Human Factors Engineer / Researcher

Summary

At Apple, we create products that enrich people's lives — and our health products are central to that mission. Join one of the core teams helping to bring that vision to life. We are the Human Factors team, focusing on designing and conducting research to understand our users, informing the development and continuous improvement of impactful Apple health and wellness features. We are a dynamic, diverse, and collaborative team of researchers that work at the crossroads of research and product development. We are looking for an experienced human factors engineer / researcher to apply user-centered design principles to the research, design, and development of its health features. You will scope and execute the right research, uncover insights, and directly inform health product development. You'll have the unique opportunity to contribute to various products like Apple Watch, iPhone, AirPods, and the Health app and across broad health domains such as cardiac health, sleep, hearing health, women's health, and fitness.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree, with a concentration or extensive work in human factors, industrial engineering, cognitive psychology, biomechanics, experimental psychology, and/or human-computer interaction. 3 years of relevant research work experience managing human factors projects and driving research programs cross-functionally and independently. Expertise in creating rigorous experimental designs, utilizing scientific method, and prioritizing research insights that have implications for product design and development Expertise in conducting usability studies and interview techniques related to product use. Mixed methods expertise to combine quantitative and qualitative research approaches. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, attention to detail, patience, and aesthetic sensibility. Ability to distill research insights into presentations for engineers and designers in a concise way. Expertise with health software and hardware usability.

Preferred Qualifications

Master's/doctorate, with a concentration or extensive work in human factors, industrial engineering, cognitive psychology, biomechanics, experimental psychology, and/or human-computer interaction. 5 years of relevant work experience managing projects and driving research programs cross-functionally Relevant experience in medical device usability evaluations and documentation. Expertise in leading research programs informing wearables including smart watches, fitness trackers, and/or virtual reality headsets. Experience applying regulations and best practices for medical device human factors a plus (e.g. IEC 62366, AAMI HE75, FDA Applying Human Factors and Usability Engineering to Medical Devices). Expertise in conducting and interpreting various statistical analyses (e.g., t-tests, ANOVA, regression, bootstrapping).

Description

This role sits at the intersection of various disciplines in health product development, requiring close collaboration with designers, engineers, clinicians, and regulatory partners. The ideal candidate can rapidly build relationships and partner with cross-functional teams to understand and align on research priorities, while managing multiple concurrent projects. Success requires both rigorous scientific expertise in human factors research methodology and the ability to translate complex user experience problems and questions into well-designed research efforts. The ideal candidate can then ultimately convert that understanding into actionable insights that directly inform product design and development decisions.

Responsibilities

Apply Human Factors Engineering (HFE) methods and principles at all phases of product/technology development. Exercise independent judgment in development of experimental design, data collection efforts, data analysis, conclusions, and design recommendations. Develop user study criteria and detailed methodology for user interface testing for several concurrent projects. Lead user-centered research and evaluation for design concepts for diverse user populations utilizing experimental data. Conduct qualitative and quantitative research and analysis of data and provide clear and concise feedback to teams in a timely manner. Collaborate cross-functionally with design, engineering, clinical, product marketing, and product development groups. Inform feature development and direction of new Apple features through research. Maintain an active working knowledge of worldwide human factors publications, standards, and both cognitive and physical heuristics. Comply with all principles of research ethics and collaborate with legal and institutional review boards to ensure alignment with human research guidelines and regulations.