Mechanical Systems Design Engineer

Socket.dev; Cupertino (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple's Instrumentation PD group is seeking a Mechanical Systems Design Engineer to contribute to the development of novel automated calibration and metrology systems—from concept through global manufacturing deployment.

You'll work at the intersection of physics, precision engineering, and real-world production, collaborating with operations, software, and design teams to deliver reliable, high-quality test equipment for Apple products used by hundreds of millions of people.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechatronics, or equivalent.
• 1+ years of mechanical design experience with complex electromechanical systems.
• Strong fundamentals including mechanism design, material selection, tolerance analysis (GD&T), and DFMEA.
• Hands-on failure analysis experience — able to identify root cause and drive design improvements.
• Experience working with vendors or contract manufacturers in a product development and manufacturing environment.
• Ability to work cross-functionally across operations, software, and product design teams.
• Ability to travel internationally up to 25% to support station validation and factory integration.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to full lifecycle of automated metrology systems—from concept through global deployment.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including operations, software, and design.
• Design mechanical solutions for high-precision calibration and metrology in manufacturing.

Skills

GD&T

DFMEA

Root cause analysis

Vendor management

Cross-functional collaboration

International travel

Education

Bachelor's degree (Mechanical, Aerospace or Mechatronics)

Tools

UG NX

ANSYS

Job description

The Instrumentation PD group at Apple designs and develops the test equipment and fixtures that ensure Apple's most iconic products meet the highest quality standards. We're looking for a Mechanical Systems Design Engineer to contribute to the development of novel automated calibration and metrology systems - from early concept through global manufacturing deployment. If you're a creative problem-solver who thrives at the intersection of complex physics, precision engineering, and real-world manufacturing, we want to hear from you.

Description

The Instrumentation PD team sits at the heart of Apple's global manufacturing operations, owning the test equipment and fixtures used to validate product technologies including cameras, health sensing, acoustics, and display. In this role, you'll contribute to the full lifecycle of automated metrology systems — working alongside senior engineers, product designers, operations, software teams, and global system integrators. You'll grow your technical depth across multiple engineering domains while directly influencing the quality of products used by hundreds of millions of people.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechatronics, or equivalent
• 1+ years of experience in mechanical design with a focus on complex electromechanical systems
• Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals including mechanism design, material selection, tolerance analysis (GD&T), and DFMEA
• Hands-on failure analysis experience — able to identify root cause and drive design improvements
• Experience working with vendors or contract manufacturers in a product development and manufacturing environment
• Ability to work cross-functionally across operations, software, and product design teams
• Ability to travel internationally up to 25% to support station validation and factory integration

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in a relevant engineering field
• Experience with mass-produced electronics manufacturing equipment — structures, sheet metal, plastics, robotics, or automation
• Opto-mechanical or camera module design experience
• Proficiency with UG NX or equivalent CAD platform
• Experience with FEA stress analysis (ANSYS preferred)
• Familiarity with Apple's NPI process and manufacturing environments
• Experience developing or managing vendor ecosystems, particularly with global system integrators
• Experience in project or program management
• Written and verbal Mandarin language skills