Senior Human Factors Engineer

Apple Inc.; Cupertino (CA); On-site; USD 184,700 - 324,800; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental coverage

Retirement benefits

Discounted products and services

Education reimbursement

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Apple Inc. is seeking a Senior Human Factors Engineer in Cupertino to lead experience definition for intelligent systems and emerging interaction paradigms. You will shape interactions by defining targets, guiding data strategies, and specifying requirements that bridge human needs with technical capabilities.

You will collaborate across product, design, engineering, and data leadership to align experiences with evidence and center people in product strategy and development.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Human Factors Engineering, Design Research, HCI, Cognitive Science, or related field.
• 7+ years of industry experience applying design research and human factors methods to new product development.
• Demonstrated ability to define product experiences end-to-end — from early concept through requirement specification.
• Strong expertise in at least two areas: design research methods, qualitative synthesis, interaction design for intelligent/adaptive systems, multimodal interaction, or Human-AI frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Define experience targets, interaction models, and success criteria for new product concepts, translating user needs, cognitive constraints, and behavioral insights into clear specs.
• Partner with product, design, engineering, and data leadership to shape product vision, influence technical tradeoffs, and ensure experiences are grounded in human-centered rationale
• Provide technical leadership across multiple project teams — mentoring engineers and researchers, representing human factors in system design reviews, developing scalable methods, and strategizing communication.

Skills

Human factors research methods

Qualitative research & synthesis

Interaction design for intelligent/adp

Multimodal interaction

Human-AI interaction

Education

MS or PhD in Human Factors Engineering or related field

Job description

Cupertino, California, United States Hardware

Apple is looking for a Senior Human Factors Engineer to lead experience definition for intelligent systems and emerging interaction paradigms. In this role, you will shape how people interact with our products by defining experience targets, establishing data strategies that inform design and engineering decisions, and specifying interaction requirements that bridge human needs with technical capabilities and product engineering. You will work at the intersection of human behavior science, systems thinking, and product strategy to ensure our experiences are grounded in evidence and centered on people.

Description

This team identifies human factors risks and proposes crucial research throughout all stages of product and technology development. By working closely with engineers and designers, we gain a deep understanding of design and interaction challenges. Through multi-functional collaboration, we define study objectives and develop tailored research plans to address them. Our work influences multidisciplinary engineering teams by delivering actionable insights that drive key decisions. We determine critical data attributes, conduct both qualitative and quantitative analyses, and translate findings into meaningful insights. To communicate impact, we visualize data and present clear, compelling recommendations to all collaborators.

Responsibilities

• Define experience targets, interaction models, and success criteria for new product concepts, translating user needs, cognitive constraints, and behavioral insights into clear specifications that guide engineering implementation.
• Partner with product, design, engineering, and data leadership to shape product vision, influence technical tradeoffs, and ensure experiences are grounded in human-centered rationale
• Provide technical leadership across multiple project teams — mentoring engineers and researchers, representing human factors in system design reviews, developing scalable methods that elevate the team’s ability to define experiences systematically, and strategize communication methods and means to influence project team and leadership decisions.

Minimum Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Human Factors Engineering, Design Research, Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive Science, or related field
• 7+ years of industry experience applying design research and/or human factors methods to new product development in technology
• Demonstrated ability to define product experiences end-to-end — from early concept through requirement specification
• Strong expertise in at least two of the following: Design research methods (contextual inquiry, diary studies, participatory design, ethnographic research, survey design), Qualitative research and synthesis for experience strategy, Interaction design for intelligent/adaptive systems, Multimodal interaction (voice, touch, gesture, gaze, spatial), or Human-AI interaction and automation/autonomy frameworks

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience conducting research with early stage prototypes
• Experience defining data requirements for ML/AI-driven user experiences
• Familiarity with privacy-preserving approaches to behavioral data collection
• Track record of shaping product direction at early stages (0-to-1 product definition)

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 $184,700 and $324,800, 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
• a range of discounted products and free services
• for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses — including tuition

Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as 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.

Learn about accessibility in Apple’s workplace

Learn about reasonable accommodations for job applicants

Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.