Job Details

Role Number: 200631684-3337

Summary

Apple is where individual imaginations gather together, committing to the values that lead to great work. Every new product we build, service we create, or Apple Store experience we deliver is the result of us making each other’s ideas stronger. That happens because every one of us shares a belief that we can make something wonderful and share it with the world, changing lives for the better. It’s the diversity of our people and their thinking that inspires the innovation that runs through everything we do. When we bring everybody in, we can do the best work of our lives. Here, you’ll do more than join something — you’ll add something.

As part of Apple’s central data annotation engineering team, you’ll help build the next generation of AI-powered user experiences. Our work provides high-quality datasets and expert feedback to train machine learning models and evaluate their performance across all products and verticals. The team maintains and develops a global distributed system that captures insights from human domain experts and analysts worldwide, operating at a scale that few companies can match. We leverage cutting-edge human-in-the-loop algorithms to create and curate datasets through fine-tuned multi-step annotation workflows and near real-time data quality feedback signals. You’ll tackle complex challenges in ML data quality at unprecedented scale while collaborating closely with AIML engineering teams across the company. From Siri to the Photos app, from iPhone to Vision Pro, you’ll help bring innovative experiences to millions of users worldwide.

Description

This role focuses on enhancing the annotation quality capabilities of Apple's central data annotation platform. You'll work on a cloud-based system that supports machine learning model development across all Apple products. The position combines backend engineering with research and concept development to improve how we measure, monitor, and optimize annotation and ML dataset quality at scale. You'll be responsible for building systems that ensure high-quality training data while developing innovative approaches to quality assessment and feedback mechanisms.

As part of a close-knit team of half a dozen engineers focused on annotation quality initiatives and embedded in an even larger team of fellow data annotation engineers, you'll collaborate on shared challenges and contribute to collective problem-solving efforts. The team works together on overlapping projects, combining individual expertise in backend and frontend engineering, statistics, and ML to advance the state of annotation quality measurement and optimization. You'll have the opportunity to learn from peers tackling similar technical problems while contributing your own insights to push the boundaries of what's possible in large-scale data quality assessment.

Your contributions will directly impact the foundation of Apple's AI and machine learning capabilities, ensuring that models across the entire product ecosystem are trained on the highest quality data possible.

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Statistics, Math, Physics or related field, or 5 years of equivalent work experience

• 3+ years of backend engineering experience with cloud-based services

• Proficiency in Python and/or Golang for backend development

• Experience with AWS services including Lambda and RDS/Aurora

• Strong foundation in applied statistics and machine learning fundamentals

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in data annotation, data quality, or related ML value chain roles

• Experience building and scaling web-based platforms for machine learning workflows

• Advanced knowledge of statistical methods for data quality assessment

• Experience with distributed systems and microservices architecture

• Background in annotation workflow optimization

• Track record of research publications or patents in data quality or machine learning

• Experience working in cross-functional teams with both technical and non-technical stakeholders

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 (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf) .