Operations Test Engineer

Apple•Cupertino, CA

About The Position

Apple’s Operations Test Engineering team is seeking an engineer with strong technical and interpersonal skills focused on manufacturing test solutions. The role works closely with Hardware, Operations, and Business teams and provides early and ongoing manufacturing input to ensure products can be tested logically and cost-effectively. The engineer works across the product life cycle, from concept through production, providing production support for technically complex test methods, procedures, and failure analysis. The role develops and optimizes test processes and solutions to improve product quality and operational efficiency, and uses statistical methods to verify that processes and fixtures are scalable and continue to perform as qualified. The position also plans and implements testing and evaluation procedures for upcoming products, analyzes test data, and recommends changes to tests or tester designs. The engineer drives failure analysis and machine issue resolution with tester suppliers and contract manufacturers, provides technical direction and mentorship to vendors and automation suppliers, and presents weekly program status updates to the executive team.

Requirements

At least 3 years of work experience in one or more of assembly, inspection, test station design, test development, maintenance, or automation equipment.
Bachelor’s or master’s degree in mechanical, electrical, or a similar engineering discipline.
Experience working with cross-functional teams, such as hardware design, system teams, capital equipment, quality, and process engineering.
Knowledge of tester qualification requirements, including calibration, correlation, capability, repeatability and reproducibility, design of experiments, and failure analysis.
Ability to communicate effectively in a worldwide environment.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of acoustic technologies.

Responsibilities

Provide early and ongoing manufacturing input to ensure new products are tested logically and cost-effectively.
Incorporate FMEA and product design targets using the Engineering Requirements Specification (ERS).
Work across all phases of product development, from concept through production.
Provide production support for technically complex test methods, procedures, and failure analysis.
Lead optimization of test solutions to improve quality and operational efficiency in production.
Design and develop test processes to improve quality and efficiency.
Use statistical tools, including GR&R, SPC, and Cp/Cpk, to assess process and fixture scalability and performance after qualification.
Plan, develop, and implement procedures for testing and evaluating products approaching release.
Specify tests, compile data, and recommend test or tester design changes, including through Design of Experiments (DOE).
Improve product quality and cost by closing test gaps and resolving correlation issues across the supply chain.
Develop new or improved processes through theoretical and practical engineering.
Keep abreast of relevant technical trends and developments and incorporate them into assignments.
Provide direction and mentorship to third-party vendors, automation suppliers, and/or contract manufacturers.
Act as technical leader and driver for owned projects and provide technical resources to other engineering groups and project leaders.
Drive failure analysis and machine issue resolution with tester suppliers and contract manufacturers.
Prepare and present concise weekly test engineering program status updates to the executive team.
Understand and plan development builds and mass production with factories worldwide.