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Manufacturing Design Engineer - iPhone

Apple· Operations and Supply Chain
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Hybrid (Austin, TX; Cupertino, CA; Sunnyvale, CA)Full-timePosted 1w ago

About the role

Apple iPhone Manufacturing Design Engineer (MDE) drives development of key mechanical manufacturing processes across Apple’s worldwide supply base, collaborating with Industrial Design, Product Design, and suppliers to advance automation, fixtures, and modular designs for mass production.

Responsibilities

  • Drive automation and fixture design activities (including machine design, vision, controls, and component fixturing) for key manufacturing processes in the enclosure and module spaces.
  • Innovate on assembly fixture designs through brainstorming and CAD conceptualization to drive down costs and improve part yields.
  • Work with engineering teams to identify automation needs and opportunities, provide design for automation feedback, conceptualize required automation and modular fixtures, assess design/schedule risk, provide new technology capability analysis, negotiate deliverables, and create proof of concept where necessary.
  • Work with integrators to drive detailed design reviews, iterate on new fixture concepts, execute proof of concept, maintain and resolve issues lists, implement data logging and traceability requirements, review control logic and programming, and define qualification requirements for FAT/SAT.
  • Develop modular designs for component fixturing to ensure fixtures can be reused year over year, maximizing capital equipment reuse.
  • - Drive cutting-edge research and development activities both in-house and with industry partners to deliver step-change improvements to process capability.
  • - Design precision fixtures for advanced automation stations (laser welding, precision dispensing, insert molding, and automated adhesive/masking tape application).
  • - Maintain deep knowledge of equipment capabilities and leverage new technologies to enable improved capabilities.
  • - Consistent overseas and occasional domestic travel required, on a quarterly basis.

Qualifications

  • 5+ years of experience working on automation, robotics applications, and fixture design for mass production applications
  • Machine and fixture design expertise
  • Experience designing, deploying, qualifying, supporting, and project managing automated manufacturing process lines with machine vision, motion control, sensors, and related components
  • Extensive experience using CAD to design mechanical components, complex assemblies, and precision fixtures, and create engineering drawings using GD&T
  • BS/MS in engineering (mechanical, manufacturing, automation, mechatronics, robotics, or equivalent)
  • 25% domestic and international travel required
  • Ability to reconcile DFM feedback with design goals, mitigate risk, drive root cause/corrective action and DOE with data analysis using statistical methods (process capability, correlation, GR&R) and tools (e.g., JMP, Matlab)
  • Ability to work independently on demanding, concurrent projects with creative solutions
  • Expertise in vision-guided assembly, precision dispense, and laser welding in mass production
  • Experience designing scalable, modular fixtures reusable across product generations
  • Expertise with six-axis industrial robots (Fanuc, ABB, etc.) and PLCs/IPCs (Mitsubishi, Beckhoff, Siemens, etc.) and related programming
  • Expertise with motion control, machine vision components, and sensors
  • Experience working overseas with international supply chains and contract manufacturers
  • Fluent spoken and written English; Mandarin Chinese a plus

Skills

Required:Automation and fixture designMachine vision and sensorsCAD and GD&TRobotics (Fanuc/ABB)Motion control and PLCs

Benefits

  • Apple benefits are described in the job posting and related materials.
Last updated Oct 16, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Apple

Discover the innovative world of Apple and shop everything iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and Apple TV, plus explore accessories, entertainment, and expert device support.

Discover the innovative world of Apple and shop everything iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and Apple TV, plus explore accessories, entertainment, and expert device support.

AirPods Max 2Apple ArcadeApple CardApple Fitness+Apple MusicApple TVApple TV+Apple Watch Series 11
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