Senior Backend Software Engineer, Platform Engineering, Services Data Science & Analytics

Are you ready to make a significant impact on how one of the world's largest analytics organizations moves, serves, and governs its data? If you are passionate about building high-performance, reliable platform services at internet scale, we would love for you to apply! The Apple Services Data Science & Analytics organization drives decisions that improve the customer experience, accelerate growth, and uncover new business opportunities while respecting user privacy and adhering to regulatory policy.

We work on some of the largest e-commerce and media streaming businesses in the world and have an incredible team collaborating on the best ways to improve these services for our customers! Our culture is built on rapid iteration, open debate, and independent thinking — we take calculated risks and work as analytical advisors across product, design, engineering, marketing, editorial, legal, and business teams.

Description

As a Senior Software Engineer on the Services Data Science & Analytics Platform Engineering team, you will design, build, and operate the backend services that form the foundation of DS&A's data platform.

This is high-stakes infrastructure work: every downstream consumer in DS&A and Services broadly depends on what you build. A great fit for this role is someone who thinks deeply about distributed systems, obsesses over reliability and performance, and takes pride in building platform primitives that other engineers love to build on.

Responsibilities

• You will own core platform services end-to-end — from API design and query routing through caching infrastructure and data lineage — ensuring they perform reliably at the scale and latency demands of one of the world's largest analytics organizations.
• You'll collaborate closely with Data Engineering, Data Science, Machine Learning Engineering, Insight Engineering, and Core Engineering teams, making architectural decisions that directly shape the scalability and durability of DS&A's analytical foundation.
• Over time, you'll influence platform strategy, mentor engineers across the team, and help drive the technical roadmap for how DS&A manages, governs, and serves its data at scale.

Minimum Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience building and operating high-performance, production-grade backend API services
• Expert proficiency in Python or Node.js/TypeScript — including async programming, type safety, and framework-level development (FastAPI, Express, or equivalent)
• Demonstrated experience designing and operating distributed systems with strict reliability and latency SLAs
• Strong proficiency with API design and service-to-service communication patterns (REST, gRPC, GraphQL, or equivalent)
• Hands-on experience with multi-layer caching architectures (in-process, Redis, or similar) and cache invalidation strategies
• Extensive experience building systems that integrate with distributed and high-performance data stores — Snowflake, Trino, Spark, PostgreSQL, or equivalent
• Proficiency with Kubernetes, deployment, HPA, StatefulSets, namespace management
• Strong observability practice, Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry, or equivalent
• BS in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent professional experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building data catalog, metadata, or lineage systems
• Familiarity with Apache Iceberg or other open table formats
• Experience with CI/CD pipeline design and enforcement gates in large engineering organizations
• Familiarity with AI/ML infrastructure or experience integrating LLM-powered capabilities into platform services
• MS in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
• 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 $184,700 and $324,800, 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.

Learn more about Apple Benefits

Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.