Summer 2026

Operations Manufacturing Design PhD Intern

Apple

Apple

10,001+ employees

Designs and sells hardware and software

No salary listed

United States

In Person

PhD

Category
Business & Strategy (1)
Required Skills
Injection Molding

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Requirements
  • Currently pursuing a PhD in mechanical engineering, material science, or industrial engineering or related field
  • Experience in a hands-on manufacturing environment
  • Proven capability in developing quality plans, validating test methods and gauges, and driving corrective actions/failure analysis efforts
  • Deep knowledge of quality and reliability concepts, supplier management, and general manufacturing operations
  • Significant project management experience and a deep understanding of problem solving tools including design of experiments, root cause analysis and statistical process control principles preferred
  • At the end of the internship, you must return to school to continue your education or the internship must be the last requirement for you to graduate
Responsibilities
  • Lead selection, implementation and optimization of manufacturing processes for mechanical enclosure subassemblies for our legendary products
  • Utilize mechanical engineering expertise and work cross functionally with Product Design Engineering and Industrial Design
  • Evaluate product features for manufacturability, and recommend the most capable processes and equipment
  • Innovate new manufacturing processes to enable future product design and conducting design of experiments to validate process capability
  • Partner with global supplier managers to identify and qualify capable suppliers, assess their secondary processes for capacity, quality and cost
  • Partner with suppliers to define and refine mechanical tooling, fixtures and establish capability and readiness
  • Implement post production quality and cost improvement activity related to fixtures and processes
  • As an MQE: Utilize engineering, factory management and supply chain skills in developing and implementing high efficiency inspection equipment, groundbreaking quality systems and ultimately the best products available
  • Lead the creation of state of the art inspection and measurement equipment for Apple products
  • Lead the development of specific product quality plans (PQP) appropriate to program and commodity
  • Provide technical direction and mentorship to other quality engineers supporting the implementation of the PQP
  • Identify and direct studies to implement improvements in measuring method where appropriate
  • Lead quality engineering functions for multiple programs in the product category
  • Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure accurate definition of quality expectations and appropriate assurance techniques are used for the product
  • Partner with supplier quality management through assisting in the supplier selection process for new products and sourcing activities. You will also drive supplier production control and quality programs, identify shortfalls to expectations, and directly secure agreement to correct. Through measurement of production line statistics, company inspections, and audits, you will supervise each supplier’s performance
  • As an SME: Act as a technical expert within the Manufacturing Design team. In this very hands-on role, SMEs display deep knowledge in their field while collaborating with their Industrial Design, Product Design, and Manufacturing Design partners to develop manufacturing processes to scale with our suppliers
  • Leading innovative process development trials, SMEs deliver to challenging cosmetic and functional requirements
  • Tooling SMEs lead the development of new metal forming and plastic injection tooling projects to meet a wide range of product performance and cosmetic requirements. Work with Apple suppliers to lead tool design and build, tool and process development and tool qualifications at the supplier
  • Surface Finishing SMEs research new methods for creating cosmetic surface finishes combining mechanical surface preparation (blasting, polishing, texturing, etc) and decorative surface finishing techniques (anodizing, electroplating, etc.) to meet challenging new targets
  • Coatings SMEs are responsible for driving the development of deposition processes such as painting, printing, physical vapor deposition, and chemical vapor deposition to implement a variety of decorative and functional coatings across Apple’s suppliers
  • Surface Science SMEs define, develop and scale best-in-class wet cleaning and chemical surface pre-treatment processes that aid in delivering world class cosmetic and functional anodizing, PVD, electroplating, and coatings
  • Automation SMEs drive automation design, development, and implementation activities with industrial partners for critical enclosure and module manufacturing processes, necessitating a hands-on and innovative approach to mechanical, control, and vision systems in order to deliver unprecedented capabilities and best-in-class performance
  • As an OPM: Be pivotal to the dynamic development and execution of key strategic projects in the Product Operations team. A successful OPM is a leader and facilitator; is driven, organized, and detail oriented; excels in program/project management; communicates with ease at all levels; and is self-motivated to succeed in ambiguous environments
  • Lead the execution of initiatives from inception to completion, ensuring alignment across multiple organizations
  • Demonstrate a strong sense of ownership and autonomy in driving projects forward, taking initiative to overcome obstacles and deliver results
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external partners to the Product Operations team
  • Expected to go deep into details and processes with complexities and nuances
  • Influence teams and outcomes in project areas non-traditional to Product Operations
  • Drive quality, cost, and labor initiatives across multiple cost markets and product groups
Desired Qualifications
  • Technical experience with any of the following: mechanical enclosures, casings, plastic parts, injection molding, tooling, jigs, fixtures, or automotive high volume quality manufacturing engineering
  • Experience of geometric dimension and tolerance, as well as statistics
  • Experience of mechanical properties of materials as they relate to manufacturing requirements
  • Experience of design of experiment principles
  • Ability to travel periodically domestic and overseas
  • Extraordinary interpersonal skills — verbal, written and executive presentations

Apple designs, manufactures, and sells hardware and software across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV, plus services like the App Store, Apple Music, iCloud, and Apple Pay. The products work together through an integrated ecosystem where devices run Apple’s own operating systems and sync data via iCloud, delivering a seamless user experience. It differentiates itself by controlling both hardware and software end-to-end, maintaining a unified design, and expanding services and spatial computing. Its goal is to provide a cohesive, high-quality experience across devices while growing services revenue and expanding its ecosystem.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Cupertino, California

Founded

1976

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Apple's Q3 2026 revenue rose 16% to $109.4 billion, led by iPhone growth.
  • Services revenue hit $30.7 billion in Q3 2026, a June-quarter record.
  • Apple released $17.1 billion from Irish escrow after the EU tax ruling.

What critics are saying

  • Apple cut over 200 jobs on August 21, 2026, across Vision Pro, Siri, and engineering.
  • Bloomberg says Vision Pro slips toward late 2028 while Meta's smart glasses pull ahead.
  • Apple's September 2026 guidance of 9%-11% growth trails consensus, hit by supply constraints.

What makes Apple unique

  • Apple's Q3 2026 installed base hit an all-time high across major products.
  • Apple controls silicon, software, hardware, and retail, narrowing rivals' advantage windows.
  • Apple's 2027 roadmap spans smart glasses, camera AirPods, and a foldable iPhone.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

401(k) Company Match

Tuition Reimbursement

Performance Bonus

Relocation Assistance

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

-5%
Yahoo Finance
Aug 22nd, 2026
Apple discloses $14.7B EU tax payment in Ireland following court ruling

Apple has disclosed its profits and tax payments across individual EU countries for the first time under new transparency rules. The tech giant reported $17.1 billion in income tax paid in Ireland for the financial year ending September 2025, reflecting funds released from an escrow account following a European Court of Justice ruling. In September 2024, Apple lost a legal battle with the European Commission over Irish tax advantages, resulting in a €13 billion ($15.2 billion) back taxes order plus interest. In Germany, Apple recorded pre-tax profit of around $209 million and paid $153.5 million in income tax. Its German operations generated $2.72 billion in revenue and employed 4,089 people. Under EU rules, multinational companies with global annual revenue exceeding €750 million must publicly disclose income tax information for individual countries.

Yahoo Finance
Aug 21st, 2026
Meta releases open-source AI models while Apple tests Chinese memory chips to tackle supply crunch

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg published a letter on 10 August arguing that artificial intelligence should be spread broadly rather than controlled by a handful of companies or governments. Meta announced it will resume releasing open-source AI models and released the open-weight Muse Glimmer model, a 30-billion-parameter system designed to run on a single consumer GPU. Meanwhile, Apple has been testing memory chips from China's CXMT for use in iPhones and MacBooks, according to the Wall Street Journal. The move aims to ease memory supply constraints that have forced Apple to raise prices globally. CXMT is now valued at $520 billion. Meta's strategy could attract developers, though monetisation remains unclear. Apple faces political risks from any Chinese supplier arrangement.

Bloomberg
Aug 21st, 2026
Apple cuts jobs in Siri, Vision Pro and gaming teams to focus on AI

Apple is cutting jobs in its digital assistant and Vision Pro headset divisions as it refocuses on new devices and artificial intelligence. The iPhone maker is reducing staff across teams working on Siri and Vision Pro immersive video and gaming functions. The restructuring marks a strategic shift for Apple as it redirects resources toward emerging technologies. The cuts affect multiple teams involved in developing experiences for the Vision Pro, Apple's mixed reality headset launched last year. The move comes as Apple intensifies efforts to compete in the artificial intelligence space whilst streamlining operations across its product portfolio.

Yahoo Finance
Aug 21st, 2026
Apple books $6M profit per Irish employee vs. $51K in Germany

Apple paid Ireland $17 billion in taxes last year, representing 40% of its $43 billion worldwide corporate income tax bill, according to the Financial Times. The figure includes €13 billion in back taxes ordered by the EU's top court in 2024, after ruling Ireland granted Apple unlawful aid resulting in an effective tax rate below 1%. A quarter of Apple's global pre-tax profits in the year to September 2025 were booked through Irish entities employing just 3% of its workforce. This equates to $6 million of pre-tax profit per employee in Ireland, compared with $51,000 per employee in Germany. The disclosure comes under new EU rules requiring large companies to report revenue, profit and tax by jurisdiction. Apple employs 5,575 people in Ireland and 4,089 in Germany, where it paid $153 million in taxes.

Yahoo Finance
Aug 21st, 2026
Apple lays off 60 Vision Pro staff, shifts focus to smart glasses as Ternus prepares for CEO role

Apple has reportedly laid off approximately 60 employees working on virtual reality development, according to Apple Insider. The cuts affected workers across Apple's Vision Group and other VR-related positions, signalling a pullback from the Vision Pro headset. The $3,499 Vision Pro has struggled to gain mainstream traction since launching in February 2024. Its high price, heavy design, and limited developer support have remained significant adoption barriers. Sales estimates suggest Apple has sold only a fraction of units needed to establish it as a mainstream product. The layoffs indicate Apple may be shifting focus towards smart glasses and lighter-weight augmented reality devices. Meta Platforms has built an early lead in smart glasses through its Ray-Ban Meta lineup, selling millions of pairs. Apple shares declined 1.8% on Thursday.