Haptics Product Design Engineer

Apple Inc.; San Diego (CA); Hybrid; USD 175,000 - 309,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical and dental cover

Retirement benefits

Discounted products and free services

Tuition reimbursement

Discretionary bonuses or commissions

Relocation

Job summary

Apple Inc. is seeking a Product Design / Mechanical Design Engineer to design, develop, and validate next-generation haptic actuators and experiences. You will own end-to-end mechanical design from concept to production and work with cross-functional teams and external vendors.

You will lead design reviews, push for manufacturability, and contribute to magnetic circuit design while exploring novel haptic solutions for Apple’s products. This role involves international travel (<10%).

Qualifications

• BS and a minimum of 10 years relevant industry experience.
• Experience with 3D CAD and mechanical design.
• Strong fundamentals in mechanics and magnetism.
• Experience with magnetic measurement and characterization.

Responsibilities

• Design and define mechanical components and assembly schemes.
• Prototype, evaluate, and debug ideas for haptic actuators.
• Characterize magnetic materials and magnets; BH-loop and flux measurement.
• Analyze static and dynamic structures via simulation and experiments.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to meet functional and aesthetic goals.
• Design for manufacturability and lead design reviews.

Skills

3D CAD

Mechanics & magnetism

Magnetic measurement

DOE (Design of Experiments)

FEA tools

Electrical circuits knowledge

Communication skills

Education

BS in Mechanical Engineering

MS in Mechanical Engineering

PhD in related field

Tools

JMP

MATLAB

Mathematica

Excel

Job description

The Haptic Engineering team develops innovative haptic solutions that are central to Apple’s products, including the iPhone and Apple Watch! Our key goal is to enable the world’s best user‑experience and explore the possibilities using haptics. We are a highly multi‑functional team working in a hands‑on environment that values creativity, engineering excellence, and passion for innovation. New challenges arise every single day that require the sharp analytical skills of versatile and forward‑thinking individuals. We are seeking a Product Design / Mechanical Design Engineer to design, develop, and validate next‑generation haptic actuators and experiences. Imagine what you could do at Apple! Are you ready to help us deliver the next groundbreaking Apple products?

Description

You will have end‑to‑end responsibility for the mechanical design and integration of a haptic actuator from concept to production, with a path to owning the magnetic design and actuator architecture as you grow in the role. You will be expected to work with a variety of cross functional teams and vendors to accomplish this.

Responsibilities

• Design and define mechanical components and assembly schemes
• Brainstorm concepts and solutions to haptic related challenges
• Prototype, evaluate, and debug innovative ideas
• Contribute to haptic engine architecture from magnetic first principles, including magnetic circuit, flux path, and force‑profile design
• Characterize magnetic materials and magnets: BH-loop and flux measurement, thermal demagnetization, and loss benchmarked against design targets
• Analyze static and dynamic structures to quantify fundamental device performance through simulation and experiments
• Define actuator performance targets jointly with perception scientists
• Validate and characterize designs through multiple iterations
• Participate in the development of new manufacturing and assembly processes with external vendors
• Conduct failure analysis and design of experiments (DOEs) to resolve root cause and implement corrective actions
• Collaborate with Industrial Design and system engineering groups to determine and achieve both functional and aesthetic goals
• Design for manufacturability with Process, Manufacturing Design, Technical Operations, and other cross‑functional teams
• Lead design reviews and design documentation releases
• Periodic international travel based on project needs (< 10%)

Minimum Qualifications

• BS and a minimum of 10 years relevant industry experience
• Experience with 3D CAD
• Strong fundamentals in mechanics and magnetism
• Working expertise of magnetic measurement and characterization, grade selection, and thermal demagnetization
• Skilled at problem‑solving, using tools like the scientific method, root cause analysis, and DOE creation (Design of Experiments)
• Proficient with mechanical or electromagnetic FEA tools
• Applied knowledge of electrical circuits, material science, and basic chemistry
• Team oriented with excellent written and verbal communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• BS and the equivalent of a minimum of 10 years relevant industry experience; or MS and the equivalent of 5 years relevant industry experience; or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or Materials Science with a concentration in magnetics, electromagnetics, transducers, or mechatronics
• Design and/or research experience with haptic technologies
• Experience designing to perceptual or psychophysical targets
• Experience in the design and application of electromagnets and actuators
• Expert knowledge of electro‑mechanics and dynamics
• Fluency with ML- and optimization‑driven design exploration
• Proficiency with data analysis tools (JMP, MATLAB, Mathematica, Excel, etc)
• High volume mass production experience (DFM)
• Experience with 2D drafting, GD&T, and tolerance analysis

At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $175,000 and $308,500, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple’s discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You’ll also receive benefits including:

• Comprehensive medical and dental coverage
• retirement benefits
• range of discounted products and free services
• reimbursement for certain educational expenses - including tuition
• discretionary bonuses or commission payments
• relocation

Learn more about Apple Benefits

Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.

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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Learn about reasonable accommodations for job applicants

Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.