ML Data Operations Engineer

Apple Inc.; California; On-site; USD 150,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock programs

Restricted Stock Units

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Medical and dental coverage

Tuition reimbursement

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Apple Inc. in Cupertino, California, is seeking a Data Operations Engineer to support internal data collection for ML experiments. You will work closely with scientists and engineers, bringing up hardware and software platforms and ensuring data quality.

The role emphasizes hands-on setup, documentation, and cross-functional collaboration across ML, infrastructure, and hardware teams to run studies efficiently.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HCI, Cognitive Science, Psychology, Engineering, Operations or equivalent.
• Experience supporting human user studies, data collection operations, or related research.
• Track record partnering with ML engineers or researchers to define data needs and quality standards.

Responsibilities

• Plan, execute and track internal ML data collection studies with researchers and engineers.
• Develop understanding of ML experiments, data requirements and evaluation criteria.
• Set up and maintain pre-release hardware/software platforms for data collection.
• Create clear technical documentation for setup, study protocols and data handling.
• Manage day-to-day logistics of study sessions and participant configurations.
• Collaborate with ML, infrastructure and hardware teams to validate data needs.
• Track study progress and communicate blockers to cross‑functional partners.
• Identify gaps and propose process improvements.

Skills

Data operations

Cross-functional collaboration

Study coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HCI, Cognitive Science, Psychology, Engineering, Operations

Tools

ML data pipelines

Annotation tools

Dataset management

Job description

Cupertino, California, United States Hardware

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

Apple's ML Data Operations group is seeking a Data Operations Engineer to support internal data collection efforts powering our next generation of consumer machine learning features. In this role, you will work shoulder‑to‑shoulder with full‑time Apple scientists and engineers, not just coordinating logistics, but developing a genuine technical understanding of the ML experiments you support. You will be responsible for the hands‑on bring‑up, execution, and quality oversight of internal data collection studies, operating in a highly collaborative and technically demanding cross‑functional environment

Responsibilities

• Plan, execute, and track internal ML data collection studies in close collaboration with researchers, engineers, and scientists across the organization
• Develop a working understanding of the ML experiments being supported, including model objectives, data requirements, labeling, and evaluation criteria, to ensure datasets quality
• Bring up and maintain pre-release hardware and software platforms used for data collection, performing hands‑on troubleshooting and triage to minimize study disruptions
• Create and maintain clear technical documentation for hardware/software platform setup, study protocols, and data handling procedures
• Manage day‑to‑day logistics of internal study sessions, including scheduling participants, configuring hardware and software setups, and maintaining smooth session flow
• Collaborate with algorithm, infrastructure, and hardware/software teams to gather and validate data collection requirements before and during study execution
• Track and communicate study progress, blockers, participant throughput, and dataset status to cross‑functional partners and senior stakeholders
• Identify gaps in existing workflows and take initiative to define, document, and socialize process improvements

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HCI, Cognitive Science, Psychology, Engineering, Operations, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Experience supporting or executing human user studies, behavioral research, or data collection operations in an academic or industry setting.
• Track record of partnering with ML engineers or researchers to define data requirements, quality standards, or collection specifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in user research operations, data collection coordination, or a related technical operations role.
• Hands‑on familiarity with ML data pipelines, annotation tools, or dataset management practices.
• Experience working directly with engineering and science teams, with comfort reading technical documentation, data schemas, or experiment specifications.
• Familiarity with handling sensitive human data and adhering to strict privacy and consent protocols.
• Highly organized self‑starter who can manage multiple concurrent internal studies with minimal oversight.
• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills, with the ability to collaborate fluidly across both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to identify data anomalies and inconsistencies during live collection.

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 $150,400 and $225,300, 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.

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Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.