AIML - Backend Engineer, Evaluation

Seattle, Washington, United States Software and Services

Would you like a chance to create a significant impact, working alongside world-class experts and using innovative technologies to push the boundaries of what's possible? At Apple, we believe in creating technology that enriches lives and empowers creativity. You'll play a pivotal role in developing Apple Intelligence, driving the next generation of groundbreaking products across all Apple platforms.

As a Backend Engineer in AIML Evaluation, you will design and integrate scalable architectures and build core APIs, frameworks, and libraries that enable Modeling and Evaluation teams to efficiently assess AI/ML-powered features. You will lead requirements definition—including proof-of-concept development—and co‑own the roadmap for ML evaluation platforms, ensuring seamless system integration and continuous improvement. Your work will strengthen automation, improve model performance assessment, and streamline workflows across AI/ML teams.

The ideal candidate has a strong track record of owning full product life cycles, from initial design and implementation to feedback‑driven iteration on tools that support AI/ML development. You will build, measure, and optimize software solutions that deliver insights into platform changes, driving innovation and elevating Apple’s AI‑driven user experiences. This role requires strategic thinking, deep technical expertise, and the ability to excel in a fast‑paced, rapidly evolving environment while partnering closely with engineering, research, and product teams to deliver high‑impact solutions.

• Design and implement systems to assess the quality and safety of Apple Intelligence features, ensuring our AI/ML models meet the highest standards.
• Implement processes and frameworks for the continuous quality improvement of Apple Intelligence, fostering excellence and reliability.
• Work closely with feature owners, data scientists, frontend engineers, product managers, and other stakeholders to gather requirements, and deliver impactful evaluation solutions.
• Create robust data pipelines and analytics tools to generate actionable insights from vast datasets, driving informed decision‑making.
• Ensure backend services are scalable, efficient, and secure, handling large volumes of data with ease.
• Continuously seek ways to enhance evaluation frameworks, adopting best practices and integrating the latest advancements in technology.

• 2+ years in backend engineering with experience in large‑scale software system design and implementation.
• Proficiency in languages such as Python, GoLang, or Java.
• Experience with distributed systems, databases (SQL/No
  
  SQL), and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Record of building high‑quality, highly scalable backend software systems.
• Ability to tackle complex challenges, think critically, and deliver innovative solutions.
• Excellent communication skills and a team‑oriented attitude, thriving in a collaborative and fast‑paced environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.

• Solid understanding of AI feature, model evaluation metrics, and data processing pipelines.
• Previous experience in a high‑growth tech company or similar environment.
• Familiarity with open‑source projects related to AI/ML or backend development.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and infrastructure as code.
• Master or Ph.D. in a related field.

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 $139,500 and $258,100, 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…