Prototyping Engineer

Apple • Cupertino, CA

18h

About The Position

We are seeking a visionary Prototyping Engineer who operates at the bleeding edge of spatial computing, generative AI, and computational photography. In this role, you will not just build 3D environments; you will architect the simulated testing grounds for the next generation of Apple hardware. By blending the aesthetic sensibilities of visual effects and cinematography with modern AI-accelerated workflows, you will explore how emerging world models can redefine what a camera is capable of. Your work will directly inform hardware design, translating insights from high-fidelity simulations into concrete specifications for future sensors. You will tackle the defining challenges of embodied AI: making sense of chaotic physical environments, filtering noisy sensor data, and accurately interpreting user intent to create seamless, magical experiences. The ideal candidate possesses exceptional taste, deep technical rigor, and a relentless drive to accelerate their prototyping process using the latest AI development paradigms.

Requirements

• BS and a minimum of 3 years relevant industry experience.
• Demonstrated ability to accelerate software development and rapid prototyping by seamlessly integrating modern AI coding assistants and automation into your workflow.
• Deep understanding of optical physics and real-world camera characteristics (e.g., motion blur, sensor noise, optical geometry, lens distortion) to ensure synthetic data and simulations accurately mirror physical hardware.
• Strong foundation in real-time computer graphics and novel view synthesis.
• Refined aesthetic eye for lighting, composition, and cinematography.

Nice To Haves

• MS or PhD in Computer Science, AI/ML, Computer Graphics, HCI, or a related technical discipline, with substantial applied research or industry experience.
• Proven track record of designing robust systems that can interpret ambiguous user inputs and noisy sensor data within unpredictable, real-world conditions.
• Passion for the frontier of spatial intelligence, with experience leveraging, fine-tuning, or developing foundation models specifically tailored for multimodal sensor data (camera, microphone, IMU, etc.).
• Demonstrated ability to bridge the gap between software and hardware, translating software-driven insights and AI simulations into actionable physical camera specifications.
• Familiarity developing for the Apple ecosystem (Swift, Metal, RealityKit, visionOS).
• Hands-on experience with motion capture pipelines and the generation of high-quality synthetic 3D datasets for machine learning research.
• Comfortable navigating the ambiguity of an incubation environment, with a talent for communicating complex technical tradeoffs across design, software, and hardware teams.

Responsibilities

• Architect simulated testing grounds for the next generation of Apple hardware.
• Blend aesthetic sensibilities of visual effects and cinematography with modern AI-accelerated workflows.
• Explore how emerging world models can redefine camera capabilities.
• Inform hardware design by translating insights from high-fidelity simulations into concrete specifications for future sensors.
• Tackle challenges of embodied AI: making sense of physical environments, filtering noisy sensor data, and interpreting user intent.
• Accelerate prototyping process using the latest AI development paradigms.

What This Job Offers

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