Manufacturing Optimization Engineer

Apple Inc.; Chennai District; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple Inc. in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India is seeking Manufacturing Optimization Engineers to lead continuous improvement programs across contract manufacturing partners.

MOEs drive safety, quality, productivity and cost improvements by embedding lean practices and coordinating with supplier operations, quality, industrial engineering, and product design teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial or Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of manufacturing or engineering experience.
• Familiarity with CI tools and methodologies.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% domestically & internationally.
• Fluency in English; Mandarin a plus for cross-regional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Target setting & planning to drive operational excellence across CM partner factories in India.
• Lead cross-functional teams to implement and monitor continuous improvement projects at CM factories.
• Track and report project performance; present status to Apple leadership teams.
• Sustain improvements: analyze equipment, line balancing, WIP, and shop-floor management.
• Develop lean strategy for major vendors and conduct Value Stream Mapping to drive systemic improvement.
• Coordinate with supplier partners and internal Apple departments to overcome barriers.
• Share best practices across the network and extend learnings to other factories.
• Design and evaluate digital manufacturing models and factory layouts; develop plant control systems.

Skills

Project management

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt)

Communication skills

English proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in Industrial/Mechanical Engineering or related field

Tools

FlexSim

Plant Simulation

Siemens Jack / Process Simulate Human

Factory CAD

Autodesk Factory Design Suite

VisMockup

Job description

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India Operations and Supply Chain

Apple is where individual imaginations gather together, committing to the values that lead to great work. Every new product we build, service we create, or Apple Store experience we deliver is the result of us making each other’s ideas stronger. That happens because every one of us shares a belief that we can make something wonderful and share it with the world, changing lives for the better. It’s the diversity of our people and their thinking that inspires the innovation that runs through everything we do. When we bring everybody in, we can do the best work of our lives. Here, you’ll do more than join something — you’ll add something.

Description

Manufacturing Optimization Engineers (MOEs) own the continuous improvement strategy and operational excellence initiatives at Apple’s contract manufacturing (CM) partner factories in India. MOEs are responsible for driving breakthrough performance across safety, quality, productivity and cost by leading lean transformation programs and embedding best-in-class manufacturing practices. MOEs sit at the intersection of Apple’s engineering and operations communities, working cross-functionally to assess current-state performance, develop future-state visions and execute scalable improvement plans. They work in concert with supplier operations, quality and industrial engineering teams, as well as Apple's Product Design and Manufacturing Design organizations. Together, these teams implement and sustain new and existing manufacturing processes, workflows, materials and technologies across Apple's supply base in India.

Responsibilities

• Target Setting & Planning - collaborate cross-functionally to assess the current state of the plant’s operations and assist in continuous improvement target setting, develop future state vision and implementation plans to drive operational excellence across CM partner factories in India.
• Project Implementation - work as a site DRI to implement and monitor continuous improvement
• projects at CM factories. Facilitate cross-functional expert teams to drive breakthrough or best-in-class performance in equipment, people, quality, material flow, and cost.
• Project Tracking & Reporting - use standard tracking and reporting systems to drive project performance and ensure timely completion of process, quality and cost-saving goals. Prepare and present status reports, key issues, and mitigation plans to Apple leadership teams.
• Sustaining Improvement - perform analysis on equipment and workforce utilization, line balancing, WIP levels, and shop floor management for maximum efficiency and operational excellence. Lead sustainability index improvement projects to conserve natural resources and reduce operational waste.
• Strategic Program - form a Lean strategy for selected major vendors and lead programs of benchmarking and Value Stream Mapping (VSM) to drive systemic improvement across projects and vendors. Study critical areas impacting productivity and yield such as man-machine coordination, robot efficiency, and container design.
• Supplier Coordination - act as liaison between supplier and internal Apple departments, identifying barriers to project success and soliciting support from cross-functional champions when needed. Manage identification, development, and engagement of existing and new/developing supplier partners.
• Best Practice Sharing - coordinate multiple improvement projects simultaneously, identify and drive implementation of model Lean lines/cells, and extend learnings to other suppliers and factories across the network.
• Digital Manufacturing - build and evaluate discrete-event simulation models. Design factory layouts using CAD/CAM and 3D factory modeling tools. Develop plant control systems. Perform ergonomic studies and recommend improvements.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or above in Industrial, Mechanical Engineering or a related field
• 5+ years of manufacturing or engineering experience
• Familiarity with Continuous Improvement (CI) tools and methodologies
• Familiarity with time study methodologies such as MOST, MTM and MODAPTS
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally & domestically up to 50%

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in Lean Manufacturing and Lean Six Sigma (Green Belt or Black Belt)
• Knowledge of AI/ML applications in manufacturing environments
• Experience with Design for Assembly (DFA) / Design for Manufacturing (DFM) methodologies
• Experience with discrete-event simulation tools such as FlexSim or Plant Simulation
• Experience with ergonomic simulation tools such as Siemens Jack / Process Simulate Human
• Proficiency in factory layout tools such as Factory CAD, Autodesk Factory Design Suite, or VisMockup
• Strong project management skills with ability to drive multiple concurrent initiatives
• Hands-on experience in any of the following: mechanical engineering, manufacturing practices/techniques involving CNC machined parts, sheet metal, enclosures, jigs, tooling, fixtures, injection molding, vacuum forming, plastic parts, ceramics, or similar
• Experience working with OEMs and Contract Manufacturers
• Strong communication skills; fluent in English (Mandarin proficiency is a plus for cross-regional collaboration)
• Strong project management skills with ability to drive multiple concurrent initiatives

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