Machine Learning Applied Researcher - Speech, Vision and Audio

Apple Inc.; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 166,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple Inc. in Cambridge, MA is seeking a Machine Learning Applied Researcher to advance state-of-the-art models for speech, vision and audio.

You will conduct research, design novel neural architectures, and publish findings while balancing latency and compute constraints within a production environment. The role emphasizes cross-disciplinary collaboration, cutting-edge experiments, and contributions to interdisciplinary teams across Apple.

Qualifications

• BS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field - or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience in academic or industry research.
• Experience working with PyTorch.

Responsibilities

• Research and develop cutting-edge deep learning models and algorithms, leveraging multiple data modalities (e.g., vision, audio, sensor, text).
• Design and implement novel neural network architectures solving unique challenges in ASR.
• Navigate ambiguous problem spaces - formulate hypotheses, run experiments, learn from negative results, and iterate toward solutions.
• Improve model performance while maintaining awareness of deployment constraints such as latency, memory, and compute.
• Collaborate across teams, synthesizing approaches from different fields into solutions that work with and benefit the entire organization.
• Communicate findings clearly to stakeholders and team members.
• Stay current with scientific literature on frontier ML methods and identify opportunities to apply new ideas.

Skills

Research experience

Multidisciplinary background

Analytical skills

Publications in ML venues

Education

BS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field

MS or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field

Tools

PyTorch

Job description

Machine Learning Applied Researcher - Speech, Vision and Audio

Imagine what you could do here. At Apple, new ideas have a way of becoming extraordinary products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish. Dynamic, smart people and inspiring, innovative technologies are the norm here. The people who work here have reinvented entire industries with all Apple Hardware products. The same passion for innovation that goes into our products also applies to our practices strengthening our commitment to leave the world better than we found it. Join us to help deliver the next groundbreaking Apple product. Do you love working on challenges that no one has solved yet? As a member of our dynamic group, you will have the unique and rewarding opportunity to craft upcoming products that will delight and inspire millions of Apple's customers every single day.

Description

We are looking for a talented and experienced applied ML researcher who can both research new capabilities and develop frontier models using cutting-edge methods. In this role, you will take on high-risk, high-reward challenges - researching, designing, and improving state-of-the-art deep learning models trained on unique data, implementing novel machine learning algorithms, and developing solutions to problems that don't have obvious answers. Your scope will encompass various ML subfields and modalities, combining ideas from different fields to solve unique challenges and deliver solutions adopted broadly across teams.

Responsibilities

• Research and develop cutting-edge deep learning models and algorithms, leveraging multiple data modalities (e.g., vision, audio, sensor, text).
• Design and implement novel neural network architectures solving unique challenges in the field of ASR.
• Navigate ambiguous problem spaces - formulate hypotheses, run experiments, learn from negative results, and iterate toward solutions.
• Improve model performance while maintaining awareness of deployment constraints such as latency, memory, and compute.
• Collaborate across teams, synthesizing approaches from different fields into solutions that work with and benefit the entire organization.
• Communicate findings clearly to stakeholders and team members.
• Stay current with scientific literature on frontier ML methods and identify opportunities to apply new ideas.

Minimum Qualifications

• BS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field - or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience in academic or industry research.
• Experience working with Pytorch.

Preferred Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field with 10+ years of relevant industry experience.
• Strong foundation in deep learning theory and hands-on experience training large-scale models.
• Deep knowledge in one or more of: self-supervised learning, synthetic data generation, large language model training, or automatic speech recognition.
• Experience working with multimodal data (e.g., images, audio, time-series, or sensor fusion).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to translate research ideas into production-quality code.
• Resilience and persistence - comfort with experimentation cycles where many attempts fail before one succeeds.
• Publication record at top-tier ML venues (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, Interspeech, ICASSP, etc.).
• Multidisciplinary background spanning fields such as neuroscience, physics, signal processing, or mathematics. Experience collaborating with distributed teams across time zones.

Compensation and Benefits

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 $165,800 and $249,500, 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.