Mechanical Systems Design Engineer
The Instrumentation PD group at Apple designs and develops the test equipment and fixtures that ensure Apple's most iconic products meet the highest quality standards. We're looking for a Senior Mechanical Systems Design Engineer to lead the development of novel automated calibration and metrology systems - from early concept through global manufacturing deployment. If you thrive at the intersection of complex physics, precision engineering, and real-world manufacturing, this role was built for you.
Description
The Instrumentation PD team sits at the heart of Apple's global manufacturing operations, owning the test equipment and fixtures used to validate product technologies including cameras, health sensing, acoustics, and display. This is a senior individual contributor role with broad technical ownership - you'll shape not just what gets built, but how the team approaches problems, develops vendors, and scales solutions across Apple's manufacturing ecosystem. You'll work closely with product designers, operations, software engineers, and global system integrators, and your work will directly influence the quality of products used by hundreds of millions of people.
","responsibilities":"Lead end-to-end development of automated calibration and metrology systems from concept through mass production validation, owning both technical direction and program execution
Drive early engagement with product design teams to translate complex physics problems into clear, testable requirements across cameras, health sensing, acoustics, and display technologies
Assess equipment performance by interpreting test data and iterating designs to improve effectiveness, efficiency, and reliability
Collaborate with cross-functional teams - operations, software, and product design - to balance diverse design objectives using data-backed ROI analyses
Engage directly with manufacturing partners and system integrators to drive technical quality and strategic development of Apple's vendor ecosystem
Drive technical deliverables to resolution in ambiguous environments with competing priorities, proactively framing the path forward and maintaining accountability for outcomes
Support factory bring-up activities, including travel to manufacturing sites to debug live production issues and drive corrective actions
Communicate complex technical work clearly across all levels - from vendor teams to VP-level stakeholders
Mentor junior engineers, establish team best practices, and contribute to the continuous improvement of methods and design tools
Preferred Qualifications
Master's degree in a relevant engineering field
Experience with mass-produced electronics manufacturing equipment - structures, sheet metal, plastics, robotics, or automation
Opto-mechanical or camera module design experience
Proficiency with UG NX or equivalent CAD platform
Experience with FEA stress analysis (ANSYS preferred)
Experience developing or managing vendor ecosystems, particularly with global system integrators
Familiarity with Apple's NPI process and manufacturing environments
Experience in project or program management
Written and verbal Mandarin language skills
Minimum Qualifications
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Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechatronics, or equivalent
12+ years of experience designing custom or first-of-kind electromechanical systems
Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals including mechanism design, material selection, tolerance analysis (GD&T), and DFMEA
Hands-on failure analysis experience - able to identify root cause, run structured debugging, and drive design improvements
Experience working directly with vendors or contract manufacturers in a product development and manufacturing environment
Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally across operations, software, and product design teams
Demonstrated history of increasing technical scope and leadership across roles
Ability to travel internationally up to 25% to support station validation and factory integration
Apple 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 applicant .
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