Site Reliability Engineer, Apple Ads

Apple Inc.; Cupertino, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock purchase plan

Stock-based compensation (RSUs)

Medical and dental coverage

Tuition reimbursement

Relocation assistance

Bonuses/commission potential

Job summary

Apple Inc. is seeking a Site Reliability Engineer in Cupertino to support mission-critical ad-tech platforms. You will ensure uptime, scalability, and secure operations while collaborating with developers and architects to improve system reliability.

Responsibilities include building distributed systems on AWS (EKS, MSK, ElastiCache), developing automation tooling, and leading incident response efforts. Strong Kubernetes and IaC skills are required; some AI/LLM tooling experience is a plus.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience supporting internet-facing production systems and distributed cloud infrastructure.
• Strong programming skills in at least one of: Python, Go, or Java.
• Proven expertise with AWS-managed infrastructure
• Hands-on experience with Linux systems and deep knowledge of its internals.
• Demonstrated experience with Infrastructure as Code, especially Terraform.
• Strong foundation in SRE concepts: Monitoring, alerting, and observability, incident response and root cause analysis, error budgets, SLAs/SLOs, and system reliability

Responsibilities

• Build and operate distributed systems using AWS managed services such as EKS, MSK, and ElastiCache.
• Develop internal tooling and automation frameworks to improve infrastructure reliability, cost-efficiency, and operational visibility.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to define infrastructure architecture, troubleshoot complex issues, and drive production excellence.
• Design, provision, and maintain resilient infrastructure by combining Terraform for core foundational resources with GitOps workflows and Kubernetes-native control planes (e.g., Argo CD, Flux, Helm, kro, ACK, Crossplane, etc.) to enable declarative, automated, and drift-free continuous reconciliation.
• Lead or participate in incident response, postmortems, and continuous improvement cycles to reduce future risk.

Skills

3+ years experience

Python/Go/Java

AWS

Linux internals

Terraform

SRE concepts

Tools

Terraform

Kubernetes

Argo CD

Flux

Helm

Crossplane

Job description

Cupertino, California, United States Software and Services

At Apple, we focus deeply on our customers’ experience. Apple Ads brings this same approach to advertising, helping people find exactly what they’re looking for and helping advertisers grow their businesses. Our technology powers ads and sponsorships across Apple Services, including the App Store, Maps, Apple News, and MLS Season Pass. Everything we do is designed for trust, connection, and impact: We respect user privacy, integrate advertising thoughtfully into the experience, and deliver value for advertisers of all sizes—from small app developers to big, global brands. Because when advertising is done right, it benefits everyone.

Description

As a Site Reliability Engineer, you will be responsible for providing the platform for mission-critical ad-tech systems to maintain constant uptime, scale seamlessly, and allow for new applications and services to flourish. The successful candidate will be highly self-motivated and passionate about excellence, quality, and detail. The SRE will not only support operations but also work closely with the developers and architects within the team to aid in the design and assist with the implementation to improve stability, security, and scalability.

Responsibilities

• Build and operate distributed systems using AWS managed services such as EKS, MSK, and ElastiCache.
• Develop internal tooling and automation frameworks to improve infrastructure reliability, cost-efficiency, and operational visibility.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to define infrastructure architecture, troubleshoot complex issues, and drive production excellence.
• Design, provision, and maintain resilient infrastructure by combining Terraform for core foundational resources with GitOps workflows and Kubernetes-native control planes (e.g., Argo CD, Flux, Helm, kro, ACK, Crossplane, etc.) to enable declarative, automated, and drift-free continuous reconciliation.
• Lead or participate in incident response, postmortems, and continuous improvement cycles to reduce future risk.

Minimum Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience supporting internet-facing production systems and distributed cloud infrastructure.
• Strong programming skills in at least one of: Python, Go, or Java.
• Proven expertise with AWS-managed infrastructure
• Hands-on experience with Linux systems and deep knowledge of its internals.
• Demonstrated experience with Infrastructure as Code, especially Terraform.
• Strong foundation in SRE concepts: Monitoring, alerting, and observability, incident response and root cause analysis, error budgets, SLAs/SLOs, and system reliability

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience designing, building, or integrating AI/LLM-powered tooling and automations
• Built tools or services that automate platform operations, reduce toil, or improve cost efficiency.
• Experience managing Kubernetes clusters at scale in production environments.
• Hands-on experience troubleshooting distributed systems under real-world load.
• Experience building and operating infrastructure at scale.
• Experience building solutions that reduces friction in software delivery.
• Clear communication skills and comfort collaborating across engineering, infrastructure, and product teams.
• AWS certifications or broad experience across multiple AWS services is a plus.

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. 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.

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.

Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.