Haptics Product Design Engineer
Summary
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
- Generate new intellectual property
- 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
- Project experience in consumer electronics products design
- 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