Staff Applied Scientist, UI Control Models

Apple Inc.; Cupertino, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 216,000 - 325,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock programs

Medical and dental coverage

Tuition reimbursement

Relocation assistance

Discounted Apple products

Job summary

Apple Inc. in Cupertino, California, is seeking a Staff Applied Scientist for the Siri team to advance LLMs that power UI control and on-device experiences.

You will lead design and delivery of post-training techniques, collaborating with researchers, engineers and product teams to bring innovations from prototype to production. The role emphasizes technical leadership, impact, and rapid iteration, with a focus on privacy and efficiency for mobile hardware.

Qualifications

• Masters or PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning Engineering or equivalent professional experience.
• 7+ years of hands-on industry experience shipping ML-powered products or features, ideally involving LLMs.
• Deep expertise in LLM/VLM post-training methods, including supervised fine-tuning and reinforcement learning.
• Proficiency in Python and one of the deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, JAX, TensorFlow).
• Excellent communication: strong interpersonal, verbal and written skills.

Responsibilities

• Drive the design, development and delivery of large language models powering Siri.
• Lead research and engineering efforts in model post-training techniques for on-device UI control and tool calling.
• Collaborate with researchers, software engineers and product teams to move innovations from prototype to production.

Skills

Machine learning engineering

LLM development

Python programming

Communication skills

Research leadership

Education

Masters or PhD in CS/ML

Tools

PyTorch

JAX

TensorFlow

Job description

Cupertino, California, United States Machine Learning and AI

Join us at the forefront of redefining how people interact with their devices. On the Siri team we’re solving the challenge of building and shipping powerful LLMs that shape the way millions of Apple customers get things done every day. As a Staff Applied Scientist, you will craft the future of UI Control by developing powerful yet compact LLMs that bring personalized, private, and low-latency experiences to users. This is a high-impact role for a hands‑on applied scientist who thrives at the intersection of cutting‑edge AI development and product delivery.

Description

In this role you’ll drive the design, development and delivery of large language models that power the core of Siri. You will lead research and engineering efforts in model post‑training techniques that create powerful UI control, tool calling and compelling conversational models that run within the constraints of mobile hardware. You’ll collaborate closely with researchers, software engineers and product teams to move innovations from prototype to production. This includes identifying and applying post‑training techniques, advancing model efficiency and contributing to the end‑to‑end model lifecycle process. This position emphasizes technical leadership through action, hands‑on innovation and impact. You will be responsible for setting technical directions for the team. Our team values rapid iteration and delivering impactful results. The ideal candidate will have a passion for applied research, strong modeling expertise, good software engineering skills and a desire to get things done.

Minimum Qualifications

• Masters or PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning Engineering or equivalent professional experience
• 7+ years of hands‑on industry experience and a proven track record of shipping ML‑powered products or features, ideally involving LLMs. Extensive experience with the ML development loop, with expertise in model architectures, data curation, training policies and evaluation.
• Deep expertise in LLM/VLM post‑training methods, including supervised fine‑tuning, and reinforcement learning.
• Proficiency in Python and one of the deep learning frameworks (such as PyTorch, JAX, or TensorFlow).
• Excellent communication: strong interpersonal, verbal and written skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing AI agents capable of complex reasoning, planning, tool use and UI control in diverse environments.
• Experience developing small LLMs for constrained or edge devices.
• Experience as a tech lead, leading teams of size 5-10.
• Experience building thoughtful benchmarks and environments to evaluate UI control agents.
• Deep understanding of model efficiency and deployment trade‑offs in production environments.
• Experience with multi‑modal foundation models.

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 $216,200 and $324,800, 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.