Data Center Hardware Engineering - Hardware System Integration Engineer

Apple • Sunnyvale, CA

23h

About The Position

At Apple, we push the boundaries of what"s possible — and nowhere is that more evident than in the infrastructure that powers our most ambitious technologies. The Data Center Hardware Engineering Team designs and delivers the high-performance compute solutions that underpin Apple"s services and products at scale. From custom silicon to full-system integration, our work ensures that Apple"s global infrastructure is fast, efficient, and built to last. Every system we ship reflects our relentless commitment to engineering excellence and our belief that great hardware is the foundation of great experiences. The Hardware System Integration team sits at the heart of this mission, owning the design and realization of customized compute platforms from concept to mass production. We"re looking for a Hardware System Integration Engineer who thrives in a highly collaborative environment, enjoys working across disciplines, and is energized by the challenge of bringing cutting-edge hardware to life. As a Hardware System Integration Engineer, you will own the end-to-end hardware engineering lifecycle for high-performance compute designs — from initial specification and schematic capture through board bring-up, validation, and factory build support. You will serve as a critical cross-functional partner to mechanical, power, software, firmware, silicon, and reliability teams, ensuring design requirements are met with precision and at scale. This role demands both deep technical expertise and strong communication skills to drive alignment across a broad set of stakeholders.

Requirements

• Bachelor"s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or equivalent work experience
• 12+ years of relevant industry work experience in hardware or systems engineering
• Working knowledge of common digital communication interfaces and signal integrity fundamentals
• Broad circuit design experience across multiple domains: power, digital, analog, high-speed communications, and/or programmable logic
• Experience with PCB bring-up and characterization using standard EE lab equipment (soldering, DMM, oscilloscope, logic analyzer, spectrum analyzer)
• Demonstrated ability to debug complex hardware issues from the system level down to the circuit/transistor level
• Understanding of server control plane and data plane architectures
• Outstanding written, verbal, and visual communication skills, with experience producing functional specs, integration procedures, and technical documentation

Nice To Haves

• High-speed PCB design experience with 10+ layer boards, including PCB material selection and stackup definition
• Proficiency with schematic entry and high-speed PCB layout constraint management using Cadence tools or equivalent
• Hands-on experience with high-speed serial protocols (PCIe, 100-GbE, USB3/USB4) and common low-speed digital interfaces (I2C/SMBus, SPI, JTAG), including compliance testing and protocol analyzer debug
• Experience with Design for Test (DFT) methodologies including ICT, FCT, and DFU test architectures
• Experience developing factory test tools, data parsers, or test automation frameworks (Python, MATLAB, or similar)
• Knowledge of EMC/EMI design principles including grounding and shielding strategies
• Familiarity with computer architecture concepts and hardware design tradeoffs
• Master"s degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering

Responsibilities

• Lead hardware system design and schematic capture for high-performance compute platforms, including board layout guidance and design constraint management
• Engage early in architecture and design reviews to define test strategies, test points, and DFT requirements for ICT, FCT, and DFU
• Perform signal integrity simulation, board bring-up, and hands-on debug from system-level down to the transistor level
• Develop and maintain functional specifications, validation procedures, and integration documentation for complex system designs
• Execute validation of high-speed digital interfaces (PCIe, Ethernet, USB, DDR, and others) including compliance testing and protocol analysis
• Partner cross-functionally with mechanical, firmware, software, silicon, and reliability teams to balance design tradeoffs and meet program requirements
• Support factory builds and sustaining engineering activities through mass production
• Drive issues to root cause through systematic debugging using EE lab equipment (oscilloscope, logic analyzer, spectrum analyzer, DMM)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior