The posting
Summary
At Apple, new ideas can quickly transform into amazing products, services, and customer experiences. Sound is an essential facet of that experience, and we are committed to making a difference through innovative electronic design. Our team owns the electronics inside small form-factor audio products — pushing the boundaries of physical architecture, wireless and silicon technologies.
The AirPods System Integration team turns these ambitions into shipping hardware. We are looking for a technical leader who holds the bar high — someone with a sharp eye for design detail, high standards for their own work, and the influence to bring the whole team up with them.
If you love building things, raising the quality of every design that ships, and working on products that millions of people wear every day, come help lead the next generation of AirPods!
Description
You will set the technical direction for system electrical engineering on an AirPods program — anchoring architecture decisions, raising the bar on how the team designs and validates hardware, and making sure the toughest calls get made with rigor. You will be a force multiplier for the engineers around you — unblocking, enabling, and elevating their work and a trusted voice across engineering, manufacturing, and leadership.
Responsibilities
Lead the electrical architecture of an AirPods program — anchoring partitioning, power, wireless, and silicon integration decisions from concept through mass production
Raise the technical bar through rigorous design and validation reviews, high personal standards, and by codifying best practices the team can reuse
Mentor and technically guide a team of EEs — unblock hard problems, grow depth across the group, and hold the design-review bar
Own the challenging technical calls end-to-end — drive cross-functional trade-offs across silicon, RF, power, audio, sensor, mechanical, software, and manufacturing to a durable outcome
Lead top-issue and failure-analysis reviews; drive root cause across silicon, RF, power, and mechanical domains, land fixes that hold up in high-volume production, and introduce processes and tools that outlive any single product
Drive the technical rhythm of the program — top issues, risk tracking, and weekly status and escalation to engineering leadership and executives
Represent the electrical system to silicon partners and contract manufacturers; build alignment on strategy, escalations, and hard calls
Travel occasionally including internationally — to support builds and manufacturing activities.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, or equivalent directly-related work experience
8+ years of relevant industry experience designing electronic and/or embedded systems
Deep electrical engineering fundamentals across analog, digital, power, and signal integrity, with a track record of leading complex system decisions to closure
Experience in shipping at least one high-volume consumer product end-to-end, from architecture through mass production, including working with contract manufacturers
Demonstrated hands-on lab and debug experience across the full product lifecycle
Preferred Qualifications
Track record of shaping how a team operates — the tools, workflows, and frameworks that focus effort on what matters most and divide work efficiently across engineers
Ability to turn high-level direction into concrete plans and deliverables — and take other engineers along on that journey
Ability to evaluate emerging technologies — silicon roadmaps, wireless standards, sensing, materials — and assess how they will shape future generations of AirPods
Comfortable making measured decisions in ambiguity with incomplete data — and a track record of decisions that held up
Excellent communication and executive presence — the ability to explain complex electrical trade-offs to non-EE audiences and land decisions across engineering, operations, and leadership
Pay & Benefits
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, and 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.
EEO Statement
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
Accessibility
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
Application Deadline
Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.
