AIML Site Lead & Lead Researcher, Foundation Models

We build frontier foundation models that power intelligent experiences at Apple. Our team works across the full training lifecycle: including pre-training foundation models and developing mid-training approaches that bridge general capability and task-specific performance. What makes our work distinct is that were engineering models specifically for Apple silicon and optimized for experiences that are private personal and deeply integrated into the OS. Were solving frontier problems in reward modeling to resist reward hacking handling sparse and delayed rewards in agentic settings and aligning models reliably across the spectrum from open-ended creative tasks to precise action-taking workflows. If youre drawn to hard problems where the research and the product are inseparable this is the team.

We are seeking an experienced Site Lead u0026 Lead Researcher to oversee a strategic hub within our Apple Foundation Models (AFM) organization. You will lead a team of engineers and researchers responsible for building and advancing foundation models at Apple. Your leadership will drive infrastructure development dataset creation and model innovation with fundamental general capabilities such as understanding and generation of text images speech videos and other modalities. You will guide the application of these models to transform Apple products while fostering a culture of research excellence and collaborative innovation. nnAs a Site Lead you will balance strategic oversight with hands-on research direction ensuring your team tackles the most challenging problems in foundation models while maintaining alignment with Apples broader AI vision. nn- Lead and mentor a close-knit and fast-growing team of world-class engineers and scientists tackling some of the most challenging problems in foundation models and deep learning including natural language processing multi-modal understanding and combining learning with knowledge set research direction and strategy for your - Identifying and developing novel applications of deep learning in Apple products while maintaining technical rigor and innovation. nn- Own end-to-end execution of research initiatives from problem formulation through publication product integration and impact measurement. nn- Foster collaboration across teams and stakeholder groups bridging research product engineering and business objectives to ensure breakthrough ideas reach millions of users. nn- Drive organizational excellence through hiring career development and creating an environment where diverse talents thrive and contribute their best work.

Lead a team of researchers and engineers in developing cutting-edge foundation models and applying them to Apple productsnDefine and communicate clear research vision roadmap and success metrics aligned with Apples product roadmap and strategic prioritiesnIdentify high-impact research opportunities that balance fundamental advances with near-term product applicationsnConduct hands-on research on complex problems remaining actively engaged in key technical decisions and methodologiesnMentor team members on research techniques software engineering practices and career growth within the fieldnCollaborate with product teams hardware designers and other AI research groups to translate research into customer-facing featuresnPublish research findings in top-tier venues and present work at conferences to represent Apples research leadershipnBuild and maintain a strong culture of experimentation learning and inclusive collaboration within your teamnDrive recruitment and retention of top research talent

Leadership experience: Demonstrated success leading technical teams or research groups with evidence of growing talent and delivering resultsnDeep learning expertise: Strong publication record in relevant conferences (e.g. NeurIPS ICML ICLR CVPR ICCV ECCV KDD ACL ICASSP InterSpeech) or proven track record in applying deep learning techniques to products at scalenProgramming proficiency: Expert-level skills in Python and one or more deep learning toolkits such as JAX PyTorch or TensorFlownAdvanced degree or equivalent: PhD in Computer Science related technical field or equivalent practical experience demonstrating research leadership and technical depthnCommunication skills: Ability to clearly articulate complex research concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences including executives and product teams

Experience with web-scale information retrieval and search systemsnTrack record building human-like conversation agents and natural language understanding systemsnExpertise in multi-modal perception for existing products and future hardware platformsnBackground in on-device intelligence and learning with strong privacy protectionsnExperience leading research teams through product commercialization cyclesnHistory of mentoring researchers who have advanced to senior technical or leadership rolesnDemonstrated ability to work collaboratively across diverse teams and organizational boundariesnExperience with responsible AI practices and ethics in machine learning