Data Annotation Program Manager Jobs in California

Imagine what you could do here. At Apple, great ideas have a way of becoming great products, services, and customer experiences - quickly.
The AIML team is looking for a passionate, detail-obsessed Senior Manager of Quality Assurance to lead the QA function within our Data Annotation operations. This is a rare opportunity to directly shape the quality standards that underpin the intelligent systems used by hundreds of millions of people every day.
You will lead a team of QA professionals, define and defend data quality standards, and champion a culture of rigorous, scalable quality assurance across global annotation workflows. If you thrive at the intersection of operational excellence, data quality, and cross-functional leadership - this role was built for you.
Description
As Senior Manager of QA for Data Annotation, you will own the end-to-end quality assurance strategy for annotation pipelines that feed directly into Apple's AI and machine learning models. You will partner closely with Data Science, Engineering, and Operations leadership to ensure that data quality is not an afterthought - it is a foundation.
You will manage and develop a team of QA specialists and leads, set clear quality metrics, and build scalable processes that grow with our annotation programs. Your decisions will have measurable, real-world impact on the performance of Apple Intelligence products.","responsibilities":"Quality Assurance Strategy & Execution
Define, own, and continuously improve QA standards, frameworks, and metrics for data annotation tasks across multiple data types (text, audio, image, video, and multimodal).
Develop and implement scalable QA protocols - including sampling strategies, inter-annotator agreement measures, and error taxonomy frameworks - to ensure consistent, high-quality labeled data.
Lead root cause analysis and post-incident reviews for quality failures; drive systematic process improvements to prevent recurrence.
Advocate for and oversee the integration of automated quality checks into annotation pipelines to increase throughput without sacrificing accuracy.
Establish and track QA KPIs and OKRs; provide regular data-driven reporting to senior and executive leadership on quality performance and trends.
People Leadership & Team Development
Lead, coach, and grow a team of QA Specialists, QA Leads, and Program Coordinators - setting clear goals, providing ongoing feedback, and supporting career development.
Foster an inclusive team culture grounded in curiosity, rigor, psychological safety, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
Conduct regular performance reviews, identify skill gaps, and partner with L&D to address development needs within the team.
Hire and onboard talent thoughtfully, contributing to a diverse and high-performing QA organization.
Cross-Functional & Stakeholder Collaboration
Partner with Data Science and ML Engineering teams to understand model requirements, translate them into annotation quality standards, and close feedback loops efficiently.
Collaborate with Annotation Program Managers and Vendor Operations to embed QA practices into vendor workflows and third-party annotation pipelines.
Work with the Director of Data Operations to align QA strategy with broader organizational priorities and resource planning.
Serve as the primary QA point of contact for cross-functional stakeholders - communicating clearly on quality status, risk, and mitigation strategies.
Drive change management efforts when introducing new QA tooling, processes, or standards across global teams.
Operational Excellence
Manage QA capacity planning to ensure sufficient coverage across global annotation programs of varying scale and complexity.
Identify opportunities to streamline QA workflows, reduce turnaround time, and improve cost-efficiency without compromising quality standards.
Stay current on industry best practices in data annotation quality, emerging AI evaluation methodologies, and tooling innovations.
Preferred Qualifications
Master's degree or advanced certification in a relevant discipline
Experience with annotation platforms and QA tooling (e.g., Label Studio, Scale AI, Surge, Toloka, or similar)
Familiarity with inter-annotator agreement methodologies (Cohen's Kappa, Krippendorff's Alpha, etc.)
Experience managing QA for multilingual or multimodal annotation datasets
Track record of building or scaling QA programs in a globally distributed, vendor-augmented operating model
Passion for Apple Intelligence products and a deep appreciation for the role of data quality in user experience
Experience with statistical sampling techniques and quality auditing frameworks
Familiarity with RLHF (Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback) data workflows
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (Computer Science, Linguistics, Data Science, Operations, or equivalent)
8+ years of experience in quality assurance, data operations, or a related field
10+ years of people management experience leading QA or data operations teams
Demonstrated experience defining and operating QA programs for data annotation or content labeling at scale
Solid understanding of AIML concepts, with practical knowledge of how data quality affects model performance
Strong analytical skills with experience using data to measure, communicate, and drive quality improvements
Professional fluency in English; excellent written and verbal communication skills across all levels of an organization
Ability to travel internationally when required
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 $214,000 and $356,600, 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.