Java Ai Developer Jobs in Federal Way, WA (NOW HIRING)

At Apple, we don't just build products - we craft experiences that redefine entire ecosystems. The Developer Experience team delivers the essential tools and systems that empower hundreds of engineering teams across Apple to build and deploy services with speed, efficiency, and confidence.
We're transforming how developers work by weaving intelligent AI capabilities directly into their workflows. We're looking for a technical leader who can build and lead the team making this vision real - someone who lives at the intersection of AI agent development, developer productivity measurement, and engineering excellence.
Description
The Developer Experience team is seeking an Engineering Manager to lead a team building the next generation of AI-powered developer tooling that hundreds of Apple engineering teams rely on daily. You'll hire, develop, and lead engineers who design and ship intelligent agents that transform the software development lifecycle - from initial development through testing, deployment, and beyond.
You'll set the technical direction for a portfolio of AI-powered products: coding agents, root cause analysis agents, deployment agents, code review agents, MCP servers, Slack integrations, CLI tools, and APIs that serve both human developers and autonomous systems. Your team will build production-grade AI capabilities, measure their impact through DORA and SPACE metrics, and iterate based on direct user research with engineering teams across Apple.
You'll set CI/CD policies and standards that balance velocity with safety, working with cross-functional partners to establish guardrails for AI-assisted deployments at scale. Your team's work will make AI capabilities a seamless, integrated part of how developers build services at Apple.
This role requires both hands-on technical depth in agentic AI systems and proven leadership in building high-performing engineering teams. You'll partner with project managers, peer engineering leaders, and senior stakeholders to align your team's roadmap with organizational priorities while maintaining the autonomy to make bold technical bets.","responsibilities":"Build, lead, and develop a team of engineers who ship AI-powered developer tools - planning agents, coding agents, testing agents, deployment agents, operations agents, and the APIs and integrations that hundreds of engineering teams depend on daily.
Define and track DORA metrics (deployment frequency, lead time, change failure rate, MTTR) and SPACE metrics (satisfaction, performance, activity, communication, efficiency) to measure and improve developer productivity across Apple.
Set CI/CD policies and standards for AI-assisted development workflows, balancing deployment velocity with safety and compliance requirements.
Drive technical strategy for scalable backend services and APIs in Java and Python that support developer efficiency workflows across Apple.
Conduct user research with engineering teams to identify pain points, validate solutions, and prioritize the roadmap based on measured developer impact.
Evolve platform architectures for reliability, maintainability, and performance at scale, making build-vs-buy decisions and managing technical debt.
Establish engineering excellence standards - code review practices, testing strategies, operational readiness - and foster a culture of quality and continuous improvement.
Recruit, mentor, and retain top engineering talent with expertise in AI agent development and developer tooling.
Preferred Qualifications
Passion for developer experience and empathy for building tools that empower other engineers.
Experience with LLM orchestration patterns, prompt engineering, evaluation frameworks, and responsible AI deployment practices.
Familiarity with AI/ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) and LLM libraries (e.g., LangChain, Hugging Face, Anthropic SDK).
Experience with Kubernetes for container orchestration and deployment at scale.
Experience with messaging systems (e.g., Kafka) and microservices architectures.
Track record of building teams from scratch or through significant growth phases.
Experience partnering with product management to define tooling strategy and prioritize competing demands across multiple stakeholder teams.
Minimum Qualifications
1+ years of engineering management experience leading teams building backend systems or developer tools.
5+ years of recent hands-on software engineering experience, with strong fundamentals in Java and Python.
Deep familiarity with AI agent frameworks and patterns - LangChain, Claude Agent SDK, Pydantic AI, or equivalent - with the ability to evaluate architectural tradeoffs and guide implementation decisions.
Experience defining and using developer productivity metrics (DORA, SPACE, or similar frameworks) to drive measurable improvements.
Track record of setting CI/CD policies and infrastructure automation standards for engineering organizations.
Experience with databases (relational and/or NoSQL) and scalable service architectures.
Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence across organizational boundaries.
BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science/Engineering or equivalent 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 $195,700 and $338,400, 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.