Engineering Program Manager- SoftGoods

Apple • Cupertino, CA

1d

About The Position

Apple is seeking an enthusiastic, highly motivated engineering project manager with a proven consumer product development track record to work cross-functionally with the SoftGoods Product Design Team. The role drives day-to-day activities toward program objectives involving mechanical design, development, and engineering validation.

The Engineering Program Manager builds and maintains project schedules, assesses and mitigates risk, leads cross-functional teams, and communicates development and schedule status to senior management. The role crafts and monitors a streamlined development plan, manages the critical path, drives timely issue resolution, leads meetings, documents and follows up on action items, and facilitates technical problem-solving and decision-making.

The position coordinates with Product Design, Industrial Design, Operations, Reliability, and other key teams, and works closely with manufacturing suppliers and OEM partners. It requires up to 20% international travel to support manufacturing builds in Asia. Apple’s SoftGoods Engineering team works with textiles, silicone, soft polymers, and magnets to develop products and product categories, in a collaborative, customized lab environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent.
• Project management experience related to developing computer accessories or other consumer products.
• Experience working closely with product design and other cross-functional teams to resolve technical issues and communicate risk.
• Experience creating schedules, managing program finances, and tracking budgets.
• Experience fostering relationships with manufacturing suppliers and coordinating development builds.
• Analytical approach, professional assertiveness, and excellent attention to detail.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and executive-level presentation skills.
• Deep curiosity about new ideas.

Nice To Haves

• Experience as a practicing mechanical engineer or in a related product development role before becoming a project manager.
• Experience working with industrial designers or similarly creative product developers.
• Prior experience working with soft-goods materials and processes, such as synthetics and textiles.
• Prior experience traveling internationally to work closely with manufacturing suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Drive day-to-day activities to meet program objectives for mechanical design, development, and engineering validation.
• Build and maintain project schedules, assess and mitigate risk, and lead cross-functional teams.
• Craft and monitor a streamlined development plan, manage the critical path, and drive timely issue resolution.
• Lead team meetings, document action items, and drive follow-up.
• Communicate development and schedule status to senior management.
• Coordinate with Product Design, Industrial Design, Operations, Reliability, and other cross-functional teams.
• Understand technical issues and drive them to closure by bringing together partners and facilitating problem-solving and decision-making.
• Build relationships across teams and work closely with manufacturing suppliers and OEM partners.
• Support manufacturing builds in Asia through international travel, up to 20%.

What This Job Offers

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