Sr. Optical Safety Engineer

Apple•Cupertino, CA

About The Position

Apple’s Product Safety Engineering group within Product Integrity ensures products meet global safety standards while supporting product innovation. The Sr. Optical Safety Engineer will serve as the Directly Responsible Individual for laser and LED product safety, owning safety strategy for optical systems across consumer and professional product lines from early design review through certification and mass production. The role covers optical systems including lasers, LEDs, structured light, time-of-flight sensors, and fiber-optic communication components. The engineer will lead compliance with IEC 60825-1, IEC 60825-2, and IEC 62471; conduct and oversee optical hazard analysis; drive certification; and manage technical relationships with external test laboratories and certification bodies. The role applies methods such as FMEA, Fault Tree Analysis, and Design of Experiments to characterize risk, resolve root causes, and prevent recurrence across product families. The engineer will communicate optical safety requirements to non-specialists, prepare reports for global regulatory authorities, and present findings and recommendations to engineering and executive audiences. They will also work with suppliers and contract manufacturers to ensure optical safety requirements are implemented and maintained through production. Experience with ICT product certification frameworks, especially where optical subsystems interface with server or communications infrastructure, is an advantage.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Physics, Optical Physics, Electro-Optics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field.
2 to 8 years of directly relevant experience in optical safety or photonics engineering.
At least 2 years of hands-on experience characterizing optical and optoelectronic devices, including laser sources, LEDs, photodetectors, and fiber-optic components.
Experience performing optical hazard analysis, accessible emission limit calculations, and optical power or irradiance measurements.
Experience conducting FMEA and Fault Tree Analysis in a product-safety context.
Experience managing technical relationships with external test labs, vendors, and certification bodies to develop and qualify product designs.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex optical safety requirements into clear guidance and write technical reports for regulatory bodies.
Strong cross-functional collaboration skills and comfort working with hardware engineering, legal, regulatory affairs, and operations teams with competing priorities.
Ability to work independently while contributing reliably as part of a team.
Organization and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams accurately.
Confidence presenting technical findings and recommendations to engineering and executive audiences.

Nice To Haves

PhD in Physics, Optical Physics, Electro-Optics, or Electrical Engineering, with new-graduate to 1 year of industry experience, or a PhD with 2 to 4 years of industry experience in optical safety, laser systems, or related photonics applications.
Working knowledge of IEC 60825-1, IEC 62741, and IEC 60825-2, and ability to apply these standards to product architectures without supervision.
Familiarity with ICT product certification frameworks, including IEC 62368-1, the CB Scheme, FCC Part 15/18, and CISPR 32/35, particularly as they intersect with optical safety in data center or server products.
Proficiency with data analysis, optical modeling, and automation tools such as MATLAB, Python, COMSOL, or Zemax.
Experience with manufacturing process audits and supplier quality for photonic or electro-optic assemblies.
Familiarity with IEC TR 60825-14 or IEC 60825-12.

Responsibilities

Serve as the Directly Responsible Individual and authoritative voice for laser and LED product safety.
Own optical safety strategy across Apple consumer and professional product lines, from early-stage design review through certification and mass production.
Embed optical safety requirements throughout the product lifecycle in collaboration with hardware, optical, firmware, regulatory, and operations engineers.
Lead compliance efforts for IEC 60825-1, IEC 60825-2, and IEC 62471.
Conduct and oversee optical hazard analysis, accessible emission limit calculations, and optical measurements.
Drive product certification and manage technical relationships with external test laboratories and certification bodies.
Apply FMEA, Fault Tree Analysis, and Design of Experiments to characterize risk, resolve root causes, and prevent recurrence across product families.
Communicate optical safety requirements to non-specialists and prepare technical reports for global regulatory authorities.
Present technical findings and recommendations to engineering and executive audiences.
Work with suppliers and contract manufacturers to ensure optical safety requirements are implemented and sustained through production.