AR/VR Optical Validation Lead

Apple; United States; On-site; USD 185,000 - 325,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock programs

RSU awards

Employee stock purchase plan

Medical and dental coverage

Retirement benefits

Discounted products and services

Tuition reimbursement

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Apple is seeking an optical engineer in the San Francisco Bay Area to translate next-generation display technologies into reality. You will own end-to-end optical models and validate that simulation results predict real-world performance, bridging design, testing, and manufacturing.

You will develop and validate optical simulation capabilities, define experiments, perform failure mode analysis, and communicate findings to cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• BS in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering or Physics with 10+ years of relevant experience.
• Established track record correlating optical simulations with measured hardware performance.
• Proficiency with one or more optical simulation tools (LightTools, FDTD, Zemax, Code V, etc).
• Hands-on experience in optical design/metrology, display technologies, optical sensors, thin-film processes, or nanofabrication.
• Working knowledge of optical measurement systems including light sources, microscopes, spectrometers, detectors, and free-space optics.
• Statistical data analysis capabilities using tools such as JMP, Matlab, Python, etc.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end design validation for next-generation optical display components.
• Own the development and validation of optical simulation capabilities and closing the simulation-measurement feedback loop using real build data.
• Define characterization pipelines, build plans, and data architecture to establish a rigorous design-to-performance validation, ensuring results are systematically captured and translated cross-functionally into actionable insights.
• Define critical performance metrics and develop specifications to guarantee component performance in high-volume manufacturing builds.
• Drive failure mode analysis and root-cause diagnosis across optical components to support build critical issues, translating learnings into improved predictive simulation capability.
• Analyze results, produce comprehensive reports, and communicate findings to cross-functional teams spanning product design, manufacturing, and integration.

Skills

Optical data analysis

Cross-functional leadership

Presentation skills

Python

Education

BS in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics

Master's or PhD in Optical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics

Tools

LightTools

FDTD

Zemax

Code V

Job description

Apple is seeking an optical engineer in the San Francisco Bay Area to translate next-generation display technologies into reality. You will own end-to-end optical models and validate that simulation results predict real-world performance, bridging design, testing, and manufacturing.

You will develop and validate optical simulation capabilities, define experiments, perform failure mode analysis, and communicate findings to cross-functional teams.