Coating Materials Engineer: Innovative Polymer Surfaces

Apple Inc.; Cupertino (CA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 278,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Employee stock purchase plan

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Apple Inc. in Cupertino, CA is seeking a Materials Engineer to identify and develop coating materials for Apple hardware products. You will collaborate with design teams, suppliers, and manufacturing to meet cosmetic and environmental goals, while managing multiple projects with high attention to detail.

The role requires strong materials fundamentals, experience in polymer coating chemistries, and the ability to travel internationally 25–35% to supplier factories and partner sites.

Qualifications

• MS in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Engineering, plus 3+ years in coating industry
• Strong materials fundamentals in polymer material properties
• Experience in polymer coating chemistries and application processes
• Knowledge of paint materials and design for manufacturing in terms of geometry and cosmetic quality
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to use statistical tools and techniques
• Demonstrated ability to independently drive multiple projects with high attention to details, setting priorities and deliver results
• Ability to travel within China and Internationally within Asia 25%-35%

Responsibilities

• Establish relationships with world class coating material suppliers to learn about emerging technologies and collaborate on the development of new coating materials to meet Apple’s product roadmap needs
• Lead the development of new painted products, processes and quality specifications to meet a wide range of product applications of different finishes and cosmetic requirements
• Collaborate with product design and industrial design groups on material selection, design feasibility and aesthetics of new painted part designs
• Serve as Apple’s internal coatings expert by leveraging thorough understanding of properties of coating materials, application processes and performance criteria of coated substrates
• Support failure analysis and provide design direction based on evaluation of test data and failure root cause understanding
• Develop new characterization methods to better predict the performance of coatings in end-use applications
• Proficient with the use of statistical tools, Design For Manufacturing, JMP and Six Sigma techniques and visit factories to fully understand their capabilities, quality requirements and resolve difficult issues
• Create material specifications for coating materials and collaborate with suppliers and manufacturing engineers to implement OQC process on new materials and applications
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining high cosmetic & reliability standards with fast-paced testing timelines

Job description

Apple Inc. in Cupertino, CA is seeking a Materials Engineer to identify and develop coating materials for Apple hardware products. You will collaborate with design teams, suppliers, and manufacturing to meet cosmetic and environmental goals, while managing multiple projects with high attention to detail.

The role requires strong materials fundamentals, experience in polymer coating chemistries, and the ability to travel internationally 25–35% to supplier factories and partner sites.