary to fuel machine learning applications at scale. This is a deeply cross‑functional leadership role. You will collaborate with engineering and business organizations across Apple, influence platform strategy at the executive level, and build a high‑performing culture where engineers are empowered to deepen their expertise and extend their impact across the organization.

Responsibilities

• Lead a large data engineering organization, setting technical direction, defining team structure, and building a culture of ownership, craft, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee the design, development, and operation of massive‑scale data pipelines and services that support commerce, payments, and content domains for Apple's Media Services products.
• Drive technology modernization programs, leading the shift toward an AI‑first data architecture and executing large‑scale migrations with minimal disruption to downstream consumers.
• Partner with engineering, product, and applied research teams across Apple to align platform capabilities with the needs of customer‑facing features, internal reporting, and external partner integrations.
• Recruit, develop, and retain exceptional engineering talent, empowering individuals to expand their technical reach and growing future leaders.
• Establish and uphold engineering standards for data quality, reliability, scalability, and privacy across the organization.
• Communicate data strategy, program progress, and cross‑team dependencies clearly to senior engineering leadership and executive stakeholders.

Minimum Qualifications

• 10+ years of engineering experience, including 5+ years leading large engineering organizations (50+ engineers) with multiple layers of management.
• Proven track record of recruiting, developing leadership talent, and building high‑performing engineering cultures at scale.
• Deep architectural expertise in large‑scale data systems, with strong instincts for technical excellence and software engineering best practices.
• Demonstrated success planning and executing large‑scale technology modernization or platform migration programs.
• Ability to shift seamlessly between deep technical details and big‑picture strategy, with the judgment to know when each is required.
• Experience leading geographically distributed engineering teams across multiple time zones.
• Exceptional communication skills, able to drive clarity in ambiguity, distill complex concepts concisely, and effectively engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong cross‑functional collaboration skills, with a track record of influencing outcomes across diverse engineering organizations without direct authority.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands‑on experience with large‑scale data processing and streaming technologies such as Spark, Flink, Kafka, Apache Iceberg, and Snowflake.
• Background in AI and machine learning applications within data engineering contexts, such as feature pipelines, model serving infrastructure, or ML platform development.
• Experience operating data platforms at consumer‑internet scale, with a deep appreciation for the intersection of data quality, privacy, and user‑facing impact.
• Background in commerce, payments, digital content, or media domains.
• Familiarity with Apple's privacy principles or equivalent experience designing data systems with privacy‑by‑default architectures.
• History of driving cross‑organizational data platform standards or governance programs adopted across multiple engineering teams.

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 $289,500 and $463,100, 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.