Director of Algorithms, Ads Engineering

Director of Algorithms, Ads Engineering Cupertino, California, United States Software and Services Summary Posted:

May 12, 2026

Role Number:

200658682-0836 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, Maps, 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. When advertising is done right, it benefits everyone.

Apple's advertising platform connects millions of developers and businesses with users across one of the world's most valuable digital ecosystems -- and the intelligence behind every ad decision lives in the algorithms. As the Director of Algorithms within Ads Engineering, you will lead the applied scientists and ML engineers who build and scale that intelligence: state-of-the-art retrieval, ranking, auction, and budget optimization systems that determine relevance, efficiency, and outcomes at massive scale. This is a role for a leader who wants to solve hard algorithmic problems that matter -- where privacy constraints sharpen the work rather than limit it, and where craft and rigor are the standard. Description As the Director of Algorithms within Ads Engineering, you will be the driving force behind the intelligence engine that powers Apple's advertising ecosystem. You will lead a multidisciplinary organization of engineering managers, applied scientists, ML engineers, and systems engineers -- setting the vision, shaping the roadmap, and delivering at the intersection of cutting-edge research and production-scale engineering.

Success in this role requires a leader who approaches problem-solving with tact, values diverse perspectives, and builds strong, trusting partnerships across organizational boundaries to deliver solutions that respect our users and empower our advertisers. Responsibilities Define the strategic vision and technical roadmap for the entire algorithms funnel, delivering intelligence across all phases of ads delivery -- including retrieval, ranking, matching, auction, and budget optimization models. Champion algorithm engineering excellence end-to-end across a complex production ecosystem, partnering with infrastructure, serving, privacy, and experimentation teams to translate state-of-the-art models into reliable, customer-facing capabilities. Drive clear execution plans across organizational boundaries, balancing research innovation with operational excellence, launch readiness, and production reliability. Partner deeply with Ads Product leaders to co-drive marketplace strategy and translate business objectives into algorithmic systems that optimize advertiser outcomes, user relevance, auction efficiency, and long-term marketplace health. Partner closely with Data Insights and experimentation teams to define success metrics, measurement frameworks, and evaluation strategies that ground algorithmic decisions in rigorous, transparent experimentation. Mentor and grow your management team while providing guidance to senior technical ICs. Minimum Qualifications 15+ years of professional experience in Machine Learning, Applied Science, or Software Engineering, with a strong focus on performance advertising, search, or recommendation systems. 10+ years of engineering leadership experience, including a proven track record of managing other managers as well as senior/staff-level individual contributors. Deep technical expertise across the entire algorithms funnel, including signals processing, candidate matching, predictive modeling (e.g., CTR/CVR), and ranking. Experience with modern techniques using embeddings, transformer architectures, distillation methods, and reinforcement learning based methods. Extensive experience in algorithm engineering, with a strong understanding of how to build, deploy, and scale high-throughput, low-latency ML systems in production environments. Exceptional communication and diplomatic skills, with the ability to build consensus, navigate complex cross-functional relationships, and articulate technical strategies to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. A demonstrated commitment to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and highly collaborative team culture that empowers individuals to do their best work. Strong alignment with Apple's core values, particularly regarding user privacy and delivering premium user experiences. Preferred Qualifications Experience with privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) or building ML systems under strict privacy constraints. Experience with Ads technology and domain. Ph.D. or Master's degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Statistics, or a related quantitative field, accompanied by relevant industry experience. Pay & Benefits 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 $305,000 and $487,200, 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.

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. 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. Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.