Data Center Hardware Engineering - Hardware System Integration Engineer

Apple Inc.; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple Inc. Data Center Hardware Engineering team seeks a Hardware System Integration Engineer to own the end-to-end hardware lifecycle for high‑performance compute designs—from initial specification and schematic capture through board bring‑up, validation, and mass production.

You will partner cross‑functionally with mechanical, power, software, firmware, silicon, and reliability teams to ensure design requirements are met with precision at scale.

Qualifications

• Bachelors in EE or CE or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years hardware or systems engineering experience.
• Experience with high-speed interfaces and DDR memory.
• Circuit design across power, digital, analog, high-speed domains.
• Bring-up and debug of hardware with lab equipment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• 10+ layer high-speed PCB design experience.
• Cadence schematic entry and constraints proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Lead hardware system design and schematic capture for high-performance compute platforms.
• Perform signal integrity simulation, board bring-up, and debug from system to component level.
• Develop specs, validation procedures, and integration documentation.
• Validate high-speed interfaces (PCIe, Ethernet, USB, DDR) and perform tests.
• Collaborate with mechanical, firmware, software, silicon, and reliability teams.
• Lead factory build support and sustaining engineering through mass production.
• Root-cause analysis of complex hardware failures using EE lab tools.
• Apply DFM/DFT/DFA for scalable manufacturability.

Skills

I2C/SMBus

SPI

JTAG

USB

PCIe

Ethernet

DDR

High-speed PCB design

Schematic entry

Python scripting

Cadence tools

Education

Bachelors in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering

Master's degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering

Tools

Cadence tools

Job description

Data Center Hardware Engineering - Hardware System Integration Engineer

At Apple, we push the boundaries of what's possible and nowhere is that more evident than in the infrastructure that powers our most ambitious technologies. The Data Center Hardware Engineering Team designs and delivers the high-performance compute solutions that underpin Apple's services and products at scale. From custom silicon to full-system integration, our work ensures that Apple's global infrastructure is fast, efficient, and built to last. Every system we ship reflects our relentless commitment to engineering excellence and our belief that great hardware is the foundation of great experiences. The Hardware System Integration team is central to this mission, owning the design and realization of customized compute platforms from concept to mass production.

Description

As a Hardware System Integration Engineer, you will own the end-to-end hardware engineering lifecycle for high-performance compute designs — from initial specification and schematic capture through board bring-up, validation, and factory build support. You will serve as a critical cross-functional partner to mechanical, power, software, firmware, silicon, and reliability teams, ensuring design requirements are met with precision and at scale. We\'re looking for someone who thrives in a highly collaborative environment, enjoys working across disciplines, and is energized by the challenge of bringing cutting-edge hardware to life.

Responsibilities

• Lead hardware system design and schematic capture for high-performance compute platforms, including board layout guidance and design constraint management
• Perform signal integrity simulation, board bring-up, and hands-on debug from system level down to the component or circuit level
• Develop and maintain functional specifications, validation procedures, and integration documentation for complex system designs
• Execute validation of high-speed digital interfaces (PCIe, Ethernet, USB, DDR, and others) including compliance testing and protocol analysis
• Partner cross-functionally with mechanical, firmware, software, silicon, and reliability teams to balance design tradeoffs and meet program requirements
• Lead factory build support and sustaining engineering activities through mass production
• Drive systematic root cause analysis of complex hardware failures using standard EE lab instrumentation
• Apply DFM/DFT/DFA principles throughout the design cycle to ensure reliable, cost-effective manufacturability at scale

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor\'s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or equivalent work experience
• 7+ years of relevant industry work experience in hardware or systems engineering
• Deep expertise across common low-speed and high-speed digital interfaces: I2C/SMBus, SPI, JTAG, USB, PCIe, Ethernet (SGMII, RMII, QSFP), and DDR memory
• Circuit design experience across multiple domains: power, digital, analog, high-speed communications, and programmable logic
• Demonstrated ability to bring up, characterize, and debug complex hardware from the system level down to the circuit level using standard EE lab equipment (DMM, oscilloscope, logic analyzer, spectrum analyzer)
• Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills, with experience producing functional specs, integration procedures, and technical documentation
• High-speed PCB design experience with 10+ layer boards, including PCB material selection and stack-up definition
• Proficiency with schematic entry and high-speed PCB layout constraint management using Cadence tools or equivalent

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on PCIe, 100-GbE, USB3/USB4, or similar high-speed serial protocol experience, including compliance testing and protocol analyzer debug
• Familiarity with computer architecture concepts and hardware design tradeoffs
• Experience scripting in Python or similar languages for test automation, data analysis, or lab instrumentation control
• Experience engaging vendors and ODM/CM partners, including component vendors and reference design partners
• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering
• 12+ years of relevant industry work experience in hardware or systems engineering

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

At Apple, we believe accessibility is a fundamental human right. You’ll find that idea reflected in everything here — in our culture, our benefits and our digital tools. By welcoming as many perspectives as possible, we help you build a career where you feel like you belong.

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Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.