Staff Machine Learning Engineer - Ads Auction

Apple Inc.; Cupertino, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 185,000 - 325,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple Inc. is seeking a senior engineer to design and optimize the core auction system powering our advertising platform.

You will develop production-grade code to generate high quality ad recommendations, collaborating with product and business teams to drive new products and large-scale experiments. You will push state-of-the-art techniques across multiple domains to deliver scalable solutions for advertisers, users, and the Apple ecosystem.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in online advertising, marketplace design, or large-scale recommendation/auction systems.
• Strong background in auction theory, mechanism design, optimization, statistics, or machine learning.
• Ability to apply and implement research concepts, ultimately in production quality code.
• Experience defining clear, testable research hypotheses, including intended impact on the business.
• Deep knowledge of design of experiments, online experimentation approaches, preferably at scale.
• Ability to formulate and advocate for R&D objectives and results to cross‑functional team members including executive business leadership and product management.
• Experience contributing and/or reviewing research for top conferences and publications.
• Deep fluency in Java or Python.
• Experience with Spark, Hadoop or other distributed frameworks.
• Masters in Economics, Operations Research, Machine Learning, Statistics, Control Theory, Forecasting, Optimization, Reinforcement Learning or related field with experience building production systems or have equivalent experience working with large data science / machine learning projects in industry.

Responsibilities

• Design, analyze, and optimize the core auction system powering Apple’s advertising platform.
• Develop production code to generate high quality ad recommendations and collaborate with business partners on new products.
• Lead large-scale experiments and innovations to improve the ad network across multiple technical domains.
• Drive state-of-the-art capabilities that differentiate Apple’s advertising products.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to set strategy and deliver end-to-end scalable solutions.

Skills

Auction theory

Mechanism design

Optimization

Statistics

Machine learning

Production-quality code

Research hypotheses

Design of experiments

Online experimentation

R&D objectives

Conferences publications

Java/Python

Spark

Hadoop

Economics/OR/ML/Statistics/Control

Education

Master's in Economics, Operations Research, Machine Learning, Statistics, Control Theory, Forecasting, Optimization, Reinforcement Learning or related field

Tools

Spark

Hadoop

Job description

Cupertino, California, United States Machine Learning and AI

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, 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.We are seeking a self-motivated individual that will build out the next generation of our ads platforms and ensure that Apple provides the most relevant and high quality ads experience while maintaining a healthy marketplace.The ideal candidate has a strong background in auction theory, applied machine learning, and large-scale systems, along with hands‑on experience building and optimizing auction-based ad delivery systems in production. You will have an excellent understanding of scalable architectures and thrive working in Agile environments.

Description

In this role, you are responsible for designing the core auction system that powers our advertising platform to drive optimal outcomes for advertisers, users, and our platform. You will have the opportunity to build the next generation solutions for marketplace optimization that enable driving optimal value for multiple stakeholders in the system. You will have the opportunity to apply your ability to move the state of the art techniques in a fast growing business that positively impacts publishers, developers and Apple users at global scale. The ability to be a great teammate under tight deadline constraints is key to success.

Responsibilities

• You will be responsible for designing, analyzing, and optimizing the core auction system that powers our advertising platform, develop production code to generate high quality ad recommendations and work closely with business partners to help drive the development of new products as well as perform large scale and complex experiments to understand their effects.
• You will drive strategic outcomes through substantial innovation in multiple fields by leading the development and application of advanced techniques and algorithms to improve our ad network.
• You have, or will develop a deep understanding of the ad network behavior, and will work with product management and business leadership to prioritize an innovation roadmap across multiple technical domains.
• You will lead the conception, development, and delivery of state of the art capabilities that differentiate our products and are core to our business.
• You will work with a variety of cross functional business partners to set strategy and bring end-to-end solutions that scale as we grow.

Minimum Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience working in online advertising, marketplace design, or large-scale recommendation/auction systems
• Strong background in auction theory, mechanism design, optimization, statistics, or machine learning.
• Ability to apply and implement research concepts, ultimately in production quality code
• Experience defining clear, testable research hypotheses, including intended impact on the business
• Deep knowledge of design of experiments, online experimentation approaches, preferably at scale
• Ability to formulate and advocate for R&D objectives and results to cross‑functional team members including executive business leadership and product management
• Experience contributing and/or reviewing research for top conferences and publications
• Deep fluency in Java or Python.
• Experience with Spark, Hadoop or other distributed frameworks.
• Masters in Economics, Operations Research, Machine Learning, Statistics, Control Theory, Forecasting, Optimization, Reinforcement Learning or related field with experience building production systems or have equivalent experience working with large data science / machine learning projects in industry.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in ads optimization, recommendations, or search relevance optimization is highly preferred
• PhD in Economics, Operations Research, Machine Learning, Statistics, Control Theory, Forecasting, Optimization, Reinforcement Learning

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 $184,700 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
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Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.