
Exploratory Design Scientist - Platform Architecture
Cupertino, CAJobSeen 2 days agoSeen in employer's feed 2 days ago
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Job overview
Apple’s Exploratory Design Labs seeks experienced device experts to develop technological concepts and prototypes for future consumer electronics. The role collaborates with domain experts across the R&D lifecycle, from theoretical device modeling through physical design, prototyping, and characterization. It focuses on understanding how optical devices interact with computational systems and leading subsystem design, modeling, and prototyping amid uncertainty and ambiguity.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Full job description
Role Number: 200693262-0836
Summary
Imagine what you could do here. At Apple, new insights have a way of becoming extraordinary products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish. Multifaceted, inquisitive people and inspiring, innovative technologies are the norm here. The people who work here have reinvented entire industries with all Apple Hardware products. The same passion for innovation that goes into our products also applies to our practices strengthening our dedication to leave the world better than we found it. Join us to help deliver the next groundbreaking Apple product. Do you love working on challenges that no one has solved yet? As a member of our dynamic group, you will have the outstanding and phenomenal opportunity to craft upcoming products that will delight and encourage millions of Apple’s customers every single day.
Apple’s Exploratory Design Labs (XDLabs) has openings for experienced device experts with broad knowledge of the experimental foundations of physical computing, to help develop technological concepts and prototypes that shape what the next generation products ought to have from a technology perspective. Working with a diverse cross-functional team, you will use your deep knowledge of device structure, physics and fabrication to lead a team to design, model and prototype subsystems that accelerate key aspects of future generations of consumer electronic devices. You must embrace uncertainty and ambiguity in outcomes, and still have the ability to push through and inspire team members to get to solutions.
Description
In this role, you will collaborate with domain experts to conceive, model, and evolve emerging concepts and devices for future Apple systems. Leveraging a broad foundation across electronics, optics, physics, and engineering, you will build a deep quantitative understanding of how optical devices interact with computational systems. You will play a key role in the full R&D lifecycle, moving from theoretical device modeling to the physical design, prototyping, and characterization of these advanced systems.
Minimum Qualifications
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BS in optoelectronics/electromechanical, optomechanical or similar engineering degree.
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Experience designing, fabricating and characterizing devices and/or systems and running time-sensitive, high-risk projects.
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Experience in electronic devices and optical devices modeling and designing concepts and systems around them for computing and/or other functionalities.
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Expertise modeling electronic and optical devices operating within systems.
Preferred Qualifications
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20+ years of relevant industry experience.
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PhD in an electro-optical or nanoscale-devices or material-science-of-devices related field.
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Deep understanding of the physics and principles of device design and fabrication.
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Proven ability to exercise sound technical judgment with imperfect information; ability to operate at the right level of depth for every problem.
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Ability to communicate efficiently and productively with technical peers.
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Experience working with external partners while still carrying out innovation that stays within the organization
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Proven experience of leading teams while still possessing the technical depth to be an individual contributor when required.
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Track record of learning new fields and taking on new challenges.
Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We seek to promote equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics.
How this job compares
Set against the 1,414 open Research and Development jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 10, 2026.
- Pay
- This postingNot listed
- California median$124–193K/yr144 salary ranges
- California median$27–35/hr20 hourly ranges
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 211 open Research and Development jobs in California and 1,414 across the US. 3% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in California
- Terumo Neuro11 open
- Applied Materials10 open
- The Clorox Company7 open
- Experience
- Research and Development postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years of experience at the median; the middle half ask for 3 to 8 years (944 postings).
- Education
- This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 750 of the 1,414 open Research and Development jobs (53%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 10, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
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