The Lead Researcher will oversee a strategic hub within Apple's Foundation Models organization, leading a team of engineers and researchers focused on building and advancing foundation models. This role emphasizes the development of innovative applications of deep learning that enhance Apple products while maintaining a culture of research excellence. The Lead Researcher will balance strategic oversight with hands-on research direction, ensuring alignment with Apple's broader AI vision. The position involves tackling challenging problems in foundation models and fostering collaboration across teams.

• Demonstrated success leading technical teams or research groups.
• Strong publication record in relevant conferences such as NeurIPS, ICML, or CVPR.
• Expert-level skills in Python and deep learning toolkits like JAX, PyTorch, or TensorFlow.
• PhD in Computer Science or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Ability to clearly articulate complex research concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience with web-scale information retrieval and search systems.
• Track record building human-like conversation agents and natural language understanding systems.
• Expertise in multi-modal perception for existing products and future hardware platforms.
• Background in on-device intelligence and learning with strong privacy protections.
• Experience leading research teams through product commercialization cycles.
• History of mentoring researchers who have advanced to senior technical or leadership roles.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across diverse teams and organizational boundaries.
• Experience with responsible AI practices and ethics in machine learning.

• Lead and mentor a team of engineers and scientists in foundation models and deep learning.
• Identify and develop novel applications of deep learning in Apple products.
• Own end-to-end execution of research initiatives from problem formulation to impact measurement.
• Foster collaboration across teams to ensure breakthrough ideas reach millions of users.
• Drive organizational excellence through hiring and career development.

• Employees at Apple are often offered comprehensive benefits that support physical and mental well-being—flexible medical plans, confidential counseling, onsite wellness centers at major campuses, and resources for fitness and daily life. Families typically receive fertility support, paid parental leave with gradual return, caregiving leave, and dependent-care guidance, while financial perks commonly include stock grants (with purchase discounts), 401(k) matching, and income-protection coverage. Employees also see robust time off, Apple University learning and tuition reimbursement, donation matching and paid volunteer hours, and deep product and partner discounts.