Evaluation Science Lead

Role Number: 200686562Team: Machine Learning and AILocation: Austin; CupertinoPosted: 2026-10-08SummaryThe people here at Apple don’t just create products — they create the kind of wonder that’s revolutionized entire industries. It’s the diversity of those people and their ideas that inspires the innovation that runs through everything we do. Join Apple, and help us leave the world better than we found it.We are looking for an Evaluation Science Lead to define how our multilingual Globalization AI solutions are measured and validated across Apple Services — including Apple Music, App Store, Apple TV+, Apple Podcasts, and more. This is a rare opportunity to build evaluation science as a discipline at the intersection of language, culture, and AI, and to directly shape whether hundreds of millions of users around the world feel genuinely at home in Apple's products.DescriptionLanguage carries culture, nuance, and context — as Evaluation Science Lead, you will own the scientific rigor behind measuring how our AI-powered Globalization solutions perform across 50+ languages and dozens of markets. As a strategic individual contributor on the Globalization Quality and Operations team, you will design statistically grounded evaluation frameworks combining human judgment with scalable automation — partnering with Engineering, AI Strategy, and Production to turn evaluation into a strategic capability.This role requires strong analytical and scientific thinking, hands-on execution, and sound judgment to communicate complex findings clearly. You thrive in ambiguity and know evaluation delivers value only when operationalized — if you believe rigorous, culturally-informed evaluation is one of the highest-leverage ways to improve AI language quality globally, this role was built for you.Minimum Qualifications5+ years of experience in evaluation science, data science, or ML systems development, with demonstrated experience owning evaluation systems at scale end-to-endExperience applying statistical methodology — sampling, significance testing, and confidence intervalsPractical understanding of measurement validity principlesHands-on experience measuring annotator agreement, diagnosing divergence, and improving annotation protocolsProficiency with statistical tools and languages (R, Python, SQL) for analysis and reproducibilityExperience designing evaluation frameworks adopted and scaled by operational teamsStrong written and verbal communication skills for technical and non-technical audiencesDirect experience handling sensitive and confidential information with integrity and discretionAbility to be onsite; this role is an in-person, onsite positionAvailability to work occasional evenings and weekends, as business needs requireUp to 10% + travel; both domestic and internationalPreferred QualificationsMaster’s, PhD, or comparable experience in Statistics, Computational Linguistics, Computer Science, Psychometrics, Data Science, or related quantitative field.Experience evaluating generative AI systems—including hallucination detection, safety and cultural alignment, autograders / LLM-as-judge systems, benchmark design, and synthetic data evaluation.Experience with A/B testing, causal inference, or experimental designExperience in applied linguistics — translating cultural and linguistic nuances into quantitative evaluation frameworkPay & BenefitsAt 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 $175,500 and $311,700, 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 BenefitsNote: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.EEO StatementApple 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. Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicantEEO StatementApple 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. Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicantAccessibilityAt 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.Learn about accessibility in Apple’s workplaceLearn about reasonable accommodations for job applicantsAccessibilityAt 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.Learn about accessibility in Apple’s workplaceLearn about reasonable accommodations for job applicantsApplication DeadlineApple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.Application DeadlineApple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.